A couple of days ago the US Patent and Trademark Office published Apple's patent for a soft keyboard. Apple was granted the patent for its iOS virtual keyboard, which could make future iPhone and iPad owners even more pleased with their devices.

The patent, an extension of another one originally filed in October 2009, describes a "Method, system, and graphical user interface for selecting a soft keyboard." Apple's innovation is tied to "user interfaces, and more particularly, to methods, systems, and graphical user interfaces for selecting a soft keyboard from a plurality of soft keyboards".

The Inquirer investigated the matter further and asked the patent litigator about Apple's recent move. Kathleen Murphy from law firm Taylor Wessing said it "remains to be seen" if Apple would use the new patent in court.

Murphy also went on to say that there hadn't been any other application for patents by Apple outside the US, so should the company try to seek injunctions from rivals who are already using the older version of this patent, it wouldn't be able to do so outside US borders.

Apple and Samsung are currently embroiled over 30 cases of patent infringement. Recently, the court asked the two companies to start settlement talks.