Microsoft has recently filed a patent for a newly designed controller.  While it doesn’t appear to be a ground breaking new design like the recently released Xbox 360 “Slim”, it shows Microsoft’s dedication to pushing the boundaries on the life cycle of the 360.  This new dual mode controller will give the user the option to switch between a wired and wireless mode.  Not a significant change, but certainly an upgrade over the original controller.

It seems like the play and charge kit will soon become a relic as this more or less takes the need for having it on the market away.  It should be interesting to see if this new controller sports a radical new design or is made to be more lightweight.  Both of which would be a welcome new change to complement the sleek, new redesigned 360 consoles.  Hopefully Microsoft will release an official statement, accompanied by some screenshots of the new design soon.

A game controller operates in both a wired mode and a wireless mode, and is able to switch between these two modes without permanent disruption to an ongoing game. The game controller is configured to detect a condition that suggests switching from the wireless mode of operation to a wired mode of operation, convey the indication to a host game system, and transition from the wireless mode of operation to the wired mode of operation.

[via IGN]