Are you tired of having your concerts filtered through the person in front of you’s phone camera? Do you wish they would put that damn thing down and enjoy the show?

Image via 9to5Mac.

At least one person at Apple has the same idea, because the company recently recieved approval for a patent on technology that would disable a phone’s video and camera in certain settings.

According to Consequence of Sound (via 9to5Mac and Patently Apple), there’s an image in the patent paperwork that demonstrates how the technology would be implemented at concerts. Evidently, a sensor that emits special infrared signals would be placed near the stage. When that signal is picked up a compatible device–such as a smartphone or tablet–it would disable its camera.

The new mechanism would obviously have applications beyond the world of live music, as banks and other high security facilities could use them to prevent spying. However, it’s still a step in the right direction, provided it isn’t used for some unforeseen Orwellian purpose in the future.