Apple has filed for a patent (number 202102801746) for “devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for assisted photo-taking.” The goal is to help users who are blind or have poor vision to take good photos with their iPhone or iPad.
About the patent filing
In the patent filing Apple says it’s “essential that all users, including low-vision and blind users,” be able to take “beautiful and artistic photographs” with their iPhones. However, due to the inherent visual aspects of photography, it is difficult for low-vision and blind users to take great photographs with standard user interfaces. Apple wants its smartphone to be able to overcome such limitations for users with poor or no vision.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “An electronic device obtains one or more images of a scene, and displays a preview of the scene. If the electronic device meets levelness criteria, the electronic device provides a first audible and/or tactile output indicating that the camera is obtaining level images of the scene. In some embodiments, the electronic device detects, using one or more sensors, an orientation of a first axis of the electronic device relative to a respective vector, and the levelness criteria include a criterion that is met when the first axis of the electronic device moves within a predefined range of the respective vector. In some embodiments, if the orientation of the first axis of the electronic device moves outside of the predefined range of the respective vector, a second audible and/or tactile output, indicating that the camera is not obtaining level images of the scene, is provided.”
The accompanying graphic illustrates an example user interface for providing users (e.g., low-vision and blind users) with non-visual assistance for taking photographs.
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