Patent application from last November paved the way for the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Does the image of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge look familiar to you? That could be because back in November, we told you about a patent application filed by Samsung with the USPTO. The title of the application was "Method and apparatus for operating functions of portable terminal having bended display" and covered a wrap-around screen quite similar to the one seen on the Galaxy Note Edge.

In fact, at the time, we noted that the images that Samsung included with the patent application showed that the extra space would be used for "virtual buttons and faders which could keep all physical buttons and controls off of the phone." Those images look strikingly close to the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, introduced by the manufacturer this morning.

Check out the slideshow below for a comparison between the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, and the illustration that the company included in its patent application.