Apple's New Patent: Reconfigure Your Camera To Get The Best Out Of It

Have you ever thought - How I wish I can reconfigure the camera in my phone? Normally you can’t do it. The digital imaging subsystem is typically enclosed within the case of the device to protect the digital imaging subsystem from damage. Generally, in a digital imaging subsystem, the components requiring high precision optical alignment are pre-assembled. It is an economical option because the assembly process for the device does not have to include the procedures for providing optical alignment of the digital imaging components.
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Nowadays there is an increasing demand for sophisticated features previously found only in high-end digital cameras. The high end cameras have a mechanical receptacle that receives a variety of lenses and aligns them precisely with the image sensor in the camera body. But the pre assigned set used in mobiles does not allow us to use replaceable lens.

Now there is a need to provide a structure for a compact device that allows the end user to reconfigure the optical arrangement of the device while retaining the benefits of a pre-assembled digital imaging subsystem. And apple has a simple solution: Use a removable back panel on devices and parts designed to be popped in and out. With such a design the camera, for instance, can be upgraded with a zoom or macro lens or you can go ahead and get additional features like  better shutter control, motion sensors, or flashes.

As of now it is not clear as to in which devices will this design be implemented. No information regarding that has been revealed. In fact not all patents get incorporated in commercial products. So we must wait to see if this design makes it to the commercial phones or not. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once claimed that he wanted to revolutionize photography and this patent seems to be the first step towards that direction.

Source: Apple Invents Device with Removable Back Panel Optical Options - Patently Apple

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