Recent patents filed by Apple indicate the next generation of gesture-based multi-touch support that hints at how the long-awaited cut, copy & paste functionality will be added to the iPhone.  In a document titled “Gesturing with a multipoint sensing device” Apple describe pre-defined gesture sets called “advanced multitouch”, including cutting and pasting via a three-fingered inward or outward splay on the screen or trackpad, copy via tracing the outline of a circle, and other functions that would vary depending on software environment.

The patents also suggest that Apple have developed discriminatory technology that can differentiate between adjacent and non-adjacent fingers, varying gesture accordingly, or even using a “pinky side-swipe” to put the device into standby. 

[via Mac Rumors]