The patent for the Nintendo Wii U controller gives a bit more insight into what it can do.

The Nintendo Wii U controller is certainly capable of a lot of things. When the console and it's controller were unveiled during E3 Nintendo announced it would have a camera, microphone, gyrosensor, touch screen and much more. Now that the patent application for it has been discovered we're able to understand the controller a little bit better.

During E3 there was a lot of talk about whether or not more than one controller could be used. Ultimately Nintendo said that at this stage only one Wii U controller could be used, with up to four Wii Remotes being used additionally, but they are looking into adding more. The patent confirms this as it describes using multiple controllers on one screen. The controller features a magnetometer, a feature used to reference orientation through the Earth's magnetic field. It will be used alongside the accelerometer and gyrosensor to provide a level of motion-input accuracy along the lines of the PlayStation Move.

Additionally the controller features flash memory that could be used to store information, although it is not known how much flash memory will be on board. The controller contains an expansion port for accessories, although it does claim that this could be left off. The patent describes the screen as a passive single-touch LCD screen, however it also claims that a capacitive multi-touch screen and a different display technology could be used.

The Wii U controller will also contain a CPU, presumably used to decode the video sent from the Wii U console. The controller uses MIMO capabilities IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi to transmit the data between the console and the controller and the H.264 video codec is specifically mentioned. While the data is sent compressed the patent application does state uncompressed data could be used given the right technology.

While it was announced at E3 that the controller would feature a sensor bar, and is indeed mentioned in the patent application, there is also the possibility that it could be replaced by a camera tracking system. The possibility for more cameras on either side of the controller is also mentioned in the application.

Interestingly the patent application also outlines the possibility that the controller would communicate with a television broadcast to display information about the programme being watched. However we'll have to wait and see for more information about that if something ever comes of it.