According to a patent, the S-Pen may have at least one lens or a plurality of lenses in the upper chamber, and a key to control zooming.
Highlights:
- Samsung patent shows S-Pen with a system for optical zoom.
- The system has a couple of lenses, a control key and an image sensor.
- The tech could tip OEMs to make thinner smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 put the foundation of using a stylus as a multi-purpose device. The S-Pen in the phablet has bluetooth capabilities that lets users take photographs and control presentations. It seems that the South Korean company is looking to improve on the features as a new patent shows the S-Pen housing lenses for optical zoom and a key to control the functionality. According to Patently Mobile, Samsung filed for this patent in February 2017 and it was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office this week.
The illustration provided on Patently Mobile shows the S-Pen with a camera lens fitted into the upper chamber and a key to control the zooming feature. Reportedly, the number, type, and arrangement of the lens-set that constitutes the optical system may vary. Patently Mobile only talked about an optical system with a single configuration, and it also claims that Samsung does provide alternative lens setups.
“More specifically, Samsung's new optical system may include at least one lens or a plurality of lenses on the first region of the electric pen device to pass external light that enters through an optical entering unit that is formed through a housing or a cover of the electric pen device,” the report says. There is another illustration that provides an outlook of the next-gen tech having an optical system, an image sensor, a control key and controller.
As OEMs are look at more ways to improve upon smartphone cameras, Samsung could provide them a launch pad to introduce more innovative camera placements. It could be possible that moving the apparatus to the S-Pen helps the company make the future smartphones thinner and more seamless in terms of screen real estate.
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