One of the more interesting patents from Apple discovered at the US Patent Office this week has got to be this infrared sensor for the iPhone camera. Apple has filed a patent that covers infrared technology on its upcoming iPhones. But no, it’s not what you’re thinking – these won’t be infrared sensors that will let your iPhone shoot images in the dark. Instead, they act like versatile triggers to control different functions of the iPhone. I.e. At a concert, if they transmit infrared signals out and the iPhone receives them, it could disable the cameras for the duration of the concert. Or even better – add a watermark on it to any videos taken with the camera.
Other situations could be disabling the camera in a movie theater, or launching an audio tour in the museum. It could also be used to put phones into silent mode while in the library and so on. Sounds like a useful feature to have, and a great way to deal with folks who forget to put their phones in silent mode when required.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Inc, Camera, iPhone and Patent.