ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 3 -- United States Patent no. 12,568,705, issued on March 3, was assigned to Apple Inc. (Cupertino, Calif.).
"Phase detection autofocus pixel" was invented by Manoj C. Patel (Mountain View, Calif.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Embodiments are disclosed for a Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) pixel, including a photodiode; a color filter disposed on the photodiode; and a parabolic-shaped microlens disposed on the color filter and oriented in a direction that generates an angular response, such that a phase disparity signal is generated in a horizontal or vertical direction of an imaging plane or both directions."
The patent was filed on Sept. 23, 2022, under Application...