Apple hasn't put a backlit logo on its MacBooks since 2015, but that could all change based on a new patent the company has filed.

The famous Apple logo was once the first thing that you saw when you walked into any coffee shop, but that hasn't been the case since it was killed off in 2015. The bright white logo was replaced with a more moody dark one, but the backlit version might be about to make a comeback after a new patent appeared in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database.

The name of the patent might not give a lot away - "Electronic Devices With Backlit Partial Mirror Structures" - but its purpose is clear to see when you dive into what's being described.

Apple says that a laptop's housing "may be provided with a logo",  adding that "the logo or other structures in the device may be provided with a backlit partially reflective mirror." It then goes on to say that other components could be configured to allow backlight illumination from within the device to pass through" which would create the backlit logo we're so familiar with.

The new patent appears to be for a new type of construction that would allow Apple to once again use backlit logos on its portable Macs, suggesting the previous design change was a necessity in terms of construction requirements rather than a design choice. If that's the case, we might all be using MacBook Pros with light-up logos in the future.

It is, however, important to also remember that patents don't always turn into products. Apple patents just about everything its engineers come up with, but it doesn't hurt to dream!