Apple's US '564 camera patent

The first claim


1. A digital camera device comprising a device housing in which the following are integrated: a light splitter cube having an entrance face to receive incident light from a camera scene, the incident light from the camera scene entering the housing through a face of the housing, a depth from the face to an opposite side of the housing being shorter than length and width of the face, the light splitter cube to split the incident light into red, green, and blue, second, and third color components that emerge from the light splitter cube through a first exit face, a second exit face, and a third exit face of the light splitter cube, respectively, wherein the light splitter cube comprises first, second, third and fourth transparent polyhedrons, each of the transparent polyhedrons having a right isosceles triangular base, a right isosceles triangular top, and three faces joining corresponding sides of the triangular base and top, wherein the first transparent polyhedron adjoins the second transparent polyhedron at a first dichroic interface and the first transparent polyhedron adjoins the fourth transparent polyhedron at a second dichroic interface, wherein the first dichroic interface reflects red light and passes blue and green lights, wherein the second dichroic interface reflects blue light and passes green and red lights; first, second and third image sensors, each being positioned to receive a respective one of the color components that emerge from the first, second and third exit faces of the light splitter cube; a deflector positioned to deflect the incident light from the camera scene towards the light splitter cube; and a zoom lens system positioned entirely in a path of the deflected incident light between the deflector and the entrance face of the light splitter cube, wherein the zoom lens system comprises more than two moveable lens elements.