Nintendo patents Wii Remote touch pad

Nintendo has patented designs for a touch-sensitive add-on to the Wii Remote.

The accessory would enhance the Remote with a tacked-on touch pad that juts out from the base of the controller.

Design documents unearthed by Siliconera demonstrate the add-on working with the Wii, although it would be a very late addition for Nintendo's now ageing console.

It would however be the perfect solution for extra players on the Wii U - allowing those not holding the system's single tablet controller to get their own touch screens.

Internal schematics show the device works via a small mirror, which reflects infrared LEDs triggered by players' touch gestures. These in turn are translated into position data.