Apple has been awarded a patent for a dock connector for landscape or horizontal docking.

Patently Apple reported that the US Patent and Trademark Office issued 16 new patents to Apple. The patents included a design patent for the original iPad Wi-Fi +3G which has another connector slot which allows the iPad to dock in landscape or horizontal mode.

Apple credited CEO Steve Jobs and VP Industrial Design Jonathan Ive and team members for the invention.

Apple had earlier filed for the patent with Europe's Trademark Office in Oct. 2010. The design showcased an extra 30-pin connector which would allow the iPad to dock in landscape mode.

Although an iPad can be viewed in both portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) mode it can be docked for charging only in vertical mode. But the new patent will allow it to be docked horizontally as well.

Other patents granted to Apple include virtual keyboard for iOS devices, Apple's iLife - iDVD, Web Clip Widgets on iOS devices and over flow for iOS devices.

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