Canon Patent Application Roundup: Various DSLR Improvements

A variety of patent application hit the published list this Thursday that, after some reflection, I thought they deserved some mention.

However, they are all grouped together under small camera improvements that may never make a spec sheet but make the operation of your future cameras better.

Japan Patent Application 2018180187

This patent application deals with contrast detect AF systems.  While most of the study with AF systems lately deal around Dual Pixel AF sensors, some of Canon's cameras that rely on Sony sensors (such as the GX 1" sensor series compacts) rely on contrast detect, so improvement in this area is still advantageous.

This patent deals with improving AF speed when it's a major defocus event using contrast detect.  Major defocus happens when the amount of blur at where you want to focus is so large it's impossible for the system to determine how to drive the lens to get focus.

On Canon, cameras, that's usually when your lens racks in and out attempting to discover focus.

Japan Patent Application 2018180140

This patent deals with the dust prevention aspect of the sensor and improving the sensor vibrating to remove objects from the sensor.

Japan Patent Application 2018180312 and 2018180313

These two patents deal with improving the grips of what appears to be Canon's rebel cameras, and also keeping the costs low for improving the grip.  Reading through the application indicates to me actually that far more thought goes into this than I had ever expected.

Japan Patent Application 2018180138

This patent deals with providing an onboard flash on what appears to be a DSLR.  The patent seems to be improving a light guide that detects the amount of flash to the control circuits inside of the camera body, making the flash unit smaller and thus making it possible to make the camera body in that area, smaller.