A recently published patent application has revealed that Nintendo might be considering a small touchpad accessory for its classic Wii Remote. The touch panel uses an infrared LED and mirrors which bounce the location of a user's finger or stylus to the controller's IR sensor — the touch panel can be used for drawing in addition to tapping. Nintendo has not announced the product, but it could be an accessory for the upcoming Wii U which will still use Wii Remotes. And since only one Wii U touchscreen tablet can be used per system, the accessory might be a consolation prize for unlucky house guests who get stuck wielding the original Wii Remote.

As of now there's no evidence that Nintendo is actually working on this product. It's not the first bizarre Nintendo patent we've seen, and it won't be the last.