On January 21 Patently Apple posted an IP report titled "Apple may integrate multiple cameras in future devices with flexible housings to assist users in capturing vastly superior panoramic photos." A week later Samsung was granted a patent for the very same feature. It appears that both tech giants are on the same wavelength on this possible feature and time will tell which company will give it the green light first.

Samsung notes that due to the limitations of the single image sensor and the dual image sensor, the electronic devices are not able to provide various photo effects to the images. For example, when the user wants to capture the scene with a panorama effect then the user will have to perform various actions like holding the electronic device in a specific position and horizontally moving the electronic device, etc., which are time consuming and complex and which degrade the user experience.

Samsung's invention covers an electronic device and method for capturing view in the electronic device are provided comprising at least two image sensors. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a bend angle of the at least two image sensors of the electronic device may be determined using at least electromagnets.

Further, it may be determined whether a first view and a second view partially overlap with each other, completely overlap with each other, or do not overlap with each other based on the bend angle.

In addition, at least one of a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode may be determined based on the first view and the second view of a scene.

The composite view in the panorama mode may be produced by determining whether the second image sensor is in an independent operating mode or an assisted operating mode; generating the composite view by stitching the first view of the scene with the second view of the scene when the second image sensor is in the independent operating mode, and generating the composite view by superimposing the second view of the scene with the first view of the scene when the second image sensor is in the assisted operating mode.

In the stereoscopic effect mode, the electronic device may be configured to automatically encode the first view and the second view using filters of different colors and produce a composite view by shifting a perspective of the first view and the second view and overlapping the first view and the second view.

In the bokeh effect mode, the electronic device may be configured to automatically operate the first image sensor in a shorter focal length to capture a first image and the second image sensor in a pan focal length to capture a second image in a same shape as a shape of the first image, and produce a composite view, wherein the composite view is produced by blurring the first view and blending the blurred first view with the second view.

In the tilt shift/spot focus mode, the electronic device may be configured to automatically operate the first image sensor in a shorter focal length to capture a first image and the second image sensor in a linear or radial focal length to capture a second image in a same shape as a shape of the first image, and produce a composite view, wherein the composite view is produced by blurring the first view and blending the blurred first view with the second view.

Samsung's patent FIG 2B below is a block diagram of the bend angle-based imaging management engine of the electronic device; FIG. 1B is an example illustrating the field of view (FOV) of the electronic device with at least two image sensors; and FIG. 7A is an example illustrating a Galaxy folding smartphone with the at least two image sensors/cameras used for capturing a composite view of a scene.

Samsung's patent FIG. 9 below is an example illustration for capturing a first view and a second view of the scene using a Galaxy Watch band with two cameras.

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For finer details, review Samsung's granted patent 10,904,418 which was published by the U.S. Patent Office On January 26, 2021.

Will Samsung or Apple be first to introduce this feature in the future? With Apple thinking of adding one or both cameras on a future iPhone or iPad cover accessory as one option, it's very possible that Apple could bring this to market ahead of Samsung. However, the real question is whether or not iPhone customers will want to pay a premium for the added cover cameras just to take better panoramic shots.

Below is patent FIG. 8 from Apple's patent application that we reported on back on January 21. Here you could see that one camera is on the inside of an iPad or iPhone cover while the second camera is the face side camera on an iPad or iPhone. 

If you have an opinion on this either way, send in your comments to our twitter post.