The patent brains behind a published Nokia concept -- the "Morph" -- this idea describes "a transformable body configured to be elastically stretchable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration."
This futuristic, shape-shifting phone would boast a flexible touchscreen display and could be worn neatly on your body until you want to use it, as Nokia explains:
"The first configuration may be an on-skin wearing configuration in which the body of the apparatus has a first size, and the second configuration being an operating configuration in which the body of the apparatus is transformed to a second size."
For example, you could wear your phone around your wrist. When you want to make a call, uncurl it and stretch it into its operational phone shape.
Image: Nokia/Google Patents
Imagine a self-charging mobile phone. That's the rather magical idea behind Nokia's "Piezoelectric Kinetic Energy Harvester" patent.
The patent sees movement experienced by your phone (in your bag, pocket, etc.) transformed into battery power via the wonder of kinetic energy and piezoelectric elements in the handset.
Similar to automatic quartz movements in watches that don't need winding, as long as your phone experiences motion, the battery should remain topped up.
It's TDB whether this idea would incorporate movement technology -- give your dying phone a shake to juice it up -- but we're certainly sold on the overall concept.
Image: Nokia/Google Patents
As touch became the primary mobile interface, Nokia considered an alternative: "Apparatus, Methods and Computer Program Products Providing Finger-Based and Hand-Based Gesture Commands for Portable Electronic Device Applications," aka gesture-based controls.
Nokia's vision was "a natural and intelligent interaction between humans and computing terminals [with] finger movement and/or user gestures."
Examples of such gestures in the patent description include rotating a single finger to browse forward, a circle gesture to start a program and expanding and closing fingers to zoom in or out.
While we don't think touchscreens for mobile devices are going anywhere soon, the success of gesture-controlled gaming suggests there might be potential for such additional commands in future.
Image: Nokia/Google Patents
Nokia patent number US20120062371 concerns itself with the fascinating field of haptics. Haptic tech, or tactile feedback technology, uses vibration or other motions to inform, alert or notify the user.
A basic example of haptics in consumer tech would be vibration feedback, as you press a button or touch the correct area of a screen.
Nokia has taken this concept further with its vision of "haptic communication between a user and an electronic device." The user wears material, such as a patch on the skin, that can receive haptic stimulus from a mobile phone.
In its most space-age application, this patent describes how an "invisible tattoo" on your body would vibrate to alert you of incoming calls, messages or other notifications.
Image: Nokia/Google Patents
In 2011, Nokia filed a patent for a Google Glass-esque concept. With it, the user could view his surroundings whilst seeing "a visual representation of information... helpful for informational, entertainment or other purposes."
Nokia envisioned such a display as "a windshield" or "visor," but states it could also apply to spectacles:
"For example, a near-eye display may be embodied in a pair of glasses that are worn by a user and through which the user can view a scene beyond the glasses."
Could the Microsoft-Nokia organization release a viable rival to Google Glass? Only time will tell...
Image: Nokia/Google Patents
With the news that Microsoft has acquired Nokia's mobile phone business and licensed its patents, we took a look at five Nokia patents we'd love to see realized.
From phones that generate their own power to invisible tattoos that alert you to incoming calls, we think Ballmer and co should get creative with future Nokia phones and bring some real innovation back to the mobile marketplace.
See also: 7 iPhone Concepts That'll Make You Salivate
Take a look through the futuristic concepts in the gallery above. In the comments below, let us know which ideas you'd love to see in a Microsoft-Nokia handset of tomorrow.
Image: Nokia Conversations