Apple plans to take NFC (near-field-communications) technology to the next level, according to a recent report.

The next iPhone is rumored to be featuring NFC, and many tech enthusiasts have assumed that Apple will create some kind of Wallet app for the device using PassBook. However, that's just the beginning of where the company truly plans to take the technology, a report published by Patently Apple states.

Apple filed a patent application sometime in between 2009 and 2010 that featured graphics showing the iPhone interacting and controlling every other gadget in people's homes such as televisions, DVRs and standalone cameras.

The company also seems to be planning to update Apple TV and have it control cable or satellite television programming, along with video game play with a video game controller.

Judging from the application, Apple appears to be envisioning NFC-ready iDevices that can control everything from entertainment electronics to in-home security systems, lawn sprinklers, thermostats, garage doors and more.

The application included more than 150 illustrations, so it can be said that Apple views NFC as a useful technology with unlimited potential.

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The illustrations also point to Apple using NFC on an iPhone to control their iMac computers.

The company is already developing an iTravel app that allows users to have speedier check-outs of hotels and ticketing information that employs NFC, according to a report released earlier this month by 9to5Mac.

NFC is currently featured on other high-end Samsung Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, and Galaxy S2 Skyrocket.

Android's use of the technology has brought Android Beam and S Beam to those devices.

Android Beam allows users to share web pages and YouTube pages with each other simply by touching their devices together, while S Beam allows them to share content such as videos and pictures by performing the same action.