Wow guys, Apple usually doesn’t allow patents to come to the public until after a product is announced.

It seems as though Apple’s latest patent has come out and guess what it depicts? An oddly familiar looking tablet device! It looks like some of the leaked tablet images and it looks like a giant iPod touch.

The patent is for quote “Pen-based input on a tablet”! A tablet! We can basically confirm the tablet for 2010.

Also, at about the same time, during an nVidia interview, a photographer took a very interesting picture. It is an unknown tablet like device. Nobody has any idea on what the mysterious device is. Engadget is also stumped on what the hell the device is, and they have a massive experience on all types of different devices.

This looks like a giant iPod touch, with home button and all. Now, apparently the interview was on nVidia and Apple’s relationship, and then this?!

I am convinced that this is an iTablet prototype. This is a massively huge device that looks like it has the same bezel, homebutton, and capacitative multi-touch screen as the iPod touch 1st generation.

As 2010 gets closer, the rumored tablet and iPhone 4G get closer as well, stay tuned…