This week Nikon published two new patents describing a Canon similar Dual Pixel AF technology and time of flight tech (similar to new Sony sensor). This autofocus system would be used on future mirrorless cameras.
The google translated patent says this:
There is known a time-of-flight (TOF) measurement method for measuring a distance to an object by receiving reflected light of light irradiated to the object (for example, Patent Reference 1). When measuring the distance to the object by such a method, it is difficult to obtain the image of the object at the same time.
It has a set part which sets up the range which detects a focusing state from the information about the exit pupil of the aforementioned imaging optical system, and the information about the aforementioned pixel for focus detection, and a transmission section which transmits the information about the aforementioned range set up by the aforementioned
