Apple is one of the most secretive companies, almost always managing to keep the details of its product launches hidden from public knowledge until the very moment Tim Cook strides out on stage to unveil a new iPhone, iPad or line of updated MacBooks. So how can innovation-hungry gadget fans get clues about Apple's future directions? By studying its patent activity.

Not everything Apple patents will lead to a concrete product, but if it's planning something, one of the first things the company does is get a patent request in to head off future competition.

In this (hopefully) regularly updated roundup we're going to collect the latest patent news from the Apple camp, to give you an idea of what to expect in upcoming Apple products. Whether it's a small technology that could appear in the iPhone 5 or the seed of an entirely new Apple line, come back to this page for the latest Apple patent developments.

Week ended 6th July 2012

Apple has been granted 22 new patents this week, according to . In our roundup of the most interesting, let's start with...