Apple has printed a patent for a brand new picture sensor. The standout characteristic is that the proposed sensor guarantees as much as 20 stops of dynamic vary.
What has Apple executed?
Apple has printed particulars of its patent for a brand new sensor in the US. The patent has the quantity US 12,342,091 B2 and was dated June 24, 2025. A patent provides the holder unique rights to make and use an invention. It additionally implies that the patent holder can take authorized motion to cease anybody else from utilizing their invention with out their permission. Within the U.S., patents often final for 20 years.
What does the patent say?
Apple’s patent is headed “Picture sensor with stacked pixels having excessive dynamic vary and low noise.” The doc additionally explains that the sensor makes use of a 3-transisitor (3T), somewhat than a 4-transistor (4T) design. It states that the sensor includes “3T pixels of a novel design that achieves excessive dynamic vary with low noise and with out the artifacts that may happen in standard 4T pixel arrays.”
Excessive dynamic vary
Apple’s patent says that the proposed sensor has a dynamic vary of about 120 dB. This equates to round an astounding 20 stops of dynamic vary. To place that in context, the industry-leading Arri Alexa 35 has a dynamic vary of 17 stops. This implies the Apple sensor would be capable to address a lot better extremes of sunshine and darkish in a single picture.
How does it work?
Apple’s proposed new sensor makes use of what the corporate calls a “lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) circuit”. This delivers the sensor’s excessive dynamic vary by managing mild overflow throughout three cost storage ranges. In consequence, it might probably deal with a variety of lighting circumstances, from indoors to vivid daylight, with out automated publicity management.
Moreover, every pixel on the sensor has a present reminiscence circuit that senses the extent of noise. The noise can then be suppressed.
What we predict
Apple’s new sensor is an thrilling new improvement. A sensor with 20 stops of dynamic vary may ship HDR pictures that may beat any cinema digital camera available on the market. The patent additionally guarantees pictures with low noise. An iPhone with this sensor may actually rival a “actual” digital camera. Additionally, the sensor expertise may very well be tailored for compact cinema cameras as effectively. Nevertheless, it’s essential to keep in mind that that is only a patent at this time limit and is probably not pursued. Hopefully, Apply does proceed its improvement and brings this sensor to the market.
