Sorry my mistake, there were two parts to that article, BMW were showing a prototype enduro bike, the patented part was for the clutch to be mounted on the crankshaft rather than the gearbox primary shaft.
The swingarm sprocket thing was apparently used previously on Bimotas.
Here's an extract
The clutch is mounted on the same axis as the crankshaft, rather than as usual on the gearbox primary shaft - a format which has been patented by BMW (although a similar layout was used by the Honda Cub 50 several decades ago!), and results in smaller overall dimensions and reduced power losses, as well as freeing up space for the frame design.
However, the prototype debuting at Űlsen featured a more conventional but still distinctive chassis layout, with four mounting points for the motor. This sees the pivot for the aluminium swingarm mounted co-axially with the gearbox sprocket, a system previously used by Massimo Tamburini on his Bimota designs for four-cylinder Japanese sportbikes from 1973-83, and for the same purpose as here on the BMW Enduro, to ensure constant chain tension at all times, for longer life and to reduce chain snatch. This in turn permits the use of a softer rear shock which, like its KTM and Husaberg rivals, does not use a linkage