# US 11,442,342 B2 · Recording indicators > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,342 B2 - Document ID: US11442342B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/128,396 - Filed: 2020-12-21 - Published: 2021-06-24 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-23 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Justin J. Schwab; Nathanael D. Parkhill; Andrew McMahon; Jae Lee; Jerome Tu; D K Kalinowski; Nalaka Vidanagamachchi; Yohan Rajan; Cam Harder; Yoshikazu Shinohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442342B2 ## CPC - G03B 17/18: Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light (indicating depth of field G03B13/30) - G02B 5/005: {Diaphragms (for cameras G03B9/02)} - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G02B 27/095: {Refractive optical elements} - G03B 30/00: Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles - G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} - H04N 5/765: Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus - H04N 5/77: between a recording apparatus and a television camera - H04N 5/772: {the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure} - H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - H04N 23/61: based on recognised objects - H04N 23/80: Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof - G02B 13/004: {having four lenses} - G02B 2027/0138: {comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera} - H04N 23/634: {Warning indications} - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Recording indicators for devices with cameras that provide protection from tampering so that the recording indicators cannot be easily disabled or masked. Recording indicators that are integrated in a device's camera and that emit visible light through the camera lens aperture are described. In addition, modular accessories are described that the user has to attach to the device to enable recording; the presence of the modular attachment indicates to persons in the environment that they may be being recorded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera, comprising: an image sensor; a lens barrel comprising one or more refractive lenses, wherein the lens barrel is configured to refract light received from an object field to form an image at an image plane at a surface of the image sensor; and a recording indicator comprising one or more light sources; wherein the image sensor is configured to capture video frames during integration periods; and wherein the recording indicator is configured to emit pulses of visible light from an area aligned with an opening of the lens barrel towards the object field during non-integration periods between the integration periods, wherein through the opening the lens barrel receives the light from the object field to form the image at the image plane at the surface of the image sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the visible light emitted by the recording indicator covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording indicator is activated when the camera is in recording mode and deactivated when the camera is not in recording mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged around the image sensor that emit light pulses during the non-integration periods, wherein the lens elements in the lens barrel refract the emitted light pulses through an aperture stop in the lens barrel to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) located between the lens barrel and the image sensor that emit light pulses towards the image sensor during the non-integration periods, wherein the light pulses are reflected by a surface at or near the image sensor towards the lens barrel, and wherein the lens elements in the lens barrel refract the reflected light pulses through an aperture stop in the lens barrel to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the camera further includes a glass or plastic element located on an image side of an aperture stop in the lens barrel, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) located at an outer edge of the glass or plastic element, wherein the LEDs emit light pulses into the outer edge of the glass or plastic element during non-integration periods, wherein the light pulses are directed by the glass or plastic element towards the aperture stop before exiting the glass or plastic element at the aperture stop, and wherein one or more lens elements on the object side of the aperture stop in the lens barrel refract the pulses of light emitted through the aperture stop to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The camera as recited in claim 1, further comprising: an optical element located at an object side of the lens barrel, wherein the optical element includes: a first surface facing the object field; a second surface; and a third surface facing the lens barrel; and wherein the one or more light sources of the recording indicator face the second surface of the optical element, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to emit visible light through the second surface of the optical element, wherein the third surface of the optical element redirects the visible light received through the second surface through the first surface of the optical element towards the object field; and wherein the light received from the object field passes through the first surface and the second surface of the optical element and into the lens barrel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The camera as recited in claim 7, wherein the optical element is a prism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The camera as recited in claim 7, wherein the optical element is one of the one or more refractive lenses in the lens barrel. ### Claim 10 A system, comprising: a camera comprising: an image sensor; a lens barrel comprising one or more refractive lenses, wherein the lens barrel is configured to refract light received from an object field to form an image at an image plane at a surface of the image sensor; and a recording indicator comprising one or more light sources, wherein the recording indicator is activated when the camera is in recording mode and deactivated when the camera is not in recording mode; and memory for storing video captured by the camera when the camera is in recording mode; wherein the system is configured to capture and store video frames during integration periods when the camera is in recording mode; and wherein the recording indicator is configured to emit pulses of visible light from an area aligned with an opening of the lens barrel towards the object field during non-integration periods between the integration periods when the camera is in recording mode, wherein through the opening the lens barrel receives the light from the object field to form the image at the image plane at the surface of the image sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged around the image sensor that emit light pulses during the non-integration periods, wherein the lens elements in the lens barrel refract the emitted light pulses through an aperture stop in the lens barrel to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) located between the lens barrel and the image sensor that emit light pulses towards the image sensor during the non-integration periods, wherein the light pulses are reflected by a surface at or near the image sensor towards the lens barrel, and wherein the lens elements in the lens barrel refract the reflected light pulses through an aperture stop in the lens barrel to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the camera further includes a glass or plastic element located on an image side of an aperture stop in the lens barrel, wherein the recording indicator includes two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) located at an outer edge of the glass or plastic element, wherein the LEDs emit light pulses into the outer edge of the glass or plastic element during non-integration periods, wherein the light pulses are directed by the glass or plastic element towards the aperture stop before exiting the glass or plastic element at the aperture stop, and wherein one or more lens elements on the object side of the aperture stop in the lens barrel refract the pulses of light emitted through the aperture stop to provide visible light that covers a field of view of the camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising: an optical element located at an object side of the lens barrel of the camera, wherein the optical element includes: a first surface facing the object field; a second surface; and a third surface facing the lens barrel; and wherein the one or more light sources of the recording indicator face the second surface of the optical element, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to emit visible light through the second surface of the optical element, wherein the third surface of the optical element redirects the visible light received through the second surface through the first surface of the optical element towards the object field; and wherein the light received from the object field passes through the first surface and the second surface of the optical element and into the lens barrel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a device, wherein the camera and the memory are integrated in the device, and wherein the device includes one or more processors for processing video frames captured by the video camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising: a device; and a modular accessory configured to physically or magnetically attach to the device; wherein, when attached to the device, the modular accessory communicates with a controller of the device via a wired or wireless connection to enable recording of video captured by the camera to the memory. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the camera and the memory integrated in the device, wherein the device includes one or more processors for processing video frames captured by the video camera. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the camera is a component in the modular accessory. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the modular accessory includes the memory for storing video captured by the camera when the camera is in recording mode and one or more processors for processing video frames captured by the video camera. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the modular accessory includes smart authentication technology so that the modular accessory is uniquely paired to a particular device.