Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to possible future MacBooks that could provide backside cameras, fixed or attachable, and a display that could be rotatable and detachable which could be a winning feature.

Apple's granted patent describes possible future MacBooks which could include a base portion including an input component and a display portion rotatably attached to the base portion, the display portion including a display portion defining an aperture and an internal volume.

A display assembly could include backside camera and sensor modules. The sensor module can include a LiDAR module. In some examples, the portable electronic device can further include a processor disposed within the housing. The processor can be electrically connected to the first camera module and the second camera module.

Apple's patent FIG. 2B below illustrates a MacBook with a backside camera. Some patent figures illustrate the camera being flush with the back lid and others illustrating the camera protruding from the lid, very much like backside iPhone cameras; FIG. 5 illustrates a multi-camera configuration like an iPhone Pro.  

The camera #723 in FIG. 3C below could include a sensor module, such as an infrared camera, a time-of-flight camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) module, facial recognition sensor or sensors, object recognition sensor or sensors, or any other sensor or sensors as desired.

Apple's patent FIGS. 7 & 9A illustrated an attachable/removable camera for MacBooks; FIG. 8A illustrates a MacBook display that could include a housing having a base portion which could  be moveably, pivotally, or rotatably connected or affixed to a display portion, for example, by way of a hinge assembly.  FIG. 9A illustrates an attachable camera module and FIG. 9B illustrates how the attachable camera could also be attached to the face-side display if required.

Apple's granted patent that was originally filed back in April 2022 was granted today by the U.S. Patent Office.