Huawei working on a smartphone with under-display camera

Camera technology is evolving at a rapid pace. From punch hole displays to pop-up cameras to multi-camera setup, smartphones these days are offering users a plethora of camera options to pick from. Now Huawei has been granted a patent for an under-display camera.

According to CN Tech Post, Huawei had applied for a patent titled "Structure, camera module and terminal device for concealing front camera" on March 18, 2019. The patent was published on April 14, 2020.

The abstract of the patent states that the utility model provides a structure for hiding a front camera, a camera module and a terminal. The structure consists of a light guide plate that is placed between the front camera and the covering glass. The structure also has a projection of the light guide plate that covers the notch in a way that is perpendicular to the screen.

Apart from this, the structure also includes colour light sources that are located on the side of the light guide plate. These sources are used for emitting lights of specific colour to the side of the light guide plate, which is also used to change the direction of propagation of the light of specific colours such that it is perpendicular to the display. Simply said, the patent describes how an under-display front camera would work.

Huawei was also granted a patent for a smartphone with an under-display camera last year. As per a report by Lets Go Digital, the patent application included detailed sketches of how such a smartphone would look like and function.

The smartphone patent, that was granted last year in August, coupled with the new under-display camera patent hints that the company is actively working making a smartphone with an under-display camera a reality. But in the absence of a word from the company all we can do for now is wait.