New Canon Patent : Variable Curved Image Sensor

Canon has patented a new curved image sensor design. What makes this design interesting and perhaps revolutionary is, the curvature of the sensor varies with the focal length.

Of course, this is a very early stage design concept and curved sensor is not new. Will have to wait and see if Canon can make any meaningful improvement in image quality out of this new patent.

New Canon Patent - RGBW 12 Image Sensor

The Japanese photography blog, Egami reported another new Canon patent for an RGBW 12 sensor array. Canon has been busy working on different designs, including curved image sensors.

New Patent Details  

• Release date 2016.12.8
• Application date 2015.4.15
• RGBW 12 array
• Generate resolution data and color data, synthesize resolution data and color data, upconvert, process with mosaic processing (Bayer conversion), demosaic order

Below is the Google translation of the article from Japanese. You can review the new Canon US Patent by clicking on the link below.

US 20160309130 A1

• Apparatus, system, and signal processing method for image pickup using resolution data and color data

"The color array adopted by major manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Ricoh, Pentax, etc. is basically Bayer.

Using a special color array image pickup device as is, Fujifilm it will have X-Trans CMOS of. The X-Trans array increased the proportion of G pixels and increased the resolution efficiency.

Resolution efficiency of 100% of the imaging element is Foveon It is. By the way, I feel somewhat uncomfortable in the medium introducing sd Quattro as about 40 million pixels and sd Quattro H as about 50 million pixels. Each output Jpeg seems to be about 20 million pixels and about 25 million pixels, but since Foveon's resolution efficiency is twice that of Bayer, it is such a notation.
There are also many other 3MOS and RGBE arrays, clear bid CMOS sensor and so on.

Canon of the patent application is of RGBW12 sequence consisting of a total of 16 pixels of 4 pixels and 12 W pixel of RGGB imaging element is. It seems that the proportion of W (G) pixels per unit area is larger than Bayer and X-Trans, and high brightness resolution seems to be obtained.

X-Trans and Canon of the patent application will be to the low color resolution than Bayer, but the human eye is so high reaction to the luminance resolution than the color, it would not be a big problem. Foveon (Merrill generation) is a 100% resolution efficiency of both brightness and color resolution, but it does not have good high sensitivity performance. Canon patent application appears to only have a special array of existing CMOS sensor, high sensitivity performance is also a good idea.

Pictures finally obtained are affected not only by the color arrangement but also by lens performance and image processing. Special image pickup device because the camera using some may feel a bit uncomfortable blurring, image processing is where I hope to improve as long as the cause. Canon seems patent application is supposed to complex image processing, it is what you want to expect a high degree of perfection picture."

New Canon Patent - Curved Image Sensor

* * *  Another new patent from Canon - Electronic Curved Sensor  * * *

The Japanese photography blog, Egami, reports that Canon is developing and patenting curved sensor designs. The research is to understand better how light falls off the sides of the image sensors. They can learn a bit from Samsung as well, which has pioneered curved monitors and HDTVs for a few years now.

Patent Publication No. 2016-197663 (Google Translated)

• Published 2016.11.24
• Filing date 2015.4.3
• The central portion of the light falloff is not noticeable to the flat shape
• The periphery light falloff is noticeable a curved shape

Sony Is Purchasing Toshiba's Image Sensor Business

Sony has been on a roll lately with their sensor manufacturing business and they have a lead in full frame mirrorless cameras as well. Their Alpha 7 line of cameras received some good reviews. Leica recently announced their full frame SL mirrorless camera to join the competition. I reported in my earlier post Samsung had ceased their camera operations in both Germany and the United Kingdom. They are in the process of exiting other countries as well.

Rumor has it Nikon may be in the process of buying Samsung's mirrorless business, including sensor manufacturing. Samsung has 'officially' denied this but do you really expect them to admit it before any deal is signed and sealed? If true, Nikon is certain to bring out their own full frame mirrorless camera. Nikon is the smallest of the big three camera manufacturers. They have been very dependent on Sony for their sensors. Purchasing the Samsung operations and partnering with them will help tremendously in their mirrorless ambitions.

Sony is expanding their image sensor operations and is purchasing Toshiba's sensor manufacturing business. They have signed Definitive Agreements for the transfer of Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities. Below is their press release announcement.

Tokyo, Japan, December 4th, 2015 -- Based on the memorandum of understanding entered into between Sony Corporation ("Sony") and Toshiba Corporation ("Toshiba") on October 28, 2015, the parties today announced that they have signed definitive agreements to transfer to Sony and to Sony Semiconductor Corporation ("SCK"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony, certain Toshiba-owned semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment and related assets in its Oita Operations facility, as well as other related equipment and assets owned by Toshiba (the "Transfer").

Under the agreements, Toshiba will transfer semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment and related assets of Toshiba's 300mm wafer production line, mainly located at its Oita Operations facility. The purchase price of the Transfer is 19 billion yen. Sony and Toshiba aim to complete the Transfer within the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, subject to any required regulatory approvals.

Following the Transfer, Sony and SCK plan to operate the semiconductor fabrication facilities as fabrication facilities of SCK, primarily for manufacturing CMOS image sensors.

The parties expect to offer the employees of Toshiba and its affiliates employed at the fabrication facilities to be transferred, as well as certain employees involved in areas such as CMOS image sensor engineering and design (approximately 1,100 employees in total), employment within the Sony Group, upon the completion of the Transfer.

Ever wondered how a camera sensor works? Take a look at the video below. It gets a bit pedantic but for those who have a curious mind, check it out.

Canon Testing Third Party Full Frame Sensor

* * *  Read the latest post on Canon's full frame mirrorless camera  * * * 

There is a rumor floating around today that said Canon is evaluating another company's full frame sensor against their own and perhaps even consider getting out of the sensor business. My answer to the first part of the speculation is, why would that constitute photography news? Tell me something I don't know. The answer to the second part is, absolute rubbish.

Almost all big manufacturing companies, like the automotive industry for instance, evaluate their competitors' products, to see if they are ahead or behind, and perhaps seek areas of co-operation and possible joint ventures to cut down on costs.

The full frame sensor company in question here is, of course, Sony. They are the only other company with the engineering resources and manufacturing expertise to interest Canon. It will not be a earth-shattering event for Canon to use another company's sensor on their lower end cameras like the Rebel or Powershot models, like they did with the Powershot G7X. And yes, Canon will be in the sensor manufacturing business for a long time to come. Just look at what they have announced recently at the Canon Expo 2015 show, among them, a 250MP sensor. The upcoming EOS-1D X Mark II and EOS-5D Mark IV cameras will have new Canon sensors on them.

Canon Patent - New Sensor Technology

From a translated article, Egami, the Japanese photography website reported Canon has patented a process to expand the dynamic range of the pixels in a new kind of sensor by providing the high and low pixel transmittance. Other sensor manufacturers are using ND filters to increase the sensitivity of the sensor but Canon's new patent adds an attenuation film of polysilicon between the filter and the photodiode.

There is little doubt Canon is working hard on a new kind of sensor, perhaps to go with their planned introduction of the MegaPixel camera next year.

Patent Publication No. 2014-175553

• Published 2014.9.22
• Filing date 2013.3.11 

Canon patent

• Optical attenuation film is arranged by polysilicon over the photoelectric conversion portion
• Transmittance of light depends on the optical attenuation film is its thickness, thickness varies depending on the pixel
• Small pixel transmittance is, the opening area is small
• RGB any of the color filter
• Transmittance R