Video chat coming to the iPhone?

Remember that massive Apple patent filing I blogged about last week—the one that might play a central role in the brewing Apple-Palm feud? An enterprising blogger took a closer look at the 358-page document and found a couple of gems: Plans for video recording (finally) as well as two-way video conferencing.

InformationWeek's Alexander Wolfe found the references to video chat and recording in the "Description of Embodiments" section of Apple's patent, which the U.S. Patent Office approved last month.

Specifically, the patent calls for such features as "video conferencing" and "digital videoing," and notes that an "optical sensor" (a.k.a., a video camera) could be "located on the front of the device so that the user's image may be obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other video conference participants on the touch screen display," according to Wolfe's post (which also includes a couple of diagrams; click here to view).

Of course, the patent doesn't mean that video conferencing and recording are done deals for the next iPhone—indeed, Apple has filed patents for plenty of ideas that have yet to see the light of day.

Still, Wolfe seems convinced that iPhone video chat would be just the thing to steal the Palm Pre's thunder, while users have been clamoring for video recording since the first iPhone arrived two summers ago. And if the next iPhone comes with a new and improved camera, along with a front-facing optical sensor for video conferencing, well … that would be something for Apple to crow about.

So, what do you think: Would you trade up for iPhone video chat?

Related:
Apple Planning Video-Call iPhone [InformationWeek]