Canon tops among Japanese companies in U.S. patent rankings for eleven years running

canon rumors

Canon is filing a lot of patents, many reported here on Canon Watch. Canon press release:

Canon tops among Japanese companies in U.S. patent rankings for eleven years running

TOKYO, January 14, 2016—Canon Inc. again ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2015, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services on January 13, 2016.

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

Canon U.S. patent rankings among Japanese companies 2005–2015

Year Ranking* No. of patents
2015 1st (3rd) 4,134
2014 1st (3rd) 4,055
2013 1st (3rd) 3,820
2012 1st (3rd) 3,173
2011 1st (3rd) 2,818
2010 1st (4th) 2,551
2009 1st (4th) 2,200
2008 1st (3rd) 2,107
2007 1st (3rd) 1,983
2006 1st (3rd) 2,366
2005 1st (2nd) 1,829
* Number in parenthesis represents Canon’s ranking among all companies
Note: Number of patents for 2015 based on preliminary figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2014 tabulated by Canon based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Canon prizes its corporate DNA of placing a high priority on technology. And with regard to research and development results, the Company actively promotes the acquisition of patent rights in accordance with the management direction of the Canon Group and technology trends while conducting thorough pre-application searches to raise the quality of applications. Through close cooperation between Canon’s technology and intellectual property divisions, the Company aims to improve its technological capabilities while further enhancing its intellectual property rights.

Canon patent for EF-M 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 DO IS lens for EOS M system

JPA_427232674_000002

A long awaited super-zoom lens for the EOS M system with better optics might soon be reality. Canon filed a patent for a  EF-M 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 DO IS lens, featuring diffractive optics and image stabilisation. Canon already has a telephoto lens for the EOS M, the Canon EF-M 55-200mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM

Such a lens would be a welcome addition to the small lens line-up currently available for the EOS M system. Canon filed other patents for telephoto lenses for the EOS-M system. However, this patent might refer to a a product that could hit the market. If it does, then the price is the what I would like to know first. Optics with DO elements are usually not cheap.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-232674
    • Published 2015.12.24
    • Filing date 2014.6.11
  • Example 1
    • Zoom ratio 5.27
    • Focal length 55.04 135.00 290.01
    • F-number 4.60 5.18 6.30
    • Angle of view 13.94 5.78 2.70
    • Image height 13.66 13.66 13.66
    • Overall length of the lens 136.00 175.46 192.00
    • BF 35.50 35.50 35.50
[via Egami]

Canon patent for a dSLR that can take EF-M lenses (if I got it right)

canon patent

I am not sure I understood this patent correctly. Machine translated Japanese patent literature is never an easy task to get. Any help is thankfully accepted.

However, Canon filed a patent for an SLR that can switch the position of the sensor (108 in the second image). If you look at the first image, you can see that the sensor stays in a different position and that the mirror (104) is there were the sensor was.

What about the flange distance, which is different for EF-M and EF/EF-S lenses? The Japanese text mentions an adapter that has to be used when using EF-M lenses.

I am really not sure I got this right. It appears to be a camera body for some sort of transition from dSLR to mirrorless.

What do you think?

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-219460
    • Published 2015.12.7
    • Filing date 2014.5.20
  • Canon patents
    • Position and the focusing screen image pickup devicecapable of switching the position of the
    • At the time of photographing preparation, leading to images which have been imaged on the focusing screen optically viewfinder
    • At the time of shooting, the image pickup device image is imaged in

Canon patent for EF 24-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for full-frame DSLR

24-300mm f/3.5-5.6

Canon patent for a EF 24-300mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens for full-frame sensors. The patent description doesn’t mention image stabilisation (IS), so it’s unlikely this will be the replacement for the Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS (announced 2001).

As usual, a filed patent doesn’t mean the described gear will necessarily hit the market. On the other hand, this may just be a patent on the way to the replacement for the 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6, and we could soon see another patent for a similar optical formula and with added IS.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-215438
    • Published 2015.12.3
    • Filing date 2014.5.9
  • Example
    • Focal length 24.70 101.33 292.01
    • Fno 3.50 4.59 5.87
    • ω (degrees) 41.22 12.05 4.24
    • Image height 21.64 21.64 21.64
    • Overall length of the lens 202.71 232.50 288.71
    • BF 38.78 43.69 75.66

Untitled

[via Egami]

Canon Patent for CN-E 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens (super 35mm, Cinema EOS)

CN-E 70-200mm f/2.8

Canon filed a patent for a CN-E 70-200mm f/2.8 Cinema lens for super 35mm sensors, i.e. for Canon’s Cinema EOS products. If this patent hits the market it will be a T2.8 lens. However, a patent does not necessarily mean such a lens will hit the market any time soon. New Canon Cinema EOS products are expected for NAB 2016.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-230449
    • Published 2015.12.21
    • Filing date 2014.6.6
  • Example 1
    • Zoom ratio 2.86
    • Focal length 70.00 118.30 200.00
    • F-number 2.80 2.80 2.80
    • Half angle (in degrees) 12.52 7.49 4.45
    • Image height 15.55 15.55 15.55
    • Overall length of the lens 277.01 277.01 277.01
    • BF 44.72 44.72 44.72
[via Egami]