ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 10 -- United States Patent no. 12,411,389, issued on Sept. 9, was assigned to Podium Fit Inc. (San Francisco).
"Camera privacy shutter" was invented by Subrat Nayak (San Francisco) and Erik Aylen (Bozeman, Mont.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A camera comprises a camera lens, a privacy shutter movable between a first position in which it obstructs the camera lens and a second position in which the camera lens is exposed, and a spring that biases the privacy shutter towards the first position. A piece of magnetic material is coupled to the privacy shutter, and an electromagnet is operable to hold the privacy shutter in the second position by acting on the piece of magnet...