Apple granted patent for GoPro style wearable camera
Apple in 2014 filed over 2,000 patents which, together, encompass a dizzying array of technologies and futuristic ideas. And while many of the patents granted to Apple will never see the light of day and aren't worth much of a mention, some are certainly worth highlighting.
Case in point: Apple was recently granted a patent for a wearable camera a'la GoPro. In fact, Apple, in its patent filing, references some weaknesses inherent in GoPro products. Not all that surprising, when news of the patent broke, shares of GoPro fell by nearly 9%.
As for the patent itself, Apple's vision for a wearable camera includes the ability for it to be mounted on a variety of items, from surf boards and bikes to even dog harnesses.
Patently Apple, which keeps a close eye on Apple patent filings, provides further details:
In this particular granted patent report we cover a single invention that relates to a camera system. What's interesting here is that Apple's invention that was filed in 2012 appears to now incorporate intellectual property from Kodak that they acquired back in November 2013. In one implementation, Apple's invention could directly move into GoPro's territory as the patent specifically mentions the weaknesses of the GoPro devices. Specifically, the patent notes that the new camera system could be secured to various objects, such as a bike helmet or scuba mask, or mounted to the handlebars of a motorcycle or the front of a surfboard. The new camera system also notes that an iPhone (smartphone) could be used under water to take pictures and record sounds in a water environment. Waterproofing is a given.
While the notion of Apple releasing a GoPro style camera may not make much sense at first, recall that the iPhone 5 in 2014 was the top camera on Flickr, which is to say that Apple is no stranger to the world of photography. Indeed, though the first iPhone sported a forgettable camera, Apple over the past few years has poured untold engineering resources into camera technology. The end result, today, is that each new iPhone model is typically best in class upon its release.
