Future iPhones may create 'super-resolution' images by using Optical image stabilization

A patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suggests that Apple is prepping a "super-resolution" imaging engine for future handsets.

The patent covers "super-resolution based on optical image stabilization," meaning your future iPhone will rapidly take a series of images at a range of slightly offset angles. These images will then be stitched together by an image processing engine, resulting in a "super-resolution" image.

It works like this : As your iPhone's camera fires off a series of images, the optical image stabilization position will tilt the camera along a known optical path. During this process a positioning sensor indicating tilt angle will help ensure the accuracy of the final image.

Each shot is then transferred to the "super-resolution" imaging engine, which combines them into a single dense image by interpolating and remapping them to a high resolution grid.
The engine puts the finishing touches on the image by applying techniques like gamma correction, anti-aliasing and other methods of color processing.

The patent was first filed in 2012, it's unclear when Apple's "super-resolution" camera will make its way into its handsets.

This technology sounds like similar to Nokia's PureView oversampling system, currently used in the likes of the 41MP Lumia 1020.
Also, Apple just hired up Ari Partinen, Nokia's PureView camera expert, to join its team.
Ari Partinen made it clear on Twitter that he would be leaving Nokia and joining Apple.

Source 1, Source 2