While it doesn’t precisely come as much of a surprise, it seems that Apple has plenty more goodies in mind for the iPhone (and, presumably, the iPod touch), with a recent batch of no less than six patent applications revealing some of its plans to turn the device into what it describes as a “lifestyle companion.” In that case, that rather vague term refers to what is effectively an upgrade to the Nike+iPod system, with the iPhone’s accelerometer and other built-in capabilities additionally coming into play in addition to the usual external sensors. It doesn’t stop with workouts, however, with the patent applications additionally indicating plans for a diet coach of sorts, which could even assemble use of the iPhone’s camera to scan bar codes on products. Those components would additionally of course all work together, with the system able to propose workouts based on your diet and physical condition and vice versa. Of course, these being patent applications, there’s no indication as to when we might actually see such a system, but it certain seems a good deal more likely than some of Apple’s other ideas.