A patent application recently published on the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office's database describes a backlit trackpad as well as a backlit click-wheel.

If the patent makes its way to an Apple product, we may expect the company's future notebooks to include a backlit trackpad, providing visual feedback to the user when touching it.

The same patent also includes pictures showing a click-wheel that illuminates when touched. This could be one of the features in the next iPod's design.

Apple is already using fiber optic lid keyboards on its MacBook Pro notebook line-up and the inclusion of other backlit input devices wouldn't be a surprise according to the company's design standrads.

Via MacRumors