The USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) has recently awarded Apple a patent called the “Digital camera including refocusable imaging mode adaptor.”
The patent is describes as, “A digital camera system configurable to operate in a low-resolution refocusable mode and a high-resolution non-refocusable mode comprising: a camera body; an image sensor mounted in the camera body having a plurality of sensor pixels for capturing a digital image; an imaging lens for forming an image of a scene onto an image plane, the imaging lens having an aperture; and an adaptor that can be inserted between the imaging lens and the image sensor to provide the low-resolution refocusable mode and can be removed to provide the high-resolution non-refocusable mode, the adaptor including a microlens array with a plurality of microlenses; wherein when the adaptor is inserted to provide the low-resolution refocusable mode, the microlens array is positioned between the imaging lens and the image sensor.”
Apple claims, “A digital camera system configurable to operate in a low-resolution refocusable mode and a high-resolution non-refocusable mode comprising: a camera body; an image sensor mounted in the camera body having a plurality of sensor pixels for capturing a digital image; a removable imaging lens for forming an image of a scene onto an image plane, the imaging lens having an imaging lens aperture; and an adaptor that can be inserted between the imaging lens and the image sensor to provide the low-resolution refocusable mode and can be removed to provide the high-resolution non-refocusable mode, the adaptor including: a microlens array with a plurality of microlenses, a first lens mounting interface for mounting the adaptor to the camera body, and a second lens mounting interface for mounting the removable image lens to the adaptor; wherein, when the adaptor is inserted to provide the low-resolution refocusable mode, the microlens array is positioned between the imaging lens and the image sensor.”
This means that users can take pictures at a certain resolution and then refocus it after. This new camera tech could be on board the iPhone 6.
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