Canon Patent: Automatic Shutter Silencing Depending By Distance And Subject

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Now this is a very interesting Canon patent application that shows well how much attention Canon pays to details that could enhance your photo shooting experience.

Canon patent application 2021-121063 (spotted by asobinet.com) discusses a shutter mechanism that dynamically suppresses shutter sound depending on the subject and the shooting distance. According to the patent, a distance detector (item 58 in the image above) is equipped on the camera, in order to automatically activate the silent shutter functionality.

Think about taking pictures of shy wildlife. The patent literature mentions that a subject is identified by image processing and the distance to the subject is measured. In case of animals and given a certain distance, the silent shooting might be automagically activated.

From the patent literature (machine translated):

If the silent function is automatically activated even when the sound emitted by the imaging control device is at a distance that does not reach the subject, a shooting operation is performed with a setting which is not suitable for the shooting situation and which unnecessarily suppresses the generation of sound. To provide a highly convenient imaging control device by detecting an object as an animal and automatically switching to a setting for suppressing a sound emitted from an imaging control device when a distance from an imaging control device to an object is short.

The imaging control device includes an imaging means for acquiring an image of an object, an animal detection means for detecting a specific animal from an image acquired by the imaging means, and an animal detection means for detecting a specific animal from the image acquired by the imaging means. This device has a measuring means for measuring a distance from an object, and a control means for changing a setting for suppressing a sound emitted from an imaging means according to a detection result of a specific animal by an animal detecting means and a measuring distance by a measuring means.

The patent argues that If the need to switch to silent shooting occurs frequently, having to activate it by hand might mean missing the right moment to snap. This technology might soon come to your next Canon camera. Btw, the camera depicted in the patent looks very much like a xxD model. I do not think this means anything, it’s just an image used to discuss the technology. I see this coming to a future EOS R model, maybe already on the upcoming Canon EOS R3?

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

Canon Patent: Improved IBIS For Shooting HDR Photos

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Here we are with another rather interesting Canon patent application: better IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation) for shooting HDR photos.

Canon patent application 2021-089387 discusses how to improve IBIS during automatic exposure bracketing, for instance to take HDR pictures. This is to compensate differences between the single images because of movement. From the patent literature:

The present invention relates to a technique for performing a plurality of times of photographing for acquiring images used for image synthesis while suppressing image blurring of an image.

Background of invention:

In the dynamic range expansion processing of an image signal, for example, a plurality of signals having different output conditions are combined to generate a high dynamic range (hereinafter, also referred to as HDR) image signal. In an imaging apparatus, a photographing for synthesizing a plurality of images having different still image exposure periods is known, and is referred to as HDR photographing hereinafter. Since a plurality of photographing operations are performed in HDR photographing, a time required for completing all photographing operations becomes longer than a time required for photographing 1 images.

When HDR photographing is performed by an imaging device having an image blur correction function for correcting image blur of a captured image due to camera shake or the like, HDR photographing is possible while performing image blur correction. In this case, since it is necessary to perform image blur correction for a long time, a limit of a correction range related to an image blur correction lens (hereinafter, also referred to as a correction lens) becomes a problem. In other words, when the drive control of the correction lens in the imaging optical system is performed on the basis of a detection signal such as camera shake, it is impossible to perform the image blur correction beyond the movable range of the correction lens. Thus, when the image blur correction amount reaches the limit of the movable range (correction stroke limit), no further image blur correction effect is obtained.
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More Canon patents are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Canon Patent: Imaging Sensor Protection Mechanism

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Here is an interesting Canon patent: a mechanism to protect the sensor from dust and dirt while no lens is attached.

Canon patent application P2021-103248A discusses a technology able to protect the imaging sensor of a camera from dust and dirt when no lens is mounted (e.g. while changing lens). From the patent literature:

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pickup apparatus with a barrier mechanism capable of being arranged in a small space while avoiding interference with components other than the barrier mechanism.

When the interchangeable lens is removed from the interchangeable lens type image pickup device (camera), dust may enter the camera through the opening of the mount and adhere to the image pickup element. Therefore, the image pickup device may be equipped with a barrier mechanism that protects the image pickup element by closing the opening of the mount. Patent Document 1 discloses a barrier mechanism configured such that a barrier closes an opening of a mount when the lens is not attached and the barrier is opened by rotation when the lens is attached.

As asobinet.com rightfully notices, the patent is not for a “compact shutter unit”, as wrongfully stated by some sites:

Some overseas information sites misrepresent it as a “compact shutter unit”, but it is just a shutter mechanism for “sensor protection” and a technology to prevent dust from adhering to the sensor when changing lenses. is. The compact sensor barrier seems to be a space-saving design that suppresses interference with other parts.

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

Canon Patent For “Subject Blur Correction” (computational photography)

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Here is anew Canon patent application. Not for an RF mount lens for once but for computational photography.

Canon patent application 2021-96460 (Japan) discusses methods and algorithms to reduce the blur of a photographed subject. The technology automatically detects the subject and corrects blur. From the patent literature (machine translated):

To provide an image blur correction device capable of obtaining an image blur correction effect desired by a user. Since the amount of shake (direction and magnitude of shake) is generally different between “camera shake” and “subject shake”, it is not possible to completely correct both. Therefore, for example, [the patent] discloses a technique for correcting “subject shake” when a subject’s face is detected and correcting “camera shake” when a subject’s face is not detected.

The algorithm can differentiate between a moving subject and a not firmly hold camera, and correct the blur depending by the situation. The amount of correction can be set by the user. More form the Canon patent application:

It is considered that which of “camera shake” and “subject shake” should be corrected depends on the intention of the user (target of interest) in the shooting scene. For example, when the user pays attention to the background, it is desirable that the “camera shake”, which is the shake of the entire screen, is corrected. On the other hand, when the user is paying attention to the main subject, it is desirable that the “subject shake” is corrected. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately control the shake correction target according to the user’s intention that changes with the shooting scene.

Interesting patent application. Expect this technology on your future Canon camera.

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

[via asobinet.com]

Canon Patent: RF 24mm f/1.2, RF 28mm f/1.2 and RF 35mm f/1.2 Lenses

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And yet another Canon patent for RF mount lenses, spotted by asobinet.com.

Canon patent application P2021-92694A (Japan) discusses optical formulas for RF 24mm f/1.2, RF 28mm f/1.2 and RF 35mm f/1.2 lenses for the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless camera system. We think these patents might well go into production.

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

Canon Patent: 83mm f/1.4 For The Canon RF Mount

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And here is another Canon patent for an RF mount lens.

Spotted by Hi Lows Note, Canon patent application 2021-81531A (Japan) discusses optical formulas for a 83mm f/1.4 lens for full frame mirrorless cameras, i.e. for the EOS R camera system.

Embodiment 1

  • Focal length (mm): 82.87
  • F number: 1.45
  • Half angle of view (degree): 14.63
  • Image height (mm): 21.64
  • Lens length (mm): 126.50
  • Back focus (mm): 13.00

Embodiment 2

  • Focal length (mm): 82.86
  • F number: 1.45
  • Half angle of view (degree): 14.63
  • Image height (mm): 21.64
  • Lens length (mm): 128.50
  • Back focus (mm): 17.13

Embodiment 3

  • Focal length (mm): 82.64
  • F number: 1.45
  • Half angle of view (degree): 14.67
  • Image height (mm): 21.64
  • Lens length (mm): 113.70
  • Back focus (mm): 18.16

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