iPhone’s Camera Could Be Doing More Than Just Capture Videos and Photos…

“What could Apple possibly do with the camera other than take photos and videos?” is the question your are probably asking right? Well get this, according to a patent found this week, Apple is investigating ways to provide gesture-invoked functions to the camera on the iPhone such as swiping your finger across the tech to fast-forward and rewind voice memos and messages (which would be pretty damn innovative). They are even figuring out ways for the accelerometer in the iPhone to be used without taking it away from your ear, such as allowing the accelerometer to detect certain distinctive taps so that the user could switch between call session or even merge two calls. So, to put that in perspective for you “certain situation” people out there, let’s say John is on the phone with Jane and he gets a call from Janet, all John would have to do to answer the call would be to tap the iPhone twice distinctively. After doing that, the iPhone interprets the command and then switches over to the incoming call from Janet. He could even merge the call by (for argument sakes) tapping the iPhone distinctively three times, all without taking the device from his ear (Wow, that would be truly innovative)! The application labeled by Apple as “Camera as Input Interface” was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office back in August of ’08. The patent entails explanation of the functions (like the ones mentioned above) and also tell how the camera can be used to help invoke these commands. The app reads:

“These actions allow the user to control functions of voicemail review without removing the device from over his ear.” Continuing in the patent, “Furthermore, a user may navigate a document being shown on a display screen of the device by guiding his finger over the camera lens. While viewing the display screen, the user holds the device in the palm of his hand in a supine position. Rather than pressing or sliding directional buttons next to the screen or touching a touch screen to navigate a webpage document or contacts list, the user may move his finger over the camera lens in the direction he wishes to navigate the page.”

The file also goes on to state that the user can choose to customize the controls how they desire. This isn’t the first time Apple has made something like this that made all of us here at MacApper say “damn”, a while back, if you can remember (and if you keep tabs on the big “A” like we do, that is), Apple submitted a patent for a Multi-Touch enabled casing to the iPhone that would operate much like the Magic Mouse. If Apple does plan to push this idea on to the iPhone, the industry is going to have a tough time catching up (as if they aren’t having a hard enough time already¦and they are¦)

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