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:

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 optical filters might get new and improved coating, patent application

Optical Filters
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Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227774 describes methods and technology to reduce light reflection on optical filters.

Patent application abstract (machine translated):

To provide an optical filter, a light quantity adjusting device, and an optical device having an excellent light reflection preventing effect.
A fine structure provided on the multilayered film, wherein the microstructure is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a matrix so that incident light from the outermost surface of the fine structure A microstructure surface having a fine uneven structure equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light at an interface between the multilayer film and the microstructure, and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and the transparent substrate The relationship between the phase of the reflected light at one interface with respect to the incident light from the interface between the fine structure and the multilayer film and the phase of the reflected light at the other interface between the interface and the interface And a light reflection preventing structure having an anti-phase relationship in which they cancel each other out.

If I got it right, light reflection is reduced by applying a multilayered film with an extreme fine structure on the filter glass, a structure that’s “equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light”.

Other interesting Canon patent applications that might go into production:

Japanese patent applications can not be linked. To learn more about this or other Japanese patent applications use this site and the number of the patent application (e.g. 2017-227774)

Future Canon tilt-shift lenses may have image stabilisation, patent application suggests

Tilt-shift
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Canon might experimenting with the idea to feature image-stabilisation on the company’s future tilt-shift lenses.

Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227697 describes the implementation of image-stabilisation technology in tilt-shift lenses.

A patent application filed by a company doesn’t necessarily mean the technology described in the patent application will hit the market any time soon. Patents are a way companies have to protect their intellectual property and research.

Some patent applications that in our opinion might indeed go into production are these:

Canon tilt-shift lenses on Amazon.

Canon patent for a new EF 24-105 f/4 lens

Canon Patent
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Another Canon patent. An optical formula for a EF 24-105 f/4 lens has been filed by Canon.

The mere fact that Canon (or any other company) makes a patent application for an optical formula (aka lens) does not mean you will see this lens anytime soon. Patents are primarily a way for companies to secure their research. Very few of the many Canon patents you are seeing on the net will ever make it into production.

However, we spend a lot of time to search for patents that might go into production. I think the following patents have a fair chance to be implemented in upcoming Canon cameras:

The patent we are featuring today has a very little chance to go into production in my opinion. However, it’s Canon research so we will feature it. Also, note that there is no image stabilisation in this optical formula.

Canon patent US20170374291 describes the optical formula for an EF 24-105 f/4 lens, a classic and widespread focal range for full-frame cameras. Nothing really new. The patent may apply to a lens Canon already made.

The abstract:

Provided is a zoom lens, including, in order from an object side, a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, a negative fourth lens unit, and a positive fifth lens unit, in which an interval between each pair of adjacent lens units is changed during zooming, in which the second lens unit moves during focusing, and includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative lens, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens, and in which a focal length of the second lens unit, a thickness of the second lens unit on an optical axis, a refractive index of a material of the positive lens included in the second lens unit, and an average value of refractive indices of materials of the negative lenses included in the second lens unit are each appropriately set.

Again, a patent application does not mean that the described technology will go public soon. Patents are in first place a way for companies to secure their research. What they throw to the market is another story.