The post from the Japanese weblog,
Zuiko-FourThirds あれこれ ("This and that about Zuiko/FourThirds"), contains speculation about what might result from two Olympus patents dated February 4, 2010.
The first patent is for a "wide converter" ( ワイコン
waikon) which performs the opposite function of a tele-converter (テレコン
terekon) by halving the focal length of a lens, so that a legacy lens on an m4/3 camera has its original angle of view. In other words, a 24mm legacy lens performs as a 24mm wide angle rather than a 48mm-e normal lens on m4/3. Or, in the example he uses, an OM 100mm f/2.0 lens with the adapter mounted becomes a 50mm f/1.0 lens.
The writer argues that the patent illustrations suggest the
waikon will only work with 35mm SLR lenses because of the depth required to accommodate the optical elements, thus excluding the use of M-mount lenses.
The speculation about the second patent is more difficult to follow but it seems to be for a (different?) adapter that uses electrical contacts together with the Olympus Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) mechanism to somehow control the helicoid in a manual focus lens so that it can be auto-focused.
It's not clear to me whether the
waikon adapter is for lenses other than those with the Olympus OM mount. He refers to 35mm SLR lenses in general but uses the specific example of an OM lens. Given that Olympus isn't manufacturing OM lenses any more, they probably have nothing to lose by producing multiple versions of the
waikon for different legacy mounts. If they produce anything at all.