Apple has been quite busy lately in patenting different ideas like using one’s finger in order to navigate a user interface and substitute mouse and keyboard.

The company has just filed a petition for patenting a method in order to create displays that can integrate image sensing elements that can act like a camera.

The device would combine two arrays: one in which each display element is capable of displaying a pixel information, either alone or in combination with other display elements, and another one, in which each image element is capable of capturing visual information from a source in front of the display area. Each image element is supposed to have a lens that does not interfere with any display elements.

This way Apple reinvents the use of display. Things can reach the point where an entire screen or just a portion of it can actually act as a camera. In today’s LCD displays for example, there are a bunch of empty spaces which Apple says, can be used to integrate light sensors which used with a special software can fasten an entire image based on the capture.

So far there has been no device manufactured to support this idea. Still, this technology is meant to function not only for computer displays but for mobile devices as well. According to research studies, such technology is of high interest for consumers. Let’s see how far Apple can actually go.