According to a list published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple obtained a total of 5 projects related to under-screen cameras in 15 months last year (September 2022 to December 2023). technology patents.
In the newly approved fifth under-screen camera-related technology patent, Apple outlines new ideas for installing sensors or camera hardware on electronic devices such as iPhones and MacBooks.
In the patent, Apple divides the display into two parts – one with normal pixel density and the other with fewer pixels. The part with fewer pixels is called the “pixel removal region”.
There are transparent areas in this area just like windows, and underneath these transparent areas are face recognition or light sensors.
To achieve this, Apple uses a black mask layer with a grid pattern on the screen. This grid has openings, or “apertures,” that allow light to pass through pixel-removed areas. Apple has also added patches into these openings to control how much light passes through.
The patent describes how these patches can be strategically placed to reduce unnecessary light angles on the sensor. The patent also talks about how the pixels are arranged so that even if some pixels remain in the pixel removal area, the overall user experience will not be affected.
