iPhone users might get a little less bored based on an upcoming feature Apple has patented.
According to a patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the "On-hold visual menu from a user's communications device" allows the iPhone user to share music, photos, videos, and other content while on call waiting.
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Known as U.S. patent 8,494,123, the Apple patent is described as, "A user equipment communications device is configured to provide personal content to a party to a call with a user of the device, when the user places the party on hold."
The patent noted that the device ultimately determines if the caller is indeed placed on hold and if able to share personal content with other device owners.
"The device then transmits a visual menu to a communications device of the party via a data network, to allow the party to select a type of personal content to receive from the device while the party is on hold," the patent description added. "When the device receives a selection from the party's device indicating the type of personal content, it transmits a personal information asset to the party's device according to the type of personal content indicated by the selection."
It is unknown if the feature will make it for the next-generation iPhone, such as the iPhone 5S, but it could be installed in time for the iPhone 6 in 2014.
As CNET noted, a downside to the patent is the cellular data usage that may be used due to sharing bandwidth-heavy content, such as videos.
The patent's inventors are credited to Donald Pitschel, Imran Chaudhri, Freddy Anzures, and Marcel van Os.
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