Nokia photo sensor patent looks to take the hump out of Pureview Cameras

Graphene sensor could put a larger sensor in smaller packages

New sensor technology could put a larger cameras into smaller packages

Nokia may have the best smartphone camera system around with its 41 megapixel Pureview camera. We are all hoping to see similar Pureview engineering (but on a smaller scale) with the Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 devices. While the Pureview cameras have turned heads, what Nokia has up it's sleeve should take the Nokia cameras to a new level and eliminate that pesky hump in the process.

Nokia has filed a patent application for the sensing of photons utilizing graphene technology. Graphene is a two-dimensional material made of a single atomic layer of carbon layers. It allows photo sensors to be smaller than the current crop of CMOS sensor and capture light photons beyond a broad spectrum of frequencies of visible light. Combined with the transparency of the graphene layers, this should brand the graphene sensors better low-lite performers than what we accept today.

In a nutshell, nosotros are looking at potentially a smaller, thinner, amend low-light performing photograph sensor that may requite us the 41 megapixel Pureview photographic camera without the hump.

Nokia Photo Sensing Patent

Graphene has been around for some time and is found in a broad range of applications ranging from solar cells to sensors capable of detecting a single molecules of toxic gases. The challenge is adapting the sensitivity of the graphene layers for photographic purposes.

The patent application calls for a prototype sensor comprised of i or more photograph sensing layers of graphene. The graphene will blot photons effectively in visible, infrared and ultraviolet frequencies. The comeback in depression light performance rests with the transparency of the graphene layers. Only 2.3% of passing low-cal is absorbed past the graphene layers, filtering lite more evenly across the calorie-free spectrum.

Nosotros should see lower manufacturing costs, due to the lower materials cost, and an overall smaller sensor with the graphene. While the applied science is promising there are still a lot of questions to exist answered as this new photon sensing technology emerges. What type megapixel count are we looking at?

While Nokia seems to exist getting a handle on things with the patent filing, I don't think we'll come across graphene sensors any time soon. Still the prospect of a smaller, thinner loftier resolution sensor with better low light performance does sound very highly-seasoned. Nosotros could see that 41 megapixel camera easily fitted within the form factor of the Lumia 9xx phones. At present if we could just get a mechanical shutter....

If yous're feeling adventurous, you can notice Nokia'southward patent filing hither at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Role.

Source: unwiredview; Cheers, Miguel, for the tip!