It seems to have been brought to light that Nintendo has been given the thumbs up on a new patent — the idea of a "remotely controlled mobile device control system". The patent was filed back in June 2011, and has only just been approved.

As you can see from the image, the Wii Remote is placed inside the remote controlled device, in this case a robot, and can send information to and from the console; this could most likely be used as a new function to control a character in game. Or who knows, it may never see the light of day.

The image does bring to mind a fresh attempt at R.O.B., which though a cool concept didn't actually work particularly well in practice. Still, affordable robotics have come a long way, and it could show those dull — and static — Skylanders toys a thing or two.

What are your thoughts on this news? How would you like to see Nintendo use its new patent? Let us know by dropping a comment below.