A recently unearthed Sony patent has resulted in speculation that the PlayStation Move controller could be revamped imminently to include a touchpad.

The patent (via CVG ) was filed back in June 2012 but only recently published, and is for a "flat joystick controller". An accompanying image looks remarkably like the existing Move controller, though it appears to incorporate a touchpad on the handle.Seeing as this is a feature exclusive to the DualShock 4, speculation is rife that the new device is being designed with the PS4 in mind.The filing goes into detail about what to expect from the touchpad, saying "In a traditional joystick, it's hard to keep a user's thumb still while the user provides input by engaging various motions with the joystick. This is due to the fact that in the joystick, the thumb's support moves. However, using a touch input surface, the thumb can be kept still while continuing to provide the user's input by pressing on the input surface. The pressing of the user's finger on the input surface causes friction that is recognized."While it's well within the realms of possibility that Sony would want to implement a touchpad on the PS Move controller to remove input issues with the PS4 down the line, the fact the patent is over a year old and there hasn't been an official announcement means it could be nothing.The PlayStation Move got a fair bit of stage time when the PS4 was announced back in February, but we haven't heard much about it since. Could a relaunch be coming to coincide with other Sony devices like its VR headset ? Time will tell.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter