Canon Patent Application: IBIS + IS

This patent application was one in which we've been looking for, for what seems like years but probably only has been months.

Canon has stated that IBIS (In body image stabilization) is coming, and more specifically their form of IBIS which also uses lens image stabilization at the same time.

This patent application details how Canon is going to implement IBIS and IS working together, most specifically this deals with how much you can shift the image sensor (IBIS) if the image circle is already shifted because of IS.

In the above diagram we have the important parts that will make up a future camera for Canon.

The important parts noted in the document are 101, which it the image sensor.  In the document it clearly states that this image sensor is movable;

The imaging element 101 is movable in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the imaging optical system 210 (indicated by a broken line in the drawing) by a shift mechanism (not shown).  For example, it is possible to shift in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis or to rotate in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis about the optical axis as a rotation center. In the following description, the case of shifting the imaging device 101 will be mainly described. 

In the lens, part 204 is the lens optical IS, identifying that both the lens has IS and the camera body as IBIS;

The  antivibration lens 204 can be shifted in a direction including a direction component orthogonal to the optical axis by a shift mechanism (not shown ) at the time of antivibration. That is, it may be shifted in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, or may be pivoted about a point on the optical axis. 

So what's this patent application all about?

Canon is worried that when the IS of the lens freely moves the image circle to stabilize the image, that the amount of shift they can perform on the image sensor is more limited because the image circle has changed position.  If they don't limit how much the image sensor can shift, the image sensor could shift too close to the edge of the image circle, and thus have lower image quality.  They want the image circle position communicated between the lens and back to the camera body, so the camera body knows how much it can shift the image sensor.

Japan Patent Application 2019-087937