Apple fansites have been buzzing with the latest rumour that the iPhone 5 will include some kind of cloaking technology.

The rumour began when Apple lodged a patent which shows a diagram of what looks to be a man holding a mobile phone, and then in the next frame there is nothing but an empty cloud with lightning bolts.

Adding weight to the speculation, an unnamed girl at a bar in Redwood City has revealed that she was talking to “some guy” who claimed to work for Apple and he had what looked like an iPhone but looked slightly different to anything she had seen before. Later that night, she allegedly turned away for a moment to down a double shot of tequila, only to turn back to find the guy had mysteriously disappeared.

Spot the iPhone user in this picture

“This is really exciting stuff” said Graeme True, owner of the site The Unofficial Apple Patent Watchers (TUAPW).

“Apple has always been at the forefront of mobile technology. Last year they blew us away with the previously unheard of video calling on a mobile device. It looks like this one is an even greater leap,” he added.

General William H Rutticus of The US Department of Homeland Security has cautioned Apple that such a device could pose a threat to national security.

“Everyone thinks of Harry Potter or Chevy Chase when they think of invisiblity. Sure, they mostly used it for good. But what about Hollow Man or the Klingons? We plan on keeping a close eye on any future invisible devices,” said General Rutticus.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is yet to confirm nor deny the existence of such a feature, but Apple fans have been closely scrutinising the WWDC 2012 logo for clues.