Canon researching curved sensors with Dual Pixel AF, patent application suggests

Among the huge amount of patent applications filed by Canon, some show how intensely Canon is researching sensor technology.

Patent application 2018-014657 describes the technology to build a curved image sensor, with Canon’s proprietary Dual Pixel Auto Focus on board.

In an image sensor which has an imaging surface which it is constituted by a plurality of optoelectric transducers arranged by two dimensions, and can be bent [ a photographing optical system and ] to a curve, It has a focus detection area selecting part which chooses a region which performs focus detection in a screen, An imaging device making buckling of an imaging surface of the aforementioned image sensor into different buckling in a time of not being chosen with a time of a focus detection area being chosen.

From the patent literature it seems the described image sensor can automatically change its curvature shape. As Canon News puts it:

The sensor uses a piezoelectric device to drive the shape change of the curved sensor and has strain gauges (219) to measure the amount of curvature applied.  This sensor would automatically change it’s curve shape depending on the characteristics of the lens and also dependant upon the area of focus detection.

More Canon patent applications.

Some Canon patent applications which in our opinion might go into production:

• 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