Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to the iPhone Pro's camera system. Today, to remove Red Eye, Apple instructs users how to edit their photos. In this patent, Apple introduces spatially adjusting an illumination profile based on a camera flash module based on target regions identified in a scene that is designed to eliminate or mitigate the Red Eye effect at the camera level.

Apple notes that In low light conditions, a flash module may be used to illuminate a scene to facilitate image capture. Flash illumination during image capture may create artifacts in the captured image, such as red eye effects, flash reflections, or the like. It may be desirable to provide a flash module with the flexibility to reduce these artifacts. Apple's patent-pending invention sets out to illuminate this issue.

Image Capture Systems Utilizing Adjustable Illumination

Apple's invention relates to cameras, devices, and systems for spatially adjusting illumination provided by a flash module. Some embodiments are directed to a device having a flash module that includes an emitter array comprising a plurality of light emitters, a lens assembly positioned to image the emitter array onto the field of illumination, and a flash controller configured to control the plurality of light emitters to generate light.

The flash controller is configured to determine that a portion of a face of a user including an eye of the user is positioned within the field of illumination, select a first set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a portion of the eye, and select a second set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a region surrounding the portion of the eye. The flash controller is also configured to control the first set of light emitters to emit light at a first set of brightness levels, and control the second set of light emitters to emit light at a second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

In some variations, the device further includes a camera. The camera can capture an image while the flash controller controls the first set of light emitters to emit light at the first set of brightness levels and control the second set of light emitters to emit light at the second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

Additionally or alternatively, the region surrounding the portion of the eye includes an additional portion of the eye. In some instances, the device includes a depth sensor. The flash controller determines a distance to the face using depth information obtained by the depth sensor, and the flash controller selects the first set of brightness levels based on the determined distance.

In other instances, the flash module includes a diffractive element positioned to diffract light exiting the lens assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the flash module includes a microlens array positioned over the emitter array. The emitter array may include a display array.

Apple's patent FIGS. 1A and 1B show front and rear views, respectively, of an example of an electronic device having a camera with a spatially adjustable flash module.

Apple's patent FIG. 5A above shows a flash module positioned to illuminate a person using a spatially adjustable illumination pattern; FIG. 5B shows a portion of the field of illumination of the flash module of FIG. 5A.

The systems, devices, and methods described may be used to reduce illumination provided to a user's eyes when the user is illuminated by the flash module. Shining a light into a user's eyes may bother other users and/or create artifacts such as red eye effects in captured images, and reducing the illumination provided to the eyes may mitigate these effects.

For full details, review Apple's patent application 20240080569.