Wireless charging may come to Canon cameras, patent application suggests – Update

 

UPDATE: sorry folks, turns out we have been fooled. It’s a patent application of 2015, and Canon showed a working prototype at Canon Expo 2015,

Original post:

It appears Canon is working to feature wireless charging on their future cameras. Wireless charging is already a reality on smartphones and similar devices.

The patent literature describes…:

An electronic device comprising: a power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus; a first communicator; a connection interface that connects a detachable communication device to the electronic device, wherein the detachable communication device includes a second communicator that performs wireless communication; and a CPU that (a) determines whether the detachable communication device that is currently connected is capable of using a wireless power supply from the power supply apparatus, if the detachable communication device and the connection interface are connected, and (b) controls the first communicator to transmit data for notifying the power supply apparatus that the detachable communication device that is currently connected is not capable of using the wireless power supply if the detachable communication device that is currently connected is not capable of using the wireless power supply.

 

Memory cards used for wireless transmission may interfere with wireless charging, an issue the patent literature takes in account:

Description of the Related Art

In recent years, a wireless power supply system, which includes a power supply apparatus wirelessly outputting power without connection by a connector, and an electronic device charging a battery by the power wirelessly supplied from the power supply apparatus, has been used.

[…]

In such a wireless power supply system, the electronic device includes a communication unit which transmits a response to a command transmitted from the power supply apparatus.

In such a wireless power supply system, the power supply apparatus controls power supply to the electronic device in accordance with a response obtained from the communication unit included in the electronic device.

In recent years, a memory card having a function of performing wireless communication has been used. For example, in a case where such a memory card is inserted into an electronic device, even when the power supply apparatus performs wireless communication required for controlling power supply to the electronic device, the memory card may transmit a response is not associated with wireless power supply to the power supply apparatus. In this case, the power supply apparatus may not appropriately control wireless power supply to the electronic device.

Furthermore, since the power supply apparatus performs wireless power supply to the electronic device, a magnetic field generated in an antenna of the power supply apparatus may affect the memory card inserted into the electronic device, and accordingly, the power supply apparatus may not appropriately perform the wireless power supply to the electronic device.

Please note: a patent application doesn’t mean the described technology will go into production any time soon. Patents are primarily a way companies have to protect their research and development.

Some Canon patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Upcoming Canon gear may ask for your fingerprint id, patent application suggests

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Interesting Canon patent application.

United States Canon Patent Application 20180012061 describes how to implement fingerprint ID sensors on a camera body and on a lens.

This appears to be very similar to the technology implemented in recent smartphones, devices you can unlock using your fingerprints.

An electronic apparatus includes an authenticator configured to identify registered finger information that coincides with detected finger information by matching the detected finger information with the plurality of registered finger information in a predetermined order, an executor configured to execute a function corresponding to the registered finger information identified by the authenticator, a user identifier configured to identify the actual user among the plurality of registered users by acquiring user identification information representing the actual user or by performing a determination process configured to determine the actual user, and a controller configured to change the predetermined order according to the actual user identified by the user identifier.

Skimming the patent literature, you’ll see that this is a full fledged fingerprint ID implementation. Serious stuff.

It’s likely this is thought to avoid (or at least reduce) theft. While this is surely something we all want, I have a somewhat hard time figuring out myself unlocking my camera (or my lens) with my fingerprints any time I use it. On the other hand, this tech might also allow for multiple users on the same camera, each user with his/her settings etc.

What do you think, is this a cool feature?

More Canon patent applications.

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

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

canonAmong 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:

Canon working on miniaturisation of shutter mechanism, patent application

canonIs there something coming from Canon, something small? After a patent application to improve the durability of a shutter mechanism, we also spotted a Canon patent application describing how to miniaturise the shutter mechanism.

Canon patent application P2018-010054A describes methods to further miniaturise the shutter mechanism:

The present invention relates to a blade drive device for driving blades entering and leaving an optical path, and an image pickup device including the blade drive device, for example, an IR (infrared light) cut filter and an AR (anti-reflection) A filter switching device for switching the filter, and a device incorporated in a lens barrel of a video camera or a surveillance camera equipped with such a filter switching device.

More Canon patent applications.

Canon working to improve durability of shutter mechanism, patent application suggests

canon patentCanon patent application JP-A-2018-10053 describes how to improve the durability of shutter blades.

Claims:

An opening forming member in which an opening serving as an optical path is formed, First and second shutter blades which enter and leave the opening, A drive transmission member engaged with the first and second shutter blades for transmitting a driving force, And a stopper for stopping the movement of the blade by abutment of the first and second shutter blades when the optical path is blocked by the first and second shutter blades in the opening,
Wherein the first and second shutter blades each include a shutter portion for shielding the optical path in the opening portion, an engaging portion for engaging with the drive transmission member, and a connecting portion for connecting the shutter portion and the engaging portion with each other Has,
Wherein the stopper includes a main stopper in which one side of the engaging portion side of the first and second shutter blades abuts and a second stopper provided between the opening and the drive transmission member and on one side of the connecting portion And a sub-stopper with which the portion abuts.

It’s good to see that Canon’s R&D are working on the really useful things. More Canon patent applications.

Canon patent application for lens barrel design that allows to insert and remove an optical element

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Canon patent application EP3267238 (A1) describes a lens barrel design where you can insert and remove an optical element, i.e. you can insert or remove an optical filter.

From the abstract:

The present invention relates to a technique to insert and remove an optical element into and from an optical path of an image pickup optical system. A first drive mechanism (12) moves a first element (34) in an optical axis direction. A second element (23) is located at an image surface side of the first element and is selectively inserted in the optical path. A second drive mechanism (24) moves a holding member (18) holding the second element in a direction different from an optical axis. A control unit (65) controls the first drive mechanism to move the first element to an object side to a position where the first element and the holding member are not overlapped when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, controls the second drive mechanism to remove the second element from the optical path, when they are overlapped.

Being able to insert a filter into the lens barrel sounds pretty cool to me. If I got the patent application right, then the optical element (i.e. the filter) is inserted where the arrow points to in the image at top.