Canon Patent Application for 18-55mm Lens With Variable Field Curvature

Canon Patent

Japanese blog Hi Lows Note spotted another interesting patent (2018-159876).

The patent literature describes a 18-55mm lens with variable field curvature and spherical aberrations reduction.

This appears to be a lens with a design suited for an APS-C mirrorless camera. May this come to the EOS M system one day?

  • Zoom ratio: 2.88
  • Focal length: 18.58 – 53.49 mm
  • F number: 3.56 – 5.87
  • Angle of view: 36.32 – 14.32
  • Image height: 13.66 mm
  • Lens length: 126.24 mm
  • Back focus: 11.55 mm

There is a lot of buzz around patents. Mostly for nothing. Patents are foremost a way companies have to secure their R&D efforts (research and development).

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production in the next years are these:

Canon Patent Application for 360 degree camera with 8 zoom lenses

LetsGoDigital spotted a rather interesting patent.

The patent literature describes a professional spherical camera system, consisting of multiple cameras that can capture 360 degree images and panorama images.

The eight cameras (one at the bottom and at the top and six divided over the middle axis) are continuously connected to each other. Each camera can zoom individually. They are configured in such a way that the field angle overlap each other, which benefits the stitching process.

As soon as the camera system is switched off again, the eight lens barrels will be closed automatically, so that they remain protected against external influences. A power switch is positioned on the top of the device, as well as a shutter release button and two zoom buttons. The zoom buttons can control one or more cameras at the same time. It is also possible to remotely operate the system via a PC or smartphone.

The Canon 360-degree camera comes with three built-in tripod legs, which can be adjusted individually both in length and angle. In addition, three movable illumination units are installed on the camera system. The battery compartment is located in the lower part of the camera.

[via LetsGoDigital]

Canon Patent Application for Long Eye Relief Optics in EVF

Canon Patent

Canon patent application 2018-124349 discusses optics for long eye relief (Wikipedia) in an Electronic View Finder (EVF). This is particularly useful for people wearing glasses. Otherwise they would struggle to see the whole image in the EVF. This patent application might actually go into production sooner or later.

More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production in the next few years are these:

[via Hi Lows Note]

 

Canon working on XC series Camcorder with interchangeable lens mount, patent suggests

Camcorder

In this patent application (JP2018-112698), spotted by Hi Lows Note, you can see an XC series camcorder with an interchangeable lens mount. This could be a patent application that might go into production.

You can see from the pictures that the patent literature is clearly referencing a “Canon XC camcorder“-like camera.

Machine translated excerpt from the patent literature:

A lens mount part in which wearing of an interchangeable lens and removal are possible,
An image sensor which carries out photoelectric conversion of the light flux which passed the aforementioned interchangeable lens,
It has an optical system provided between the aforementioned lens mount part and the aforementioned image sensor,
The aforementioned optical system is interlocked with operation which removes the aforementioned interchangeable lens from the aforementioned lens mount part, and moves to a first position that light flux from the aforementioned optical system does not image to the aforementioned image sensor.

More Canon patent applications are listed here. There are few patent applications we think will go into production anytime soon. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production in the next few years are these:

Canon working on Electronic Viewfinder with Eye Sensor, patent suggests

Eye Sensor

Thanks Angela for the tip.

Interesting patent application (US20180164881) describing an external EVF with eye sensor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem Canon is working on eye tracking AF but just on a sensor that turns the power of the EVF on and off. Good to safe battery juice.

An electronic apparatus equipped with an eye sensor holding structure that is capable of preventing erroneous detection of an eye sensor without increasing the number of members and of improving an appearance without increasing stray light. An eye sensor that detects an eye-contact state is implemented on a circuit board. A protection window is provided so as to cover a front of the eye sensor and is held in a state where the circuit board is positioned thereto. The protection window is fitted and positioned to an exterior member that has an opening through which the protection window is exposed to external appearance. An elastic member generates energization force for pushing the eye sensor so as to be contact with the protection window and for pushing the protection window so as to be contact with the exterior member.

As usual, I’m glad for any help understanding the patent literature.

US20180164881A1
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