A new Apple patent discovered by AppleInsider shows the idea of an Apple Pencil stylus featuring a touch bar and another idea for improving haptics. Combining these features could give future iPads and iPad Pros an even greater selling point than the Pencil already offers.

The first patent shows a Touch Bar similar to the one on the recent MacBook Pro. This would also make the Pencil appear transparent, allowing the user to see what is underneath the area covered by the stylus.

The Apple Pencil could also benefit from a glass design, as outlined in the patent. Glass is tougher than plastic, which is why the majority of smartphone displays are made of glass. Therefore, a glass stylus would be more fragile than a plastic stylus, but less likely to get dust on it or discolor it.

The touch bar also serves as a means of input and can detect double-tap, triple-tap, and sliding movements. The touch display can also change the color of the Pencil, indicating what color or tool is currently selected

Like the Apple Pencil, it attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad and can be used while charging, although the Gen.2 Pencil also has touch functionality, The Gen. 2 Pencil also has touch functionality, but only recognizes double taps. [A second patent found by Apple Insider shows a new tactile feedback for the Apple Pencil. We have seen previous Apple Pencil haptic patents that allow the stylus to transform and act as a button or give feedback to the user, but this patent directs the user's hand to where the app thinks it should be.

Possible uses would be to help users draw perfect circles or other shapes, or to avoid potential false clicks. The patent also suggests that it could be used as a form of autocomplete while typing on a virtual keyboard, directing the user toward commonly used characters and away from less likely options. The system could also be used to stop pencils from rolling off the iPad when placed on top of it.

The usual warnings about patents apply here as well. These are just ideas, many of which will never be commercialized. But that doesn't stop us from being impressed by what Apple's designers have come up with.