The next generation of apple retail stores will be equipped with smart ceiling lighting systems, which apple says provide a consistent lighting environment that offers an ideal customer experience but is also broader.

This week, the United States patent and trademark office (USPTO) approved a new apple patent. Apple's patent, however, is not directly related to the product, but to lighting systems for future apple stores.

The patent, called Ceiling system, is a type of indoor lighting system that consists of panels that illuminate the Ceiling and linear light slots. The technology is already being used in several of apple's newest retail stores, which have been opened or refurbished.

According to the patent description, the system describes an indoor lighting facility consisting of 'wall-to-wall' ceiling panels that can be used for lighting, as well as linear light slots.

Apple's design is to make the entire ceiling into a single photo system. According to apple, a more consistent lighting environment provides an ideal customer experience while offering flexible options for product displays in a wider, open space.

In practice, the ceiling lighting panels run from one wall to the other, with slots between each panel. These panels can contain LED lights or other sources of light that can be directed down through, say, a plastic astigmatism mask, or over reflective back materials.

The panels also have isolation slots between them, which are combined with the LED subsystem -- a system that directs light horizontally to the center line of the spacer slot, or vertically as a source of downward emission. In addition, the design of t-bar is added, which can be used for style.

Thanks to this design, cameras, speakers, alarms, fire extinguishing systems and other electrical systems can be added to the ceiling and arranged into longitudinal slots, so that these extended systems are visually hidden and aesthetically pleasing. In fact, apple could add iBeacon hardware to that, although the patent doesn't mention it.

Narrow grooves are spread throughout the ceiling, incorporating LED subsystems that emit light horizontally or vertically down the center line of the narrow grooves.

The shift in apple's retail outlets is the result of efforts by Angela Ahrendts, the head of its retail business, and apple's CDO Jony Ive.

Ahrendts, who debuted the lighting system at apple's retail stores during a TV appearance on '60 Minutes,' said the goal is to give customers a 'dynamic shopping experience.'

Apple's ceiling lighting system was first patented in February 2014 by 10 people including Stefan Behling.