Apple patents hint at iPhone with video chat, motion awareness

Two new patents from Apple hint that the company may have some new hardware up its sleeve. The first patent discusses interfaces to be used while the person is in motion. This patent calls for new motion based gestures that would allow you to navigate the phone intuitively without seeing it, using actions such as a flicking the phone. The interface could be useful for people who use their iPhones while jogging or driving, allow them to make calls or change music with minimal distraction. Apple says that onscreen or bezel buttons could help decide the input mode and eliminate unintentional commands during normal use.

Another patent from Apple just published leaks even more beans. It shows an OS interface that detects motion -- such as walking and jogging, and resizes its interface to larger size buttons and font, to make selecting items easier. But the really interesting tidbit is the inclusion of a front facing video camera in the iPhone drawings.