Alongside projection technology, another Apple invention revealed today by the US Patent and Trademark Office centers on the concept of wireless pairing. The patent notes that while many wireless devices -- namely those equipped with Bluetooth, like the iPhone -- require manual pairing to avoid interfering with others, the process itself can be somewhat cumbersome. This involves entering a PIN code, which must first be discovered in a manual, and then entered on an interface which is not always easy to use.

Under Apple's scheme, users would be able to exchange a PIN code between devices using a wired link. This could involve a USB or FireWire cable, and peripherals including but not limited to computers, phones, media players, printers and headsets. In theory, this would let users quickly pair a device like an iPhone to a Mac or PC, and after the first instance abandon the wired connection for proper wireless use, thanks to auto-configuring software.