Apple Invents a Camera System for Bendable Devices and a MacBook to assist in capturing 3D images & 3D Air Gestures
Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a new cameras system designed to primarily be integrated into bendable devices. In another camera application, a new 7-camera system could be integrated in a MacBook so as to be able to capture 3D images and 3D In-Air gestures.
Camera Systems For Bendable Electronic Devices
An electronic device may have portions that can be bent or otherwise reconfigured so that portions of the electronic device move and change orientation relative to each other. Cameras can be distributed across the device and can be used to capture multiple images of a scene. In some arrangements, the cameras can be oriented so that their fields of view fan out and allow the device to capture overlapping images of a scene that are stitched together to form a composite panoramic image. In other arrangements, the cameras can be oriented so that their fields of view converge on an object from different angles. This allows three-dimensional images of the object to be captured.
To allow the cameras of the electronic device to be placed in multiple different orientations, the electronic device may have a reconfigurable housing to which the cameras are mounted. The electronic device may, as an example, have portions that are sufficiently pliable to allow the electronic device to be flexed along its length and thereby configured to orient the cameras in a desired arrangement.
In some illustrative arrangements, hinges or other structures may be used to allow structures in a device and the cameras mounted these structures to be reoriented with respect to each other.
Arrangements in which multiple separate devices are used together in a system to capture images that are stitched together and/or that are processed to form three-dimensional images may also be used.
Apple's patent FIG. 4 below is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible device such as an Apple Watch with a flexible wristband; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an illustrative flexible device with a display that is configured to display a preview of an image captured using multiple cameras located on a curved housing wall; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device that has been placed in a configuration with cameras facing away from each other.
Apple's patent FIG. 7 above is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device that has been placed in a configuration with cameras facing towards each other; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative system with a flexible cover and removable device; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a laptop computer with multiple cameras. In the locations illustrated, three-dimensional images may be captured of objects. Three-dimensional air gestures (e.g., hand gestures) may also be captured using cameras #26.
Further, the cameras (#26) may be visible light cameras, infrared cameras, ultraviolet cameras, cameras that include time-of-flight measurements, and/or cameras that use structured light, and/or other optical sensors for gathering image data and/or other optical readings. Visible-light cameras that use two-dimensional visible-light digital image sensors
For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11930283.
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