Canon Patent Application, JP 2023-149423 was published October 13, 2023. The patent provides faster autofocus with improved prediction of moving subjects between frames for both video shooting and stills shooters.
To provide a control device capable of performing highly accurate AF control when performing frame addition.
JP, 2023-149423
We did find a section that indicates the is for stills hybrid cameras like the Canon EOS R1, and that is in reference to live view.
According to the imaging plane phase difference AF, it is possible to perform focusing at high speed and with high accuracy in a case where a user performs imaging while viewing a live view image generated by the imaging system.
JP, 2023-149423
The following artefact was included in the patent filing and shows the level of communication between the different processing units. The units in the diagram are conceptual and not logical as many of them occur in the same processing unit.
The camera calculates the image shift shift between frames before sending commands to the lens to make the appropriate adjustments. The speed and efficiency of this process is what provides a high speed focus between frames.
The patent doesn't reference the Canon EOS R1, but no patent ever calls out a particular camera. The patent is written as broadly as possible so the technology can be applied to many products allowing the to monetize should other companies infringe.
This improvement is likely to be implemented in the up coming Canon EOS R1 and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II.
