We recently reported on Apple being granted six patents. Now it appears that they've been granted one more patent, filed at United States Patent and Trademark Office. Apple's next iPhone software update will bring iTunes library synchronisation between Mac/PC and iPhone or iPod Touch, reports Apple Insider. With the new software update, Apple believes it can increase the virtual storage capacity of limited storage portable media players and electronic devices.

The patent mentions that new iTunes and iPhone software versions will enable metadata syncing between user's Mac or PC-based iTunes library and other portable devices. This metadata would consist of 'virtual media items' like playlist, video, photo and mobile games located on your computer. The size of the metadata would be ten times less than that of actual data.

For enjoying the media items, users can simply use the portable devices to remotely access and retrieve the actual media content listed with the Mac or PC iTunes library through WiFi, GSM/CDMA or wired connection. When the user is done using the media files, they get auto-deleted from the portable devices.

The Mac/PC and portable device connection would be under 'constant surveillance' to monitor signal strength while the media transfer process takes place. Morever, the iPhone and iPod Touch will be able to connect with each other in peer-to-peer (P2P) environment.

However, the new feature requires a computer being switched on, with an active Internet access. As the feature 'gets' the files from a connected Mac or PC, using a secured connection, it may be expected to deliver good speeds, like that on LAN.