Apple is working on improving the flash in its iOS device cameras per a new patent (number 8,150,255) at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
According to the patent, a method performed by an electronic camera in flash mode is as follows. A scene ambient lighting indication is obtained. An integration time interval and a flash pulse-on time interval for taking a picture is then set. The set integration time interval is shorter when the indication is bright than when the indication is dark; and the set flash pulse-on time interval is longer when the indication is bright than when the indication is dark.
An image is captured using the set integration time interval and the set flash pulse-on time interval in accordance with an electronic rolling shutter (ERS). Other embodiments are also described and claimed. Richard Tsai is the inventor.
Apple has also been granted these patents:
° Number D656,501 for the flat panel iMac (the current design). The late Steve Jobs and Apple design guru Jonathan Ive are among the inventors.
° Number 8,149,279 involving an apparatus and method for compensating for variations in digital cameras. The method comprises acquiring video images of colored light, and measuring a light intensity response of the video camera to the colored light. The inventors are Haitao Guo, Ting Chen and David Kuo.
° Number 8,148,913 for an active enclosure for a computing device. The computing device includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light device disposed inside the housing. The light device is configured to illuminate the illuminable portion. Duncan R. Kerr and Steve P. Hotelling are the inventors.
° Number 8,150,327 involving channel sounding techniques for a wireless communication system. A technique for channel sounding in a wireless communication system includes determining respective geometries of multiple subscriber stations with respect to a serving base station. The inventors are James W. McCoy and Ning Chen.
° Number 8,150,937 for wireless synchonization between a media player and a host device. Stanley Ng, Anthony Fadell and Jeffrey L. Robbin are the inventors.
° Number 8,151,259 for improved techniques for interaction between a host device (e.g., host computer) and a portable media device (e.g., media player). Anthony M. Fadell is the inventor.