Apple granted patent on original iPad

Apple has been granted a U.S. patent on the design of its first iPad, nearly three years after the device's public debut.
Among more than 30 patents granted to Apple today, there's one standout: D669,069. Called simply a "portable display device," the pictured gadget matches up identically with Apple's first-generation iPad, a design the company kept around until the iPad 2 in early 2011.Along with the iPad's design, Apple was granted two other design patents. One for the interface of its iBooks software (PDF) and another for the iPhone with a bumper case on it (PDF). The granted patents come just days ahead of when Apple is expected to unveil a smaller version of the iPad at a press event next week.