Apple inc. (20240107136). Shared Aperture Imaging System for Acquiring Visible and Infrared Images simplified abstract

Shared Aperture Imaging System for Acquiring Visible and Infrared Images

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

Aditya Rayankula of Cupertino CA (US)

Xiangli Li of Palo Alto CA (US)

Shared Aperture Imaging System for Acquiring Visible and Infrared Images - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240107136 titled 'Shared Aperture Imaging System for Acquiring Visible and Infrared Images

Simplified Explanation

An electronic device described in the patent application includes a housing with a front cover and a back cover, a display, a light-bending mirror, a dichroic cube prism, visible light and IR image sensors.

• The housing of the electronic device consists of a front cover and a back cover.
• A display is positioned within the housing and is viewable through the front cover.
• A light-bending mirror is placed between the front cover and the back cover, redirecting received light along a light path parallel to the covers.
• A dichroic cube prism is positioned in the light path, redirecting visible light and IR light portions of the received light through different faces of the prism.
• A visible light image sensor is located adjacent to the face through which visible light is redirected.
• An IR light image sensor is positioned adjacent to the face through which IR light is redirected.

Potential Applications

The technology described in this patent application could be used in:

• Night vision devices
• Security cameras
• Medical imaging equipment

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of efficiently separating visible light and IR light in electronic devices.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

• Improved image quality
• Enhanced night vision capabilities
• Increased security surveillance effectiveness

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology could include:

• Consumer electronics
• Surveillance systems
• Medical imaging devices

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be the use of dichroic cube prisms in optical systems to separate different wavelengths of light.

How does this technology impact the size and weight of the electronic device?

The article does not provide information on how the use of the light-bending mirror and dichroic cube prism affects the overall size and weight of the electronic device.

What are the power consumption implications of incorporating this technology into electronic devices?

The article does not address the potential impact on power consumption when implementing the described technology in electronic devices.

Original Abstract Submitted

an electronic device includes a housing including a front cover opposite a back cover; a display viewable through the front cover; a light-bending mirror positioned between the front cover and the back cover and receiving light through one of the front cover or the back cover, the light-bending mirror redirecting received light along a light path parallel to the front cover and the back cover; a dichroic cube prism positioned in the light path, the dichroic cube prism receiving light through a first face of the dichroic cube prism, redirecting a visible light portion of the received light through a second face of the dichroic cube prism, and redirecting an infrared (ir) portion of the received light through a third face of the dichroic cube prism; a visible light image sensor positioned adjacent the second face; and an ir light image sensor positioned adjacent the third face.