Many concerts ban attendees from taking photos or video footage. But increasingly sophisticated smartphones make it difficult for event security to enforce those rules. Apple, however, is reportedly developing software that would shut off your camera at concerts.

Patently Apple has uncovered a patent published on June 2 that would use infrared receivers to cripple your phone's camera when it's opened at live shows. The idea includes an image-processing system that would "determine whether each image detected by the camera includes and infrared signal with encoded data." Although the camera would be inactive, other apps on the phone would function normally.

How would it work? Infrared transmitters would be placed near the stage and "when a camera is pointed at the stage to take a photograph or video, the infrared transmitter near the stage would communicate with your camera and instruct it to disable capturing capabilities." It could also be used to prevent people from recording in movie theaters.

In some cases, this software would allow photos or videos to be captured, but it would apply a watermark to this protected media.

However, this patent could also be used for other purposes. Patently Apple pointed to museums with exhibits where photography is prohibited; infrared signals could be used to block iPhones from taking pictures. But it could also be used to provide additional information about a painting or a sculpture. It could be used in retail to give information on a particular item like price, availability, and location in the store.