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Wireless charging has become a standard in flagship smartphones, but like so many other technologies, the camera world seems a bit behind. Canon seems interested in changing that though if a recent patent application is any indication.
United States patent application 10,375,639 B2 details the schematics for a wireless charging setup that uses a combination of a power mat and a compatible device to offer wireless charging capabilities. The patent doesn’t limit the device being charged to cameras, but does explicitly say ‘the electronic apparatus [being charged] can be an imaging apparatus.’
According to the patent application text, the mat would be able to detect when a camera is present via near field communication (NFC) and adapt the power output to match the required power of the camera unit while also monitoring the temperature to prevent overheating.
It’s not clear whether Canon would rely on a pre-existing wireless charging standard, such as the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi standard, but considering Qi’s ubiquity, it’s likely to be the case. Of course, there’s always the possibility this patent application never sees the light of day, so don’t get too excited.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)