Earlier this month we reported that Apple updated their invention relating to the placement of their TrueDepth camera under a future iPhone's display. There was also news that LG Innotek was working on a new 'Freeform Optic lens' that would hide Apple's Face ID camera when not in use. Today, the last granted patent day of 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent relating to the iPhone's face camera under the display.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below illustrates the current iPhone Notch design and FIG. 3 illustrates a future iPhone design with the TrueDepth camera system hidden behind the back of the display imagery.

Today's granted patent is focused on their latest patent claims that relate to the use of advanced filters that could both hide and expose the camera under an iPhone's display depending on circumstances. Below are four key patent claims that point this out:

• An apparatus comprising: a display having a front surface and a back surface, the display including a plurality of pixel regions that emit light from the front surface to display a displayed image and a plurality of apertures that transmit light from the front surface to the back surface; a camera disposed on a side of the back surface of the display, the camera configured to capture a captured image; and a processor coupled to the display and the camera, the processor configured to: receive the captured it determine an imaging condition of the captured image; select one of a plurality of digital filters based on the imaging condition; and apply the selected digital filter to the captured image to reduce image distortion caused by the display.

• The processor is configured to select the one of the plurality of digital filters by: selecting a first digital filter based on determining the subject of the captured image is a portrait; and selecting a second digital filter, different than the first filter, based on determining the subject of the captured image is not a portrait.

• The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the imaging condition by determining a purpose of the captured image.

• The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to select the one of the plurality of digital filters by: selecting a first digital filter based on determining the purpose of the captured image is facial recognition; and selecting a second digital filter, different than the first filter, based on determining the purpose of the captured image is not facial recognition.

You could review other reports of ours on this subject here 01, 02, 03, 04 or today's full granted patent 11853117 here. According to the LG Innotek rumor, the arrival of the Notchless iPhone could be in 2027.

While we all hope that the Notchless iPhone could be delivered earlier, the priority will be getting the technology to work right. At present, Samsung's under display camera (UDC) is the best on the market (as illustrated in our cover graphic), though perfect it's not. Without a doubt, Apple's Face ID camera system is what's holding the under display feature back.