Buying To-Go Items with Your iPhone?

Forbes summarizes a recent patent application that has been published which reveals that Apple has been researching integrating future devices with the ability to place on-the-go orders at local stores.

In an application with the U.S. Patent Office filed on Dec. 20, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer and gadget company described a wireless system that would allow customers to place an order at a store using a wireless device such as a media player, a wireless personal digital assistant or a cellphone.

The system would, for example, allow customers to order a drink with the press of a button on their iPhone which would then notify them when their order was ready. The Forbes article suggests that this may put Apple's partnership with Starbucks in a new light.

Apple has already integrated iTunes song purchasing closely with Starbucks. iTunes and iPhone users can already purchase playing music at Starbucks with the tap of a button:

Say youre in line at Starbucks. You hear this amazing song wafting from the speakers. You gotta have it. Now. Tap the iTunes button on your iPhone or iPod touch, tap the Starbucks button, and voil: You see the current song, the last 10 songs played, and featured Starbucks Collections. Preview, buy, and download whatever you like, right then and there. Or, if youre sipping away with your laptop, buy whats playing -- exclusively on iTunes.