The following is an interesting extract from the Patently Apple website.
Apple Receives a Granted Patent for a Possible Future iPhone 3D Modeling Application
Apple has received a Granted Patent for a product that has yet to surface. The patent titled "Generating a three-dimensional model using a portable electronic device recording" relates to systems and methods for navigating three-dimensional environments and viewing three-dimensional objects on an electronic device display such as the iPhone based on deterministic movement of the electronic device. This is also directed to systems and methods for recording a video of a three-dimensional environment or three-dimensional object, and processing the video to generate a three-dimensional model that could be navigated in an order other than that of the recording.
In some embodiments, a user could direct an electronic device such as an iPhone to display information that could be associated with three-dimensional navigation such as, for example, three-dimensional models of environments or objects. For example, a user could direct an electronic device to access a mapping application that provides images of what could be seen in some or any direction from a particular location. As another example, a user could direct an electronic device to display a video game in which a user may navigate a virtual world and see, in any direction, what the virtual world resembles (e.g., rendered images of the virtual world's appearance from any location in the virtual world). As still another example, a user could direct the electronic device to display a three-dimensional object (e.g., an object for sale) that the user could manipulate or view from different angles.
It almost sounds like it could be the next step for Apple's new iPhone 5 Panorama camera feature. Think of it as 3D Panorama.
In Fact, Apple's engineering team even used a similar graphic theme for this 3D App as shown below.
The original article can be found at http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/10/apple-wins-new-iphone-3d-modeling-app-apple-tv-ichat-iphone-5-lte-patents-much-more.html