iPhone 5 rumors: 3D motion control could come to iOS devices soon

A patent application by Apple for “[a] three-dimentional (“3D”) display environment for mobile device” has recently been published in the U.S. Patent Office.

According to the document, titled “Sensor Based Display Environment”, the California company would use the accelerometer and proximity sensors installed in the iDevices for a 3D interface on the iPhone.

“Due to the limited size of the typical display on a mobile device, a 3D GUI can be difficult to navigate using conventional means, such as a finger or stylus,” the patent reads.

“For example, to view different perspectives of the 3D GUI, two hands are often needed: one hand to hold the mobile device and the other hand to manipulate the GUI into a new 3D perspective.”

The interface would offer an overview of a 3D display environment that would provide data from the gyroscope to detect hand-movements in front of the screen.

This technology would allow the user to interact with the device by using simple movements while picturing the display as an “imaginary camera viewfinder.”