Multi-touch is working in the iPhone and iPod touch, now it may be time to advance upon it and bring it to other devices.

According to MacNN, Apple may extend its multi-touch technology to larger displays by implementing new technologies which allow users to use different parts of their hands as well as different kinds of presses to trigger various actions.

The first patent, published yesterday, points towards a sensor arrangement that addresses different parts of the hand. Additional patents were also discovered for accompanying conductors and sensors that could create an array of capacitive sensors that not only detect the proximity of hand contact but also determine which part of the hand is in use by the surface area. The system would also be sensitive to pressure across multiple areas, according to the patent's description.

If embedded within a device, the technologies would allow a computer or other device to perform extra actions beyond the taps and dragging motions used today. The sensors built from these technologies could recognize when a user's palm was on the surface and actions such as sliding motions with fingers would be more accurate under this system. Finally, multiple pressure points could let the interface recognize whether the user is making a tilting or roller gesture with their hands.

Beyond interface advances, the control method would allow for a curved or generally more ergonomic surface. A keyboard could form a gentle slope and also include a palm rest that could also function as an active surface when necessary.

The patents may not see use for some time and were first filed a month after the iPhone's debut this summer. Apple has noted that the inventions don't have to be used with displays and can see alternative use in keyboards, trackpads and other opaque control devices.

Let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.