Apple developing “active packaging” for mobile devices?

According to a new patent application from Apple, the company we all know and love wants to create a new type of packing for their iPhones and iPods. As we have seen through the years, normal packaging is designed to put some sort of advertisement on the outside while also keeping the product inside safe and sound. With this new “active packaging,” Apple would be able to both power the device and send data to it in order to have it display some sort of media, such as a video, while sitting on shelves waiting to be purchased. As Apple puts it:

The power may be provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging.

In theory, this sounds pretty awesome, why not put the device to use while it is on shelves? However, in my opinion it will take a lot of research and development to work correctly and efficiently, the way most Apple products do. For example, Apple may have to get retailers such as Best Buy to offer some way to charge these devices while they are on shelves, which could be expensive and unpractical. That said, I would love to see this sometime in the future.

Via [AppleInsider]