15 Apple inventions that show how the company is crafting the future

Apple is always inventing new stuff.

Just this past year, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has published thousands of patents that Apple has both applied for and been granted.

In 2015 alone, it was granted 1,938 patents.

Of course, a patent never guarantees a product - often, published patents or applications are merely proof that a company has investigated an idea.

But looking at Apple patents can be a fun way to look at what the company is working on in its Cupertino labs, and also imagine what an Apple-driven future could look like.

Here are some of the most interesting Apple patents from the past year: