Canon Ranks 5th in U.S. patent rankings for 33 years running and 1st among Japanese companies for 14 years running

TOKYO, January 8, 2019 - Canon Inc. ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2018, becoming the only company in the world to have ranked in the top five for 33 years running, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. What's more, Canon once again ranked first among Japanese companies.

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

Canon U.S. patent rankings 2005–2018

Year       All  Japan # of patents
2018 3rd 1st 3,056
2017 3rd 1st 3,285
2016 3rd 1st 3,665
2015 3rd 1st 4,127
2014 3rd 1st 4,048
2013 3rd 1st 3,820
2012 3rd 1st 3,173
2011 3rd 1st 2,818
2010 4th 1st 2,551
2009 4th 1st 2,200
2008 3rd 1st 2,107
2007 3rd 1st 1,983
2006 3rd 1st 2,366
2005 2nd 1st 1,829

Note : Number of patents for 2016 to 2018 are based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2015 are based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Canon promotes the acquisition and application of intellectual property rights, not only for fundamental technologies required for next-generation products, but also such technologies as the wireless communication and image compression technologies shared by next-generation social infrastructure. Canon contributes to the realization of technology that serves society by continuing to provide even better products, greater convenience and by contributing to the development of manufacturing.

New Canon Patent - Reversible Lens With Two Mounts

A                                                         B

Egami, the Japanese photo blog has uncovered another Canon patent. It involves a lens with double mounts, one on each end. The objective is apparently to increase the magnification of the lens. Below is a Google translation of the literature into English.

I am not sure how useful this new patent will be but tinkering gives Canon's engineers valuable time in the laboratories for research and development into new products and technologies.

Patent publication number 2016-206568

• Release date 2016.12.8
• Application date 2015.4.28
• Canon patent
• Reversibly attachable lenses
• Reverse attachment detection switch
• Switch control according to installation position

(A) shows the mount on the rear side of the lens, (b) shows the reverse mount on the front side of the lens

By attaching a wide angle lens in reverse and attaching it to the camera, you can obtain the magnification higher than the general macro lens by using in combination with the bellows. In the past, adapters such as reverse attachment and bellows were abundant, and since the lens was not electronically controlled, it was possible to freely control the aperture and focus.

Recently, however, if you reversely attach, the number of lenses that neither diaphragm nor focus will move is increasing.

Canon I of the patent application seems to be on both sides of the lens providing the electronic contacts. In this way it will be possible to control both aperture and focus, so it may be easy to enjoy high magnification.

As estimated from the filing date of the patent, though it was considered in the development of the EF-M 28 mm f/3.5 Macro IS USM, the reverse proposal would have been dismissed. EF-M 28 mm f/ 3.5 Macro IS USM has realized the magnification of 1.2 times (about twice as much as 35 mm format conversion), and users who need more magnification will adjust their shooting facilities on their own.

It seems unnecessary to commercialize the reverse application function in patent application. Somehow, EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS USM seems to be designed to be conscious of reverse attachment.

New Canon Patent Discovered For a Curved Sensor

Egami, the Japanese photography blog has uncovered a new Canon patent for a curved image sensor. According to translated patent literature :

"an optical system which makes an object image image on an imaging surface of the image sensor. A driving means which incurvates an imaging surface of the aforementioned image sensor, a control means which controls the aforementioned driving means and incurvates the aforementioned image sensor so that it may become the curvature according to curvature-of-field aberration and a photographing condition of the aforementioned optical system."

Patent Publication No. 2016-173496

• Published 2016.9.29
• Filing date 2015.3.17
• However, generally a dark current is generated by the image sensor, especially since the time of or during long exposure sensitivity is sometimes noise due to dark current are noticeable, various noise reduction process is performed. On the other hand, the imaging surface imaging element is curved in the imaging element curved dark current generated by the imaging device is known to be reduced by the tensile stress.

Canon patent

• Curving the imaging surface drive means
• Driving means magnetic force

Curvature

• Curvature of dark current noise is reduced
• Curvature priority to the correction of the curvature of field aberration

Canon Patent - Cinema EOS CN-E 30-160mm f/2.8 LS Lens

Egami has uncovered another new Canon patent for a Cinema EOS CN-E 30-160mm f/2.8 LS lens, made especially for Super 35 sensors.

Description of the patent literature

• Patent Publication No. 2015-230449
• Published 2015.12.21
• Filing date 2014.6.6
• Zoom ratio 2.86
• Focal length 70.00 118.30 200.00
• F-number 2.80 2.80 2.80
• Half angle (in degrees) 12.52 7.49 4.45
• Image height 15.55 15.55 15.55
• Overall length of the lens 277.01 277.01 277.01
• BF 44.72 44.72 44.72

Canon Patent - EF-S 18-100mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Egami, the Japanese photography blog, has discovered a new Canon patent for a EF-S 18-100mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. Of course not all patents make it to the market but Canon has been very active in filing patents and is expected to announce more EF and EF-S lens this year.

Patent Publication No. 2016-1224

• Published 2016.1.7
• Filing date 2014.6.11

Example

• Focal length 18.59 47.22 94.99
• F-number 3.60 4.92 5.88
• Half angle of view (degrees) 36.31 16.14 8.18
• Image height 13.66 13.66 13.66
• The total lens length 137.78 158.04 178.30
• BF 35.39 52.79 64.61

Canon Patents Top All Japanese Companies 11 Years In A Row

TOKYO, January 14, 2016 - Canon Inc. again ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2015, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services on January 13, 2016.

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

Canon U.S. patent rankings among Japanese companies 2005–2015

Year Ranking* # of patents
2015 1st (3rd)   4,134
2014 1st (3rd)    4,055
2013 1st (3rd)    3,820
2012 1st (3rd)    3,173
2011 1st (3rd)    2,818
2010 1st (4th)    2,551
2009 1st (4th)    2,200
2008 1st (3rd)    2,107
2007 1st (3rd)    1,983
2006 1st (3rd)    2,366
2005 1st (2nd)   1,829

* Number in parenthesis represents Canon’s ranking among all companies
Note : Number of patents for 2015 based on preliminary figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2014 tabulated by Canon based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Canon prizes its corporate DNA of placing a high priority on technology. And with regard to research and development results, the Company actively promotes the acquisition of patent rights in accordance with the management direction of the Canon Group and technology trends while conducting thorough pre-application searches to raise the quality of applications. Through close cooperation between Canon’s technology and intellectual property divisions, the Company aims to improve its technological capabilities while further enhancing its intellectual property rights.