Canon Patent: Touch-enabled Lens Control Unit (adjust aperture and focus

A new day, a new Canon patent application. What about a lens with touch controls?

Canon patent application 2022-25673 (Japan) discusses methods and technology for a touch control on a lens that allows to change aperture and focus.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform continuous smooth touch operation without visually observing an exterior portion of an optical device.

As a lens device (interchangeable lens) with improved user operability, Patent Document 1 describes focusing distance, focal length, aperture value, operation mode, and the like with a finger on any of a plurality of touch areas. Those that can be selected by touch operation are disclosed. This lens device is discretely provided with convex indexes for recognizing the touch region operated by the touch by the sense of touch without the user having to visually check the exterior portion provided with the touch region.

However, although the discrete index disclosed in Patent Document 1 is effective for touching each touch region, it guides a continuous smooth touch operation for a plurality of touch regions in focusing and the like. There is no function.

The optical device as one aspect of the present invention has an exterior portion. The optical device has an operation detection unit having a finite length for detecting the position of a touch operation on the exterior portion, and an operation guide unit provided on the exterior portion to guide a user’s finger performing a touch operation. .. The operation guide unit is characterized by having a shape that extends continuously along the operation detection unit.

This is not the first Canon patent referring to a lens with touch controls. Will the discussed technology ever hit the market?

The Canon patent application was spotted by asobinet.com. More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

• Automatic shutter silencing based on subject and distance
• A bunch of prime lenses for the RF mount
• An improved Electronic Viewfinder
• Patent application for RF 50mm F1.4 and an RF 35mm f/1.4 lenses
• A zoom lens that might be for an EOS R with APS-C sensor
• A smaller IBIS unit.
• A cooling adapter for the RF mount (R5 overheating?)
• A bunch of macro lenses for the RF mount.
• A 8mm f/4 circular fisheye lens for the Canon EOS R system
• A battery grip that works with differently siszed cameras
• A 100-400mm f/5.5-7.1 lens for APS-C cameras. EOS M or DSLR?
• RF 17-70mm lens for EOS R system
• IBIS coming to the EOS M and PowerShot lineup?
• Patent Application: mirrorless camera with large display and virtual control wheel
• Patent Application: IBIS and Lens IS Working Together
• Patent application for high speed mirror movement and control
• Patent application for an RF 14-28mm f/2 lens
• Patent application for an RF 50mm f/1.8 lens
• Patent application for a smart lens cap
• Patent application for celestial auto-focus
• Patent application describing a Pop-Up Flash With LED
• Patent application describing the optical formula for a RF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS lens for EOS R systems
• Patent application describing how to improve burst rate by compressing raw files
• Patent application describing a new way to review photos from a sequential shot
• Patent application that describes technology to improve wireless communication while reducing power consumption
• Patent application to spot and reduce moire artefacts in image data
• Patent application for weather sealed lens adapter
• Patent application for AI powered predictive camera control system
• Patent application for 18-55mm kit lens with LCD display
• Patent application to reduce noise in image files