Apple Technology Latest Camera News: Higher Resolution Images Sought with 3 Sensors and Light-Splitting Prism

Virginia D'Cruz Thursday, March 26, 2015

Illustration of a three-sensor iPhone camera with light splitting technology. | U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

With Apple busy working on its upcoming iPhone, rumors are circulating about the new technology that the company will include in the device, which will presumably be called the iPhone 6s.

The latest unconfirmed information gathered online is that Apple is developing a new camera that features three sensors and a prism that can split light.

The news about the camera surfaced on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website where Apple was recently awarded patent No. 8,988,564. The patent was titled "Digital camera with light splitter." As with other patents obtained by the company, this new technology could soon find its way into an iPhone or a similar wireless device.

Apple Insider noted that it is likely the camera is being developed for the iPhone as Apple has always been interested in increasing the quality of the camera on its devices.

Apple said it is developing a mechanism that will use a prism to split light into different wavelengths. These wavelengths – normally blue, green and red – will be picked up by sensors and transmitted.

This technology will ensure better photos are created with higher image resolution, sources said. Using this technology – which is already found in several top-of-the-line cameras marketed by Canon, Philips and Panasonic – Apple's devices will not have to rely on any software to create better photographs. Once this technology is included in the upcoming iPhone, it could get a big boost over its rivals such as the Galaxy S6 which are considered to have superior cameras.

Apple also filed a patent recently for a new optical image stabilization system which it is developing. That patent was published last month by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It showed that Apple was working on a image sensor and a movable zoom lens. This optical image stabilization system would also have "folded optics arrangement." With this system, light enters through an array of mirrors and movable lenses and then shift or tilt the camera accordingly to compensate for any movement that the user's hand is making.