San Francisco, Feb 11 (IANS): Apple has filed a new patent with the US Patent And Trademark Office related to a new kind of iPad keyboard accessory that will allow an iPad to function as a MacBook Pro.

According to Patently Apple, a new patent granted the Cupertino-based company shows a hinged keyboard mechanism that could provide the keyboard environment and support that will effectively allow an iPad to function as a MacBook Pro.

The keyboard looks like an accessory with a base and a coupling mechanism. The base has the keyboard, including a set of electromechanical keys.

According to the patent, the "accessory device may include a coupling mechanism for releasably coupling the base portion of the accessory device to a tablet computing device in multiple different installation modes. The coupling mechanism may define an attachment interface for retaining the tablet computing device to the base portion".

Meanwhile, Apple may launch a fifth-generation iPad Air with an A15 Bionic chip, 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support and 5G for cellular models.

The new iPad Air could be announced alongside the third-generation iPhone SE in spring 2022.

It will have the same overall design as the current model, including a single-lens rear camera.