Apple has considered making a new dock for the iPhone and iPod touch that would let the device work for video without compromising its ability to be charged, according to a just-published US patent application. Though cosmetically similar to the translucent stand included with the iPod touch, the purely visual patent also shows a Dock Connector cable plugged into the stand, suggesting that it could be used to power and sync a given device while watching movies, rather than just holding the player on its side.

The patent was filed approximately at the same time as the iPod touch made its original debut and appears to show that particular device in the stand. It's uncertain whether the filing was made solely to patent the existing stand design or whether it points to a future iteration that would serve as a dock of its own. Apple isn't required to produce devices that match its patent descriptions.