Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for a new, faster auto-focus that appears to be the next step in STM lens technology. The AF in the patent is driven by 2 motors, the main STM and an auxiliary DCM motor. This should be useful especially for continuous shooting & focusing in the videographers domain.

Machine translated text:

• Patent Publication No. 2014-164106
  • Published Date 2014.9.8
  • Filing date 2013.2.25
• Example 1
  • Moving the aperture one two motors
  • Main motor STM
  • Auxiliary motor DCM
  • And then rotate the first auxiliary motor, to assist the acceleration of the main motor

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for a 55-300mm lens with image stabilisation and inner focusing (lens does not extend when focusing). The patent ale refers to a EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM lens

• Patent Publication No. 2014-145960
  • Published Date 2014.8.14
  • Filing date 2013.1.30
• Example 3
  • Zoom ratio 5.20
  • Focal length f = 56.80-135.16-241.32mm
  • Fno. 4.16-5.18-5.88
  • Half angle ω = 13.52-5.77-3.24 °
  • Image height Y = 13.66mm
  • The overall length of the lens 153.89-191.28-208.89mm
  • BF 38.57-57.95-65.38mm
• Example 5
  • Zoom ratio 5.20
  • Focal length f = 56.37-133.75-293.01mm
  • Fno. 4.16-5.18-5.88
  • Half angle ω = 13.62-5.83-2.67 °
  • Image height Y = 13.66mm
  • The overall length of the lens 155.00-190.52-210.00mm
  • BF 38.40-54.49-65.40mm
• Canon patents
  • Inner focus
  • Vibration control

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon regarding a faster and more accurate AF method for continuous shooting. If I understood the patent correctly, the method is using the “classic” AF method (using the dedicated phase difference sensor) for the first shot, and phase difference AF on the “image plane” (i.e. the image sensor) for all subsequent shots. The advantage: you do not need to move the mirror for focusing after the first shot, hence allowing for a higher frames per seconds rate.

Could this patent point to the EOS 7D replacement we expect to be announced in September? Possibly. A higher fps is one of the features most of us think will be implemented in the camera Canon is going to announce.

• Patent Publication No. 2014-142372
  • Published Date 2014.8.7
  • Filing date 2012.1.22
• Canon patents
  • I use the phase difference AF the first time
    • I use the OVF
  • I use the image plane phase difference AF with the second and subsequent
    • There is no need to wait for the stable state up mirror, the mirror down

The Canon Powershot D30 (price & specs)

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon that refers to a 45x zoom that appears to be for the water and dustproof PowerShow D compact camera series.

• Patent Publication No. 2014-109664
  • Published Date 2014.6.12
  • Filing date 2012.11.30
  • Related 2014-109665,2014-109666
• Example 1
  • Zoom ratio 44.41
  • Focal length f = 4.62-13.02-205.00mm
  • Fno. 3.91-6.14-9.00
  • Half angle ω = 36.14-16.58-1.08 °
  • The overall length of the lens 99.33-103.38-113.64mm
  • BF 12.11-10.81-4.28mm

 

 

Egami (translated) spotted another highly interesting patent filed by Canon. The patent refers to a 3 layer, Foveon-like sensor with an insulator film applied. The film helps reduce reflection and flares.Very interesting patent, and not the first of this kind we report about, similar patents showed up in the past (here and here).

This is the third Canon patent about a Foveon-like sensor I am featuring here on CW. I think to start that such a sensor technology is definitely on Canon’s plans.

• Patent Publication No. 2014-130890
  • Publication date 2014.7.10
  • Filing date 2012.12.28
• Multilayer sensor drawback of
  • G is light, the image quality is degraded and reflected by the surface of the layer between the G and B layer, re-enters the B layer
• Canon patents
  • The provision of the dielectric film and the insulating film as an anti-reflection film
  • First insulating layer, B layer, a dielectric film, insulating film, dielectric film, G layer, a dielectric film, insulating film, insulating film, dielectric film, the R layer
  • By increasing the thickness of the dielectric film, to suppress the multiple reflection
  • The dielectric film is between the G layer and B layer, the reflectance with respect to G is lower than B