“On August 15, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of 14 original patent applications from Apple<' jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
"In this particular report we cover two distinct inventions," Purcher reports. "The first invention covers a new camera design specifically created for ever thinner iDevices and Macs. Apple could be first to market with a consumer camera using super advanced GRIN [Gradient Refractive Index Optics] technology… By using the GRIN material in the housing camera lens cover, the light rays are bent by the GRIN material before the light rays reach the camera lens. This bending of the light rays reduces the optical total track length (TTL) of the camera module and also reduces high Chief Ray Angle (CRA) such that the z-height of the camera module may be reduced while maintaining the camera's imaging performance."
Purcher reports, "The second invention is a new accessibility app that is tailored for Japanese and Chinese users. Considering that Apple's iPhone is the bestselling smartphone in Japan and is about to attack the Chinese market more aggressively with a new mid-level iPhone, it's only right that they begin to introduce more specialized software for these markets going forward."
Much more, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, in the full article here.