For a long time, a camera assumed a person would hold it, aim it, and decide when to shoot. Across Canon's patent filings, those three jobs gradually move into the machine.

The camera hangs from the body, follows a subject on its own, revisits preset viewpoints, becomes part of a robot hand, mediates a smart-glasses display, and then sits between the user and reality inside an MR headset.

PowerShot PICK and MREAL are related Canon products, but their one-to-one implementation of the patents discussed here has not been verified.

FIG. 01

Wear the camera around your neck and point it without holding it

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20230319379A1
US20230319379A1 / FIG. 1. A wearable camera puts the imaging unit and illumination on a movable section of a neck-mounted structure.
FIG. 01US20230319379A1
Canon patent drawing of a necklace-style wearable camera with a movable imaging unit.

US20230319379A1 / FIG. 1. A wearable camera puts the imaging unit and illumination on a movable section of a neck-mounted structure.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The camera and illumination unit sit on a movable part of a body-worn attachment, allowing the shooting direction to change without requiring the user to hold a conventional camera.

The patent also discusses remote work assistance, where a worker transmits real-time images and sound to someone elsewhere.

Canon IncFIG. 01
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2022-03-31
PUBLISHED
2023-10-05
PUBLICATION
US20230319379A1
INVENTORS
Kazuki Fujii / Kengo Mori
ORIGINAL
FIG. 02

When the subject moves, the camera turns to keep following

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 17
PUBLICATIONUS20130278778A1
US20130278778A1 / FIG. 17. An installation example for the camera-platform system, where tracking behavior can change with the camera position and scene.
FIG. 02US20130278778A1
Canon patent drawing showing an installation environment for an automatic-tracking camera platform system.

US20130278778A1 / FIG. 17. An installation example for the camera-platform system, where tracking behavior can change with the camera position and scene.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The system detects a subject in the captured image and controls the camera platform and zoom to continue tracking it. It can also define areas where tracking should not occur.

Canon's PowerShot PICK likewise offers automatic subject tracking and PTZ movement, but we did not verify this patent as its direct implementation.

Canon IncFIG. 02
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2012-04-19
PUBLISHED
2013-10-24
PUBLICATION
US20130278778A1
INVENTORS
Kenji Kagei
ORIGINAL
FIG. 03

A network camera patrols preset viewpoints by itself

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 2A, FIG. 2B
PUBLICATIONUS20160134801A1
US20160134801A1 / FIGS. 2A–2B. Pan and tilt mechanisms let the camera change direction across a wide range.
FIG. 03US20160134801A1
Canon patent drawing of a pan-tilt network camera mechanism.

US20160134801A1 / FIGS. 2A–2B. Pan and tilt mechanisms let the camera change direction across a wide range.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The network camera can pan and tilt, including embodiments with effectively endless horizontal rotation, and the description discusses cyclic movement among registered monitoring positions.

Instead of someone continually aiming the camera, the camera revisits the places it has been told to watch.

Canon IncFIG. 03
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2014-11-11
PUBLISHED
2016-05-12
PUBLICATION
US20160134801A1
INVENTORS
Satoshi Ashitani
ORIGINAL
FIG. 04

Put stereo cameras beside the fingers of a robot hand

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20140046486A1
US20140046486A1 / FIG. 1. A replaceable end effector combines gripping or tweezer work with stereo measurement.
FIG. 04US20140046486A1
Canon patent drawing of a robot arm with a replaceable hand or tweezer tool incorporating stereo cameras.

US20140046486A1 / FIG. 1. A replaceable end effector combines gripping or tweezer work with stereo measurement.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The robot arm can attach a replaceable hand or tweezer tool that includes stereo cameras for measuring the three-dimensional position of a workpiece.

The camera gives the robot's hand a sense of position.

Canon IncFIG. 04
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2012-08-08
PUBLISHED
2014-02-13
PUBLICATION
US20140046486A1
INVENTORS
Toshihiko Mimura / Takashi Arai
ORIGINAL
FIG. 05

The robot waits until its hand is steady enough, then decides when the camera should shoot

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20100312393A1
US20100312393A1 / FIG. 1. A camera and velocity sensor on the robot hand let the system capture a work image as soon as motion settles within the required accuracy.
FIG. 05US20100312393A1
Canon patent drawing of a robot arm with a camera and velocity sensor mounted near the robot hand.

US20100312393A1 / FIG. 1. A camera and velocity sensor on the robot hand let the system capture a work image as soon as motion settles within the required accuracy.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

A camera and velocity sensor sit near the robot hand. The robot finds a workpiece from the captured image and grasps it, but it does not simply wait for the arm to become perfectly still before taking that image.

The patent allows capture once camera velocity and position fall below preset thresholds. That reduces blur without wasting time, turning the shutter decision itself into part of the robot's control loop.

Canon IncFIG. 05
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2009-06-03
PUBLISHED
2010-12-09
PUBLICATION
US20100312393A1
INVENTORS
Yuichi Someya
ORIGINAL
FIG. 06

When smart glasses look at a watch, the AR display gets out of the way

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20220291887A1
US20220291887A1 / FIG. 1. Camera-equipped smart glasses cooperate with a smartwatch and can hide or reduce AR/MR content when another device needs to be seen.
FIG. 06US20220291887A1
Canon patent drawing showing camera-equipped smart glasses wirelessly linked to a smartwatch.

US20220291887A1 / FIG. 1. Camera-equipped smart glasses cooperate with a smartwatch and can hide or reduce AR/MR content when another device needs to be seen.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The smart glasses include a camera that captures objects in the user's viewing direction and communicate wirelessly with another portable device such as a smartwatch. When the other device needs attention, the glasses can hide or reduce the AR/MR display.

The camera helps the wearable decide when digital content should yield to something physical in the user's field of view.

Canon IncFIG. 06
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2021-03-09
PUBLISHED
2022-09-15
PUBLICATION
US20220291887A1
INVENTORS
Tsuyoshi Kaneko
ORIGINAL
FIG. 07

Four cameras sit on the front of a headset before reality reaches your eyes

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20230099286A1
US20230099286A1 / FIG. 1. Separate stereo cameras capture the real scene and estimate the headset's position and orientation.
FIG. 07US20230099286A1
Canon patent drawing of an MR image display device with stereo imaging and alignment cameras.

US20230099286A1 / FIG. 1. Separate stereo cameras capture the real scene and estimate the headset's position and orientation.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The device places left and right imaging cameras alongside left and right alignment cameras. Real imagery can be combined with 3D computer graphics and then presented through the headset optics.

Canon sells MREAL mixed-reality products, but we did not verify this publication as the direct patent for a particular MREAL model.

Canon IncFIG. 07
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2021-09-29
PUBLISHED
2023-03-30
PUBLICATION
US20230099286A1
INVENTORS
Marina Kitakami
ORIGINAL
FIG. 08

The same virtual object can be shown differently to different people

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 3
PUBLICATIONUS20230054805A1
US20230054805A1 / FIG. 3. Four HMD users, one virtual car, and the different MR images shown to each participant.
FIG. 08US20230054805A1
Canon patent drawing of four HMD users sharing a mixed-reality space around the same virtual car.

US20230054805A1 / FIG. 3. Four HMD users, one virtual car, and the different MR images shown to each participant.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

When one user gives an instruction concerning a virtual object, the system can determine how that object should be displayed to another user and choose the corresponding viewpoint.

Canon's MREAL platform supports multi-user 3D collaboration, but no direct implementation link to this publication was verified.

Canon IncFIG. 08
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2021-08-19
PUBLISHED
2023-02-23
PUBLICATION
US20230054805A1
INVENTORS
Wenjing Li
ORIGINAL
FIG. 09

During a livestream, the camera keeps recording evidence that the footage has not been altered

SOURCE FIGURESFIG. 1
PUBLICATIONUS20240205033A1
US20240205033A1 / FIG. 1. Hashes are generated at intervals during live distribution and registered for later authenticity checks.
FIG. 09US20240205033A1
Canon patent drawing of a live-video authenticity system linking an image pickup apparatus, distribution site, management system, and blockchain.

US20240205033A1 / FIG. 1. Hashes are generated at intervals during live distribution and registered for later authenticity checks.

Drag to pan when zoomed. Use + / − to zoom, 0 to fit, arrow keys to pan, and Alt + arrow keys for the previous or next FIG.

What is it?

The camera generates hash values from live distribution data at predetermined intervals and sends them with timing information to a management system, which can register the information in a blockchain.

The camera's job expands from capturing what happened to producing evidence that the captured stream has not been falsified since generation.

Canon IncFIG. 09
ASSIGNEE
Canon Inc
PRIORITY
2022-12-19
PUBLISHED
2024-06-20
PUBLICATION
US20240205033A1
INVENTORS
Daiyu Ueno
ORIGINAL

AFTER THE FIGURES

The camera stops being only a tool for taking pictures and becomes a sensor machines use to understand the world

At first, the change is simply physical: the camera leaves the hand, tracks the subject, and changes its own direction.

Inside robots, the purpose changes. The camera measures where an object is, guides a hand, and even decides when motion has settled enough to capture a useful work image. In smart glasses, it also helps the display get out of the way when the user looks at another device.

The MR and authenticity patents extend that role again. Cameras become the gateway through which a user sees augmented reality, and eventually the device also records evidence that its live imagery has not been altered.

SOURCES

Primary sources

  1. US20230319379A1 — Wearable camera
  2. US20130278778A1 — Automatic tracking apparatus
  3. US20160134801A1 — Image pickup apparatus and control method thereof
  4. US20140046486A1 — Robot device
  5. US20100312393A1 — Robot with camera
  6. US20220291887A1 — Wearable terminal device, control method, and system
  7. US20230099286A1 — Image display device
  8. US20230054805A1 — Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium
  9. US20240205033A1 — Image pickup apparatus capable of guaranteeing authenticity of content distributed in real time while photographing
CanonCamerasRoboticsWearablesMixed RealityAutomationComputer VisionContent Authenticity

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