Apple is apparently working on a method to deliver super-resolution images by using an "image capture device," fueling rumors that the next-generation iPhone 6 may boast a killer camera.
The information comes from a patent application Apple filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Apple originally filed the patent back in 2012, describing a method of creating super resolution images. In order to achieve this, the company would use a combination of burst photos and optical image stabilization (OIS). Through this combination, the technology would stich images together for creating photos of superior quality, exceeding the physical megapixel limit that current camera sensors face.
Optical image stabilization (OIS) is no longer something unseen and unbelievable, as Apple rivals have already employed the technology in their newest products. Nokia, most notably, has launched several Lumia devices with high-end camera capabilities and OIS.
Through image stabilization, a camera can capture sharper photos and steadier videos, using a number of methods to create high-quality images. According to the patent Apple filed, its technology would use camera with OIS, which would take several lower-resolution images and then combine them to create one higher-resolution image.
"A system and method for creating a super-resolution image using an image capturing device. In one embodiment, an electronic image sensor captures a reference optical sample through an optical path," Apple explains in its patent application. "Thereafter, an optical image stabilization (OIS) processor to adjusts the optical path to the electronic image sensor by a known amount. A second optical sample is then captured along the adjusted optical path, such that the second optical sample is offset from the first optical sample by no more than a sub-pixel offset. The OIS processor may reiterate this process to capture a plurality of optical samples at a plurality of offsets. The optical samples may be combined to create a super-resolution image."
While the patent makes no mention of this technology gracing the next-generation iPhone, the fact that it came to light now suggests that it may appear on the iPhone 6. Previous rumors have also indicated that Apple may launch its next iOS device with optical image stabilization on board. Meanwhile, recent whispers have suggested that Apple may go for Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) instead of OIS for its next iPhone, but it remains unconfirmed.
Considering that Apple filed for this OIS patent back in November 2012 and the 2013 iPhones launched without OIS, the company may implement this technology in its 2014 flagship iPhone.
The iPhone 6 is widely expected to launch in two large-screen models this year, one with a 4.7-inch display and another with a 5.5-inch screen, but nothing is confirmed at this point. Apple will likely not unveil any hardware at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, but the iPhone 6 should debut sometime around September, as per the company's launch cycle in recent years.
