Microsoft and Canon penned a patent cross-licensing deal, authorizing both companies to each other’s patent portfolios, primarily involving certain mobile and digital-imaging patents.
The companies have previously shared a relationship for select R&D and now they have taken it to the next level by joining forces to integrate each other’s capabilities in their future products. The inking of the deal as perceived by the tech community is that Microsoft’s Windows devices with PureView can get even more impressive with Canon camera technologies.
Canon’s intellectual property manager Hideki Sanatake said in a statement that the agreement is just an extension of the companies’ longstanding relationship.
With the acquisition of Nokia, Microsoft has reportedly turned its interest towards the hardware front. Notably, Nokia’s latest devices such as Lumia 1020 and Lumia Icon had camera technology using high-resolution sensors coupled with appropriate apps to give users a professional camera experience.
The apps on these devices let users change the combination of frames for different pictures and also eliminate some of the unwanted objects from the frame while focusing on the subject to create animated images without fiddling around with the options.
Considering that Nokia has worked with Carl Zeiss to incorporate special lenses for its Windows based devices, Microsoft may want to continue and improvise the device range along the same lines as patents and technology from Canon could bring about revolutionary changes in the current camera technologies available in the devices.
The company has spared all details for later and Microsoft has only revealed that the deal covers certain digital imaging and mobile consumer products. The financial details of the deal still remain in the dark. However, it remains to be seen how Canon will benefit from the software capabilities of Microsoft for its cameras.
