Microsoft is developing a sub-display camera with 4
Color sensor and filter. When the camera is turned off, a logo is displayed which can be customized as desired.
With the Surface Duo, Microsoft has launched a unique device. Thanks to the use of dual screens and a flexible hinge, this is a very flexible tablet or smartphone. However, the Microsoft Surface Duo also has clear drawbacks; The camera system or integrated is a single 11 megapixel selfie camera, which ensures mediocre image quality, as many expert reviews show. Microsoft wants to change that in the future.
In October last year Microsoft had posted a job advertisement for “Chief Architect / Engineer of Android Surface Camera System” online. As a result, the American software giant seems to be taking the camera performance of the next generation of Microsoft Surface devices to another level. A recently published patent from Microsoft Technology underscores this idea.
Underwater camera with Microsoft Surface logo
Underwater camera with Microsoft Surface logo
In October 2020 Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC registered a patent for a “logo camera” with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The 40-page documentation was published on May 14, 2021.
This is a special find that we have never come across. There’s been widespread talk of four sub-display cameras, each with its own color filter. You read it right; The 4 front cameras are placed below the screen. This technology is designed for “mobile computing devices such as Microsoft Surface devices” – as stated in the documentation.
The four cameras together are referred to by Microsoft as the “logo camera”. Thanks to the use of color filters that can display color icons, the logo can be displayed when the camera is turned off.
The Microsoft logo is displayed by default. As soon as the camera is activated, the logo disappears and the shutter button is activated. In addition, an icon menu appears so that users can set the logo or avatar as they wish. For example, consider a company logo or a club logo.
To visualize the patented technology, his own designer Giuseppe Spinelli created a number of product renderings of this unique camera system. These images are for illustration only and are based on a Microsoft technology patent.
The square front camera is housed in a 2×2 box; by selecting multiple camera sensors, thinner camera modules can also be used, meaning the device retains its slim character. To achieve a high camera resolution, the pixel density of the screen is increased. Each sensor and lens is configured to optimize a specific color.
The documentation mentions 4 sensors, one optimized for blue, another for green, red and finally yellow. By adding a fourth color (yellow) (RGBY) in addition to the standard RGB colors (red, green, blue), a much larger range of colors can be represented.
