Tech companies patent a lot of stuff. From external devices to stands and screens and touch-based interactions, patents for “inventions” are all over the place. Apple patents are the ones we usually get excited about, though, as they’re probably the most curious ones.

The latest Apple patent filing shows us an “ambidextrous” mouse, a device capable of recognizing whether you’re holding it with your left or right hand, and able to work in either mode.

An ambidextrous mouse is disclosed. The ambidextrous mouse is configured for both left and right handed use. The mouse may include right handed buttons on the front side of the mouse and left handed buttons on the back side of the mouse. The user may change the handedness of the mouse by rotating the mouse about a vertical axis of the mouse such that the left hand can use the left hand buttons and the right hand can use the right hand buttons. The mouse may include a handedness selection system for configuring the mouse for right handed or left handed use even though the mouse has the capability for both right and left hands.

The patent was filed in 2003 and published last night, as 9to5mac noticed. The idea sounds interesting, but wait a second: isn’t this what the Magic Mouse is all about? An input device capable of shifting from right-handed mode to left-handed as it’s entirely based on multitouch technology? The patent was filed in 2003 and accepted last night, but in these 7 years in between Apple has experimented a lot with touch technology, even on the desktop (think of the Magic Trackpad, too).

The ambidextrous mouse is a patent that was filed years ago, and it’s interesting. But I think we already know what it’s all about.