Canon Patent: 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8 And 600mm f/4 With Built-in Teleconverter

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A new Canon patent for telephoto lenses with built-in teleconverter. For what mount? RF mount.

Canon patent 2022142979 (Japan, published 10/3/2022) discusses optical formulas for three telephoto lenses with built-in teleconverter. The lenses are 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/2.8. From the patent literature (machine translated):

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical system having a variable power optical system that is inserted into and removed from a main optical system, and to achieve good optical performance while reducing the weight of the entire system.

Description of the Related Art

As a method for changing the focal length of an optical system used in an imaging apparatus, there is a converter method that changes the focal length of the entire system by inserting a variable magnification optical system (extender) in the optical path.

When adopting a system incorporating a variable magnification optical system, in order to achieve good optical performance while reducing the weight of the entire system including the variable magnification optical system, the insertion position of the variable magnification optical system must be appropriately selected. It is important not only to do so, but also to properly configure the main optical system. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement from the viewpoint of achieving both weight reduction and optical performance.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to achieve good optical performance while reducing the weight of the entire system in an optical system having a variable magnification optical system that is inserted into and removed from a main optical system.

Example 1 ML

  • Focal length: 389.00
  • F-value: 2.91
  • Half angle of view: 3.18
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Total length: 406.00
  • Back focus: 53.83

Example 1 with teleconverter

  • Focal length: 544.00
  • F-value: 4.19
  • Half angle of view: 2.28
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 406.01
  • Back focus: 53.83

Example 2 ML

  • Focal length: 582.00
  • F-value: 4.12
  • Half angle of view: 2.13
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 486.10
  • Back focus: 81.91

Example 2 with teleconverter

  • Focal length: 814.80
  • F-value: 5.88
  • Half angle of view: 1.52
  • Image height: 21.64
  • Overall length: 486.10
  • Back focus: 81.91

More Canon patents are listed here.

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: 16mm f/2.8 & 20mm f/2.8 With Image Stabilization

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A new Canon patent to start a new week. Once more for lenses for the RF mount.

Canon patent 2022125455 (Japan, published 8/29/2022) discusses optical formulas for two prime lenses, a 16mm f/2.8 and a 20mm f/2.8, both with image stabilisation. From the patent literature (machine translated):

[Title of Invention] Optical system, lens device having the same, and imaging device

The present invention provides an optical system having a wide angle of view, a small size and light weight, and high optical performance in the non-stabilizing state while suppressing peripheral image quality deterioration during image blur correction, and a lens device and an imaging device having the same.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, as means for correcting image blurring, there are known a lens-shift type anti-vibration mechanism that shifts a part of an optical system and a sensor-shift type anti-vibration mechanism that shifts an imaging device. In a central projection optical system, the amount of movement of the image point in response to changes in the angle of incidence of light rays entering the optical system is not uniform on the imaging surface. However, image blur remains around the imaging surface.

The imaging apparatus of Patent Document 1 can correct image blur at a specific image point position, but cannot uniformly correct image blur at all angles of view.

In an equidistant projection optical system, the image quality around the imaging surface is less likely to deteriorate during image blur correction. Therefore, in order to suppress image quality deterioration around the imaging surface, it is necessary to generate a large amount of distortion in the negative direction in the central projection method, and reduce the absolute value of the amount of distortion in the equidistant projection method.

An optical system with a large absolute value of the amount of distortion aberration in the central projection method produces a greatly distorted image, so it is often used in combination with an imaging apparatus equipped with electronic distortion correction. In this case, if the distortion aberration in the central projection method is excessively generated, the image quality around the imaging surface is degraded due to the extension of the electronic distortion correction.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 24.22
  • F-value: 1.85
  • Image height: 19.38
  • Overall length: 85.24
  • Back focus: 12.06

Example 2

  • Focal length: 19.48
  • F value: 2.88:
  • Image height: 18.60
  • Overall length: 73.01
  • Back focus: 12.19

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

[via asobinet]

Canon Patent: Automatic Self-composing Selfie Stick (extends, retracts, changes angle)

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You read it right. This Canon patent application might refer to a selfie stick that automagically adjusts length and angle to take the perfect selfie.

Canon patent application 2021040089 (published 9/26/2022, Japan) discusses methods and technology for an automatically self-composing, robotic selfie stick. From the patent literature:

An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device capable of adjusting the composition in real time when taking a selfie.

An imaging apparatus as one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit, an extendable rod attached to the imaging unit, a grip provided on the rod, and a target composition and a current composition of the imaging unit. control means for adjusting the composition of the imaging unit based on the difference, wherein the control means controls the focal length of the imaging unit, the first angle between the imaging unit and the rod, the grip unit and the At least one of a second angle with the bar or the length of the bar is changed to adjust the composition.

The Canon patent’s selfie stick adjusts the composition of a selfie by recognizing the subject and automatically extending or retracting the stick, and by adjusting the angle. A fully automatic composition for the perfect selfie.

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

Canon Patent: Air Cooling System That Also Does In Body Image Stabilization

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Well, that’s an interesting Canon patent application: an air-cooled heat dissipation system that also functions as IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization).

Canon patent application 2022137975 (Japan) discusses methods and technology for an air cooling system that also works for IBIS. How is that achieved? The patent literature describes a cooling method that is very similar to what is done for computer CPUs. Heat dissipation elements are mounted on the back of the imaging sensor, the cooling air passes through these elements. Extract from the patent literature (machine translated):

An imaging apparatus capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated by an imaging element movable in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis is provided.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, in order to improve image quality, there has been known an imaging apparatus that optically corrects image blur by moving an imaging device in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis . The image pickup device is required to have sufficient heat dissipation because the heat generated in the image pickup device affects the image quality when driving image blur correction, continuous shooting, moving image shooting, and the like.

In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200013, the amount of heat radiation generated by the imaging element is determined by the thickness and width of the heat radiation sheet connected to the imaging element .

Description of the Related Art

In recent years, the amount of heat generated by an imaging device has increased due to improvements in moving image performance of imaging devices. For this reason, with the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to sufficiently dissipate the heat generated by the image pickup device, and there is a possibility that the temperature rise of the image pickup device cannot be eliminated. On the other hand, if the thickness and width of the heat dissipation sheet are increased in order to increase the amount of heat dissipation, the movement load of the imaging element increases .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging apparatus capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated by an imaging element movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

Means for Solving the Problems

An imaging apparatus as one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging element section having a fixed unit and a movable unit movable with respect to the fixed unit ; The movable unit has an imaging element and a heat exchange member, and at least part of the heat exchange member is inserted into the duct from an opening of the duct .

Item 521 refers to the heat dissipation elements on the back of the imaging sensor

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

[via asobinet.com]

Canon Patent: Fan Powered Cooling System For Mirrorless Cameras

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Remember the overheating soap opera that came along with the Canon EOS R5? Here is a new Canon patent for a fan aided cooling system for what we think is a mirrorless camera.

Canon patent application 20220294954 (US, filed 2/15/2022) discusses methods and technology for a cooling system with fans that draw in air through vents on the back (21c in the drawing on top) and out on the front (22b in the drawing on top). The patent abstract:

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

[via Northlight Images]

Canon Patent: Variable Apodization Using Electrochromic Elements (Defocus Smoothing technology)

Devocus Smoothing
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This Canon patent application might point to the next generation of Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology.

Canon patent application 2022124678 (Japan) discusses technology and optical formulas to obtain Defocus Smoothing by the mean of electrochromic elements (EC). Defocus Smoothing is Canon’s technology to improve bokeh (see short video below for an explanation).

From the patent literature:

BACKGROUND ART

An electrochromic (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “EC”) element is an element having a pair of electrodes and an EC layer disposed between the electrodes. It is an optical element that adjusts the hue and amount of light in the visible light band by applying a voltage between them to oxidize or reduce the compounds in the EC layer.

EC elements have already been applied to products such as variable transmittance windows for aircraft and anti-glare mirrors for automobiles. Attempts have been made to apply it to The apodization filter is an optical element that smoothes the outline of a blurred image, and has a transmittance distribution in which the transmittance decreases with increasing distance from the optical axis.

In the conventional EC device described above, a desirable transmittance distribution is achieved by defining the resistance range of the electrodes, but the setting of the constituent requirements was not sufficient. That is, the transmittance distribution of the solution-type EC element depends on the resistance ratio between the electrode resistance and the solution resistance per unit width. , depending on the resistivity of the electrochromic layer (solution). Therefore, it was necessary to define these in order to achieve a desirable transmittance distribution.

An object of the present invention is to provide an EC element capable of realizing a suitable transmittance distribution in a solution-type EC element in which power is supplied from the outer periphery of the dimming area, and furthermore, a suitable transmittance by following the aperture diameter of the mechanical aperture of the lens. It is an object of the present invention to provide an EC device capable of forming an index distribution. Another object of the present invention is to provide a lens unit and an image pickup apparatus having excellent optical characteristics using such an EC element.

To me it appears this might be the next generation of the Defocus Smoothing technology.

More patents are listed here.