Patent: Canon 5 Layer UV, IR, RGB Sensor

[Canon Rumors]

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A patent showing a 5 layer image sensor from Canon has appeared. UV and IR layers help with color reproduction especially for skin tones.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_rumours.html" target="_blank">Keith at Northligh</a>t has this to add about the patent: <em>“The pixel structure above, shows a BSI design (back illumination), but obviously no pixel structure. Extending the range of light response to UV and IR would cause issues for current lens designs, but the idea of more than three colour primaries is not new, although it would require a major re-write for support from RAW converter software.”</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/5-layer.gif"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16786" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/5-layer-575x341.gif" alt="5-layer" width="575" height="341" /></a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #444444;">Patent Information (Google Translated)</span></strong></p>
<ul style="color: #444444;">
<li>Patent Publication No. 2014-103644
<ul>
<li>Publication date 2014.6.5</li>
<li>Filing date 2012.11.22</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon patents
<ul>
<li>I get the visible light</li>
<li>I get the ultraviolet light</li>
<li>I get the infrared light</li>
<li>I want to extract the skin area</li>
<li>The skin region of visible light, I will correct the image from the difference of the skin area of ​​ultraviolet light</li>
<li>Signal value of the infrared light is regarded as the skin area, the high part</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-06-27" target="_blank">EG</a>] via [<a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_rumours.html" target="_blank">NL</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[Lee Jay]

This is likely to mean very near IR and very near UV, and thus existing lenses would be okay. Far UV would be removed by the glass, as would far IR. While it's likely true that CA would increase as you go away from green, I doubt it would matter for this use.

 

[Don Haines]

very interesting....

BTW, those posters who claim Canon has a lack of innovation... comments please?

 

[Max ☢]

Don, this is going to be really a meaningfull innovation when an actual product will hit the shelves ... untill then this remains only a patent.

 

[bvukich]

Don, this is going to be really a meaningfull innovation when an actual product will hit the shelves ... untill then this remains only a patent.

It still represents a commitment to R&D, which is important. But not everything you throw at the wall sticks.

 

[Click]

Very interesting information. 8)

 

[Max ☢]

This is surely a strong commitment to R&D, and I really like the idea - but all innovations remaining in Canon's lab do not benefit the consumer and for this reason I think this is not meaningful for us, the users. So, untill this hits the shelves in the form of an actual product, this remains only a patent.

 

[keithcooper]

Purely coincidence of course ;-)

...but a week or two before the 7D was announced, there was a Canon multi-layer patent, which was apparently related to the dual layer one that appeared in the 7D as its metering sensor.

This was the patent image and the colour dual layer one is from the 7D launch info

both from my original 7D page
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_7d.html

 

[mackguyver]

Purely coincidence of course ;-)

...but a week or two before the 7D was announced, there was a Canon multi-layer patent, which was apparently related to the dual layer one that appeared in the 7D as its metering sensor.

Keith, thanks for the great info as always, and I'm curious, how does the 7D metering sensor compare to the 1D X metering sensor?

 

[nostrovia]

I want to extract the skin area

I love it when machines are able to absolutely nail the translation.

With this type of sensor, could one extract information from each layer separately? Could I get a "normal" shot, then tweak a buttons on the back of the camera or few sliders in lightroom and get an IR image?

 

[keithcooper]

Purely coincidence of course ;-)

...but a week or two before the 7D was announced, there was a Canon multi-layer patent, which was apparently related to the dual layer one that appeared in the 7D as its metering sensor.

Keith, thanks for the great info as always, and I'm curious, how does the 7D metering sensor compare to the 1D X metering sensor?

The 1Dx says "252 zone from 100,000-pixel RGB AE sensor"
The 7D just says 'dual layer 63 zone'

I've never seen more details about the 1D X

The 5D3 does say though "iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer sensor" which would suggest that the 7D metering chip went into the 5D3 but something more went into the 1D X

 

[preppyak]

I love it when machines are able to absolutely nail the translation.

I'm also a fan of this

I get the visible light
I get the ultraviolet light
I get the infrared light

ALL YOUR LIGHT ARE BELONG TO ME!

 

[NancyP]

This is quite interesting. I wonder what bandpass filters they will use on the sensor? I am assuming this would not be the equivalent of a full-spectrum conversion on an existing sensor, in which the bandpass filter is swapped with a clear filter of equal thickness. My 60D is still "at risk" ;D for mods, should the 7D2 come out and I decide to "replace" the 60D for regular APS-C (wildlife) shooting. The major implication is a serious disruption to many people's workflow, while the third-party software companies (Adobe, Capture One, DxO, etc) make a serious addition to their RAW conversion algorithms to accommodate the new sensor. That alone would be one reason why a new sensor would premiere in a mid-level camera. Pros, most of whom use something other than DPP, can't be bothered to wait around while Adobe etc get on this. The workflow disruption can be somewhat annoying for amateurs as well. I shoot Sigma Foveon files (DP#M series) x3f and these can only be processed in the Sigma SPP program and in Iridient Developer. I am currently using the Sigma program to make global adjustments, and then exporting tiff files to other software (LR, Pano, etc) for local adjustments, because there aren't good local adjustment tools in the Sigma program. PITA.

 

[Jan]

Ya... nice. Please, Canon: announce the f*ckin camera.
And announce the T6i featuring the same sensor too, please.

 

[CANONisOK]

ALL YOUR LIGHT ARE BELONG TO ME!

Nice.

 

[dadgummit]

I wonder if this could eliminate the need for IR conerted cameras? Maybe with this sensor you could only record the light from one of the layers.
I know this is a small market and not at all likely the original point of the sensor but it could potentially be a happy side effect.

 

[mackguyver]

I wonder if this could eliminate the need for IR conerted cameras?

IR converted cameras are a niche item, but IR surveillance cameras are a huge market!

Purely coincidence of course ;-)

...but a week or two before the 7D was announced, there was a Canon multi-layer patent, which was apparently related to the dual layer one that appeared in the 7D as its metering sensor.

Keith, thanks for the great info as always, and I'm curious, how does the 7D metering sensor compare to the 1D X metering sensor?

The 1Dx says "252 zone from 100,000-pixel RGB AE sensor"
The 7D just says 'dual layer 63 zone'

I've never seen more details about the 1D X

The 5D3 does say though "iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer sensor" which would suggest that the 7D metering chip went into the 5D3 but something more went into the 1D X

Thanks, and I guess it's a mystery to all of us...

 

[Meh]

Don, this is going to be really a meaningfull innovation when an actual product will hit the shelves ... untill then this remains only a patent.

It still represents a commitment to R&D, which is important. But not everything you throw at the wall sticks.

Fully agree. It shows Canon is working on next generation sensors. On the other hand, real products matter and many large tech companies file a lot of patents defensively so that no one else can develop a product and then sit on the technology rather than invest in developing real products.

 

[Meh]

Does the comment from Northlight that the patent doesn't show any pixel structure make sense? If it's a layered (Foven type) sensor then there wouldn't be any "pixel structure" per se.

 

[Lawliet]

This is likely to mean very near IR and very near UV, and thus existing lenses would be okay. Far UV would be removed by the glass, as would far IR.

Very near would be enough to solve for example the purple/violett problem, i.e. colors that would be represented as a red/blue blend in RGB, but due to being of shorter wavelength then blue only register on those blue sensor cells and shift colors.