Apple filed a patent application earlier this week for a toolbar which will provide advanced gesturing-based video editing for a future version of the iPad.  The new feature will allow iPad users the ability to control the tablet from across the room using 3-D gestures created by the user.  These gestures give users the ability to control various graphical elements on the device’s display such as icons, text, images, and media files.

The toolbar will include pre-set options for beginners with gesture customization ability available for the more advanced user.  Selection and pointing gestures, as well as facial recognition and tagging, are some of the video annotation-like options mentioned in the patent.  Video annotations, as popularized by YouTube, will create a more interactive user experience with the capability to caption background information such as related links or side commentary.

Gesturing, as mentioned in Apple’s patent request, will work on a new version of the iPad which has front-facing camera ability as well as an integrated projector.  The iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2, which all have a front-facing camera, can expect to update their devices to possess the new toolbar when the feature officially launches.  However, rumor has it that existing iOS devices may not have a sufficient amount of processing resources available for the toolbar to function at full capacity.

“Apple may be hinting at a future point in time when the iPad may incorporate a more robust processor than the iPhone” says Jack Purcher of Patently Apple.  Purcher also reports that at this time the depth and number of gestures Apple will provide is undetermined.