Apple just received a patent on a new kind of camera for mobile devices, one with a triple lens and triple sensor design. The patent suggests future cameras on iPhones and iPads will be able to capture photos with significantly higher quality.
Patent No. 8,497,897, first reported by AppleInsider, describes a camera with three sensors: one for luminance (brightness) and two for chrominance (color). By using a secondary chrominance lens, an image processor will be able to compare the data from both to create an image with more accurate color.
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Each sensor will also have its own lens assembly. By using three lenses, the system overcomes a potential flaw in multi-sensor systems: blind spots. With the two chrominance sensors offset, they compensate for one another if a near-field object (say, a speck of dust) blocks the light from one of them.
Below is a diagram of the compensation in action:
The end result for the user would be iPhone photos with better color as well as a bump in quality in challenging situations. The patent describes various configurations of the three sensors, one of which could potentially help capture images in low light with extra chrominance data compensating for low luminance.
Should we look forward to a tri-sensor camera in the rumored iPhone 5S? It's unlikely to be implemented that quickly (although the patent was originally filed in 2010), but perhaps some the tech will find its way into consumers' hands in future models.
How important is camera quality to you when purchasing a smartphone? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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