Apple's Latest Patent Is A Game-Changer For iPad (AAPL)

Unlike

and

,

is not overly forthcoming about its R&D initiative. Instead of promoting the

, Apple tends to wait until a product is ready for release before revealing its plans. In fact, if it weren't for the

of AuthenTec, investors would be unaware that the company is experimenting with fingerprint scanner technology for its products. There are some instances where Apple's secrets have been made public, however. Most of them involve patent filings.

has uncovered a new Apple patent for generating and manipulating 3D objects using 3D gesture inputs. In short, Apple theorizes that users could interact with a touch-sensitive device (such as an iPad) by performing various hand gestures above the screen. This could prove to be Apple's answer to Kinect. Built by Microsoft, Kinect is a controller-free motion-based control system for Xbox 360, PC and Xbox One. Apple is thought to be interested in

PrimeSense, the company responsible for Kinect's technology.

This patent seems to confirm Apple's interest in motion technology. Many believe that it could be essential to the Mac maker's plans to build a television set. Microsoft is using its next-generation Kinect to power a host of new non-gaming features for Xbox One, including voice- and gesture-controlled channel surfing. Instead of building a television set from the ground up, Microsoft hopes to dominate the living room through the growth of its new game console. Thus far, Apple has taken a more subtle approach toward the TV business. Instead of releasing a full-fledged TV set (as

expected), the company has continued to casually push its set-top box. Known as Apple TV, the device currently offers 13 apps for online video streams, including

, Hulu Plus,

YouTube and

HBO Go. Disclosure: