Your Apple keyboard of the future could let you swipe across the keys to perform actions now handled by the trackpad.

Published on Thursday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, an Apple patent dubbed "Multi-functional keyboard assemblies" highlights ways to expand the power of the traditional keyboard through the use of "keystacks."

Integrated into the keyboard, these keystacks would consist of a keycap, circuitry, and other components to improve the functionality of each key. One such improvement would be touch sensitivity.

Using touch gestures, you could swipe across a range of keys just as you now swipe across a touchpad. One example listed in the patent filing: swiping from right to left across a series of keys could turn a page in an e-book.