Apple patent outlines wireless charging concept

The system would deliver a constant supply of electricity to low-power devices - although unfortunately the iPhone and iPad would prove too much

Future Apple peripherals including keyboards and mice could be charged wirelessly according to new patents.

The documents from the US Patent and Trademark Office unearthed by AppleInsider describe a system that would use wireless near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR) to transmit and receive small amounts of electricity.

While not powerful enough to work on battery-intensive devices like iPhones and iPads, the technology could essentially create a ‘powered zone’ around Apple’s desktop computers.

Keyboards and mice could become slimmer and lighter by dropping their batteries as a result, although the patent states that a small power supply would need to be kept for when they leave the charging zone.

An image from the patent document showing the 'charging zone'.

Although gadget fans will be disappointed that the patent doesn’t apply to mobile devices, there have been some rumours that the forthcoming iPhone 6 could include the feature (although there’s an iPhone 6 rumour for pretty much everything).

Poor battery life continues to be the biggest gripe of smartphone owners, though manufacturers do look like they’re trying to fix it - Microsoft’s latest Lumia 930 ships with a wireless charging platform as standard, a move that has been welcomed by reviewers.