A new patent application revealed this week suggests that Apple could be working on motion compensation features on highly mobile screens like the iPhone.

Originally filed in February of 2008, the application describes various methods which might make handling a touchscreen device or viewing a mobile screen easier as the device moves about, whether on a moving vehicle or walking about. The document details a number of ways this problem could be solved, including display adjustment using motion data and screen properties, scaling selectable images, varying the input region on a touchscreen device, or including pressure values and location values.

“The instability, whether produced by the environment or the user, may cause user interface challenges,” the patent application reads. “For example, a vibrating screen may make it difficult for a user to view images on the screen. Similarly, a moving screen or input object may make it difficult for a user to select an item on a touch screen.”

The patent application describes different scenarios in which this technology could be helpful, from typical experiences to highly unique circumstances.

“The screen may be part of a system used in a high vibration environment such as a tank monitoring and control system for a chemical processing plant or a personal entertainment system located within an airplane seat back,” the patent reads. “Similarly, the screen may be part of a portable electronic device that is accessed in an unsteady environment such as a subway or moving vehicle. In another example, the screen may be part of a device used by a user with limited or impaired motor control.”