Fuji organic sensor, Casio circle panorama and Olympus phase detection AF patents
Fuji was granted a patent 8053661 for an organic sensor. Some readers speculated yesterday that this sensor may be used in the upcoming Fuji LX mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. From the patent's summary:
An object of the present invention is to provide an organic photoelectric conversion layer exhibiting high photoelectric conversion efficiency, low dark current and high-speed responsivity, and a photoelectric conversion element and a solid-state imaging device each using the layer.
In an organic photoelectric conversion element, for realizing high photoelectric conversion efficiency, low dark current and high-speed responsivity, the organic photoelectric conversion layer used preferably satisfies the following requirements.
Check also this Fuji PDF file on their organic sensor.
Patent 2011216958 from Casio is about stitching images horizontally and vertically - just like creating a panorama image, but you rotate the camera in a circle in order to capture a wider area of the scene:
Patent 2011193047 from Olympus is about using reflected light from the sensor to achieve phase detection AF (current PEN cameras use contrast AF):
Olympus also filed a patent 2011-227350 for a liquid lens. In the past Samsung and Sony have filed patents for liquid lenses.