Story highlights Apple patents a page turn function this week

It is a feature used in Apple's iBooks application

Apple has been involved in recent patent disputes with Samsung and HTC

Apple is now the proud owner of the page turn.

In a patent approved this week by the United States Patent Office Apple was awarded a design patent for "Display screen or portion thereof with animated graphical user interface."

The patent illustration shows three images : One with the corner of a page being turned slightly, the next with it halfway, and a third showing the page almost entirely turned over.

A feature used in Apple's iBooks, and books in general, the patent represents one of 38 different patents granted to Apple this week.

The New York Times points out that this isn't the first "seemingly obvious" patent that Apple has been awarded. Previously the company was granted patents for the musical note icon it uses to represent iTunes and the glass staircase it uses in stores.

Over the past several years Apple has made quite a few headlines for its involvement in patent suits against other device makers.

Earlier this year Apple won a patent lawsuit against Samsung, walking away with $1 billion in restitution, and has recently made moves to go after Samsung products that were released after that court ruling, including the Galaxy Note 10.1.

Earlier this week it settled a different patent case with handset maker HTC with a 10-year licensing agreement of patents held by both companies reportedly requiring HTC to pay Apple $6 to $8 per Android handset it sells.

Should Apple have been awarded a patent for the page turn? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.