It appears that Apple has made another patent application with the US patent office, and this time it’s for what is called “Camera as Input Interface,” which would deliver the ability for the iPhone camera to be used for other features such as forwarding or rewinding voicemail reports apple insider.

Apparently the iPhone camera would detect the direction of a finger swipe and the iPhone accelerometer could be used to taps made on the iPhone thus enabling control of the iPhone whilst on a call with the need to remove the iPhone from the ear.

The “Camera as Input Interface” was apparently originally file for back on the 21st of August 2008 and is credited to Chad Seguin, Michael Lee and Justin Gregg.

Furthermore other than controlling the functions of voicemail review without taking the device from the ear, a user may navigate a doc on the display by guiding a finger over the camera lens. So what do you think, would you like to see this feature in the next generation iPhone?