Apple granted a patent that places second screen on iPad cover

Despite its name, the iPad Smart Cover is not particularly smart; it folds well and wakes your iPad from sleep, but that's about it. 

Judging by a patent recently granted to the company by the U.S. Patent Office, dug out by Patently Apple, the Smart Cover might become a lot smarter in the future. 

Titled "Cover attachment with flexible display," the patent describes a foldable cover for a tablet device with a "flexible display" built in. 

Apple sees this approach as an alternative to making the actual tablet bigger.

"Increasing the display area could lead to a significant expansion in functionality. Unfortunately (...) device manufacturers generally choose between making the display and therefore the device itself larger, thereby reducing the portability or making the device and display smaller with the result of a less functional device," the patent text explains.  Read more...