Canon patent application 2019-120821 (Japan) describes the optical formula for a 12-48mm f/1.8-4 lens for the Canon EOS M mirrorless camera system.

An excerpt from the Canon patent:

[…] provide a zoom lens which is small in the whole lens system, has a wide angle of view, a high zoom ratio, and a large aperture ratio and has high optical performance over an entire zoom range. 
[Means for solving]A 1 lens group having negative refractive power, a 2 lens group having positive refractive power, a 3 lens group having negative refractive power, and a 4 lens group having positive refractive power arranged in this order from the object side to the image side, and the 1 lens group is stationary at the time of zooming. In this zoom lens, a 2 lens group, a 3 lens group, and a 4 lens group are moved and an interval between adjacent lens groups is changed. The 4 lens group has 2 or more lenses, and appropriately sets a focal length f 2 of the 2 lens group, a focal length fw of the entire system at the wide-angle end, a moving amount M 2 of the 4 lens group during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and a moving amount M 4 of the second lens group during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. 

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

• A cooling adapter for the RF mount (R5 overheating?)
• A bunch of macro lenses for the RF mount.
• A 8mm f/4 circular fisheye lens for the Canon EOS R system
• A battery grip that works with differently siszed cameras
• A 100-400mm f/5.5-7.1 lens for APS-C cameras. EOS M or DSLR?
• RF 17-70mm lens for EOS R system
• IBIS coming to the EOS M and PowerShot lineup?
• Patent Application: mirrorless camera with large display and virtual control wheel
• Patent Application: IBIS and Lens IS Working Together
• Patent application for high speed mirror movement and control
• Patent application for an RF 14-28mm f/2 lens
• Patent application for an RF 50mm f/1.8 lens
• Patent application for a smart lens cap
• Patent application for celestial auto-focus
• Patent application describing a Pop-Up Flash With LED
• Patent application describing the optical formula for a RF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS lens for EOS R systems
• Patent application describing how to improve burst rate by compressing raw files
• Patent application describing a new way to review photos from a sequential shot
• Patent application that describes technology to improve wireless communication while reducing power consumption
• Patent application to spot and reduce moire artefacts in image data
• Patent application for weather sealed lens adapter
• Patent application for AI powered predictive camera control system
• Patent application for 18-55mm kit lens with LCD display
• Patent application to reduce noise in image files