Patent suggests iPhone calling functions can be controlled via camera swipe gestures

Always attempting to find new and ingenious ways of perfecting the iPhone, there was a new patent application revealed this week entitled “Camera as Input Interface.” It was originally filed back in August 2008 and is credited to Chad Seguin, Justin Gregg, and Michael Lee. Basically the new patent would involve finger swipes over the iPhone's camera that would allow some in-call functions to be executed. Additionally, the phone's accelerometer could also be used to detect a user tapping on the iPhone which could also allow in-call functions to be executed without having to remove the phone from your ear. Some of these movements detected by the camera would allow users to forward or rewind voicemails by simply swiping a finger across the camera or even tap the handset to pause or resume playback. Everyone knows how difficult it is at times when you're trying to juggle your phone while listening or talking on it – hence why this new feature would make it less cumbersome. Thinking away from all the calling functions, another new feature stated in the patent application would also allow “a user may navigate a document being shown on a display screen of the device by guiding his finger over the camera lens." This isn't the first time we've seen something like this before as the soon to be Motorola BACKFLIP for AT&T allows for a similar function. It's still unheard if the next generation iPhone would utilize some or all of the features stated in the patent application, but it does provide some insight to what may lay ahead for the venerable smartphone.

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via AppleInsider