Image Sensors at 2016 EI Symposium

2016 IS&T International Symposium on Electronic Imaging to be held on Feb. 14–18 in San Francisco, CA, publishes its preliminary Program. There are many image sensor related short courses and papers:

EI13: Introduction to CMOS Image Sensor Technology
Instructor: Arnaud Darmont, APHESA

A time-of-flight CMOS range image sensor using 4-tap output pixels with lateral-electric-field control,
Taichi Kasugai, Sang-Man Han, Hanh Trang, Taishi Takasawa, Satoshi Aoyama, Keita Yasutomi, Keiichiro Kagawa, and Shoji Kawahito;
Shizuoka Univ. and Brookman Technology (Japan)

Design, implementation and evaluation of a TOF range image sensor using multi-tap lock-in pixels with cascaded charge draining and modulating gates,
Trang Nguyen, Taichi Kasugai, Keigo Isobe, Sang-Man Han, Taishi Takasawa, De XIng Lioe, Keita Yasutomi, Keiichiro Kagawa, and Shoji Kawahito;
Shizuoka Univ. and Brookman Technology (Japan)

A high dynamic range linear vision sensor with event asynchronous and frame-based synchronous operation,
Juan A. Leñero-Bardallo, Ricardo Carmona-Galán, and Angel Rodríguez-Vázquez,
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

A dual-core highly programmable 120dB image sensor,
Benoit Dupont,
Pyxalis (France)

Analog current mode implementation of global and local tone mapping algorithm for wide dynamic range image display,
Peng Chen, Kartikeya Murari, and Orly Yadid-Pecht,
Univ. of Calgary (Canada)

High dynamic range challenges
Short presentation by Arnaud Darmont, APHESA SPRL (Belgium)

Image sensor with organic photoconductive films by stacking the red/green and blue components,
Tomomi Takagi, Toshikatu Sakai, Kazunori Miyakawa, and Mamoru Furuta;
NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories and Kochi University of Technology (Japan)

High-sensitivity CMOS image sensor overlaid with Ga2O3/CIGS heterojunction photodiode,
Kazunori Miyakawa, Shigeyuki Imura, Hiroshi Ohtake, Misao Kubota, Kenji Kikuchi, Tokio Nakada, Toru Okino, Yutaka Hirose, Yoshihisa Kato, and Nobukazu Teranishi;
NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories, NHK Sapporo Station, Tokyo University of Science, Panasonic Corporation, University of Hyogo, and Shizuoka University (Japan)

Sub-micron pixel CMOS image sensor with new color filter patterns,
Biay-Cheng Hseih, Sergio Goma, Hasib Siddiqui, Kalin Atanassov, Jiafu Luo, RJ Lin, Hy Cheng, Kuoyu Chou, JJ Sze, and Calvin Chao;
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. (United States) and TSMC (Taiwan)

A CMOS image sensor with variable frame rate for low-power operation,
Byoung-Soo Choi, Sung-Hyun Jo, Myunghan Bae, Sang-Hwan Kim, and Jang-Kyoo Shin, Kyungpook National University (South Korea)

ADC techniques for optimized conversion time in CMOS image sensors,
Cedric Pastorelli and Pascal Mellot; ANRT and STMicroelectronics (France)

Miniature lensless computational infrared imager,
Evan Erickson, Mark Kellam, Patrick Gill, James Tringali, and David Stork,
Rambus (United States)

Focal-plane scale space generation with a 6T pixel architecture,
Fernanda Oliveira, José Gabriel Gomes, Ricardo Carmona-Galán, Jorge Fernández-Berni, and Angel Rodríguez-Vázquez;
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Instituto de Microelectrónica de Sevilla (Spain)

Development of an 8K full-resolution single-chip image acquisition system,
Tomohiro Nakamura, Ryohei Funatsu, Takahiro Yamasaki, Kazuya Kitamura, and Hiroshi Shimamoto,
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) (Japan)

A 1.12-um pixel CMOS image sensor survey,
Clemenz Portmann, Lele Wang, Guofeng Liu, Ousmane Diop, and Boyd Fowler,
Google Inc (United States)

A comparative noise analysis and measurement for n-type and p-type pixels with CMS technique,
Xiaoliang Ge, Bastien Mamdy, and Albert Theuwissen;
Technische Univ. Delft (Netherlands), STMicroelectronics, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France), and Harvest Imaging (Belgium)

Increases in hot pixel development rates for small digital pixel sizes,
Glenn Chapman, Rahul Thomas, Rohan Thomas, Klinsmann Meneses, Tony Yang, Israel Koren, and Zahava Koren;
Simon Fraser Univ. (Canada) and Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst (United States)

Correlation of photo-response blooming metrics with image quality in CMOS image sensors,
Pulla Reddy Ailuri, Orit Skorka, Ning Li, Radu Ispasoiu, and Vladi Koborov;
ON Semiconductor (United States)
0 Read More

Light Camera Demo

Mashable got a chance to see Light Co's L16 52MP array camera prototype at CES 2016. Few quotes from Mashable impressions:

"On the prototype, the photo stitching took a little while to work and froze. In the end, I didn't get to see how fast it was. When I asked Dr. Rajiv Laroia, Light's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, how long it will take to generate a 52-megapixel image on the final product, he told me they're shooting for under a minute.

That's a long time to wait for a complete image. The Light team is going to try to make the processing as fast and instantaneous as possible, but the company's not promising anything faster than under a minute right now."

"I have to admit, the sample image taken by the L16 looked pretty good with lots of details when zoomed in, but it also looked like it had a lot of image noise."

0 Read More

NVIDIA Presents Deep Learning Automotive Imaging Platform

NVIDIA launches NVIDIA DRIVE PX 2, said to be the world’s most powerful engine for in-vehicle artificial intelligence. DRIVE PX 2 can process the inputs of 12 video cameras, plus lidar, radar and ultrasonic sensors. It fuses them to accurately detect objects, identify them, determine where the car is relative to the world around it, and then calculate its optimal path for safe travel.

The company's Youtube promo video presents the new processor:

0 Read More

Socionext Shipping Dual Camera Image Processor

PRNewswire: Socionext (Fujitsu + Panasonic Semi) introduces “M-12MO” (MBG967) Milbeaut Image Processor. The MBG967, which will be available in volume shipments starting in January, is mainly targeted at smartphones and other mobile applications. It supports dual camera, the latest trend in mobile applications, along with functionalities such as low light shot and depth map generation. The expansion of dual camera capabilities in the mobile camera market has been highly anticipated because dual cameras enable new functionalities previously considered difficult with mobile cameras. These include low light shot, which integrates images from color and monochrome sensors, and the generation of depth maps, which can create background blur comparable to that of SLR cameras.

Main features of the MBG967 include:

Low light shot by dual camera: By integrating the images from color and monochrome image sensors, the MBG967 enables high-sensitivity, low-noise pictures:


High-speed, high-accuracy auto focus supports high speed “Phase Detect AF”, in addition to conventional “Contrast AF”. The MBG967 also supports “Laser AF” which has an advantage in the low light conditions. Its “Super Hybrid AF” utilizes these three AF methods in combination, always allowing faster and more accurate AF in varying conditions:

0 Read More

14nm Ambarella Camera SoC Consumes 2W in 4K 60fps Mode

BusinessWire: Ambarella introduces the H2 and H12 camera SoCs for sports and flying cameras. 14nm process-based H2 targets high-end camera models with 4K Ultra HD H.265/HEVC video at 60 fps and 4K AVC video at 120 fps and includes 10-bit HDR video processing. 28nm process-based H12 targets mainstream cameras and offers 4K Ultra HD HEVC video at 30 fps.

“With the introduction of H2 and H12 we now provide a complete portfolio of 4K Ultra HD HEVC solutions for sports and flying cameras,” said Fermi Wang, President and CEO of Ambarella.

0 Read More

Intel Unveils R200 and ZR300 RealSense 3D Cameras

Intel announces R200 RealSense 3D camera, said to be the company's first long-range depth camera for 2 in 1s and tablets. The new camera is aimed to:
  • 3D scanning: Scan people and objects in 3D to share on social media or print on a 3D printer.
  • Immersive Gaming: Scan oneself into a game and be the character in top rated games
  • Enhanced Photography/Video: Create live video with depth enabled special effects, remove/change backgrounds or enhance the focus and color of photographs on the fly.
  • Immersive Shopping: Capturing body shape and measurements as depth data that is transformed into a digital model enabling people to virtually try on clothes.
The RealSense R200 camera is capable of capturing VGA-resolution depth information at 60 fps. The camera uses dual-infrared imagers to calculate depth using stereoscopic techniques. By leveraging IR technology, the camera provides reliable depth information even in darker areas and shadows as well as when capturing flat or texture-less surfaces. The operating range for the Intel RealSense Camera R200 is between 0.5 meters and 3.5 meters, in indoor situations. The RGB sensor is 1080p resolution at 30 fps.

A number of OEM featurs RealSense R200, including the HP Spectre x2, Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700, Acer Aspire Switch 12 S, NEC LaVie Hybrid Zero11 and Panasonic. The Intel RealSense Camera R200 is supported on all Windows 10 systems that run on 6th Generation Intel Core Processors.

RealSense ZR300 camera is an integrated unit within the new RealSense Smartphone Developer Kit. The Intel RealSense Camera ZR300 provides high-quality and high-density depth data at VGA-resolution of 60 fps. The ZR300 supports Google Project Tango spec for feature tracking and synchronization via time stamping between sensors.

Source: The Inquirer
0 Read More

Himax WLO Adopted in 3D Structured Light Camera

Himax announces that its Wafer Level Optics (“WLO”) laser diode collimator with integrated Diffractive Optical Element (“DOE”) has been integrated into laser projectors for next-generation structured light camera. Himax's WLO systemhas a height of less than two millimeters. The WLO component is then stacked on top of a laser diode to reduce the overall height of a coded laser projector assembly to five millimeters.

Jordan Wu, President and CEO of Himax Technologies says "We are currently collaborating with several major OEMs' product developments using our WLO as our expertise in WLO design and manufacturing enables significant size and cost reduction of coded laser projectors. For example, in an active sensing 3D camera projector, our technology can reduce the size of the incumbent laser projector module by a factor of 9, actually making it smaller than conventional camera modules. This breakthrough allows our WLO collimator to be easily integrated into next-generation smartphones, tablets, automobiles, wearable devices, IoT applications, consumer electronics accessories and several other products to enable new applications in the consumer, medical, and industrial marketplaces."

The WLO laser collimator and DOE will be manufactured by Himax’s Wafer Optics production facility in Taiwan. The first production run for 3D camera applications is scheduled for delivery and sampling by Himax's partners and select
customers in Q1 2016.

Update: GlobeNewsWire: Himax reports "higher-than-expected engineering fees from AR/VR project engagements with both current and new customers."
0 Read More

Heptagon Introduces Next Generation OLIVIA ToF 3DRanger

BusinessWire: Heptagon introduces OLIVIA, a complete ToF system module with an integrated microprocessor, adaptive algorithms, advanced optics, ToF sensor and light source. OLIVIA can accurately measure distance up to 2 meters in normal lighting conditions, compared with other solutions that are only able to reach similar distances in lower lighting. OLIVIA also requires 40% less power when ranging than alternate solutions.

“We’re excited about the advancements OLIVIA brings to the market,” says René Kromhof, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Heptagon. “Our team is moving fast - In less than 3 months from the release of LAURA, our first product, we have introduced OLIVIA, our next generation sensor. With over 20 years’ experience in highly accurate distance mapping and 3D imaging technology, Heptagon is uniquely positioned to innovate and rapidly bring world-class products to market.”
0 Read More

ASUS Releases Secretly Zenfone 2 Memory 128GB

ASUS Releases Secretly Zenfone 2 Memory 128GB - ASUS Zenfone 2 known to have been formally launched in the Indonesian market, which appeared in two models namely Zenfone 2 ZE550ML and Zenfone 2 ZE551ML. And, note there are 3 types in ZE551ML series, with internal memory capacity of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB

ASUS Releases Secretly Zenfone 2 Memory 128GB

But it seems ASUS has Zenfone 2 with a memory capacity larger internal storage, which is 128GB, which is found in the online store Flipkart in India. Sedperti known, ASUS has also officially launched its flagship smartphone Zenfone 2 in the Bollywood country

At Flipkart page, ASUS Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 128GB is priced INR 29 999. For information, in Indonesia the price of a smartphone with the 4GB of RAM memory to 64GB capacity. As a result of difference of about 1.5 million to get the extra capacity of 128GB

Not yet known whether the later Zenfone 2 ZE551ML with 128GB of internal memory will also stop in the Indonesian market. Let's wait, considering the series is known Zenfone 2 will be present in the market starting this May

Source
Asus Zenfone 2
0 Read More

Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera Specifications, Preview, Price

Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera

Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera

Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera - Nikon camera confirmed it will deliver the Android operating system, the Android Gingerbread. Not only do the photo shoot, the Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera, you can explore with a camera that uses WiFi to get connected with Google Play Market. The camera is in the claim candownload any application, including applications MyPicture Town and other photographic applications. With embedded GPS feature in Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera, you can track the location you want. Another feature of this Nikon camera is video recording capabilities with Full HD format, with 8.1 fps continuous shoot, 1.7GB internal memory for photos and video, 600MB for apps. Nikon also pinned a 16 million pixel CMOS sensor, a lens with 10x optical zoom capability, OLED touch screen 3.5 ", and sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200 to support the performance of the Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera. Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera priced at USD349, 95 andwill be available in late September this year.
With the features of the Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera, possible a camera will have the same functionas a mobile phone or other smartphones? At least it is reflected in part in the Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera.

source Techradar
Nikon Coolpix S800c specifications
2 Read More

Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote

By adding the Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote on your iPhone, now you will not experience problems while taking the picture itself and not have to ask for help from others to photograph because everything is controlled by a camera remote on the Belkin LiveAction. With the remote, you can operate or control your iPhone camera from a distance because Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote is supported Bluetooth as a connection to the distance that can about 10 meters (30 ft).

Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote
source Belkin


How to use its? Belkin LiveAction is pretty easy, plug your iPhone into this gadget and place the iPhone in a place that suits your position and click, push the remote button and you can shoot from long distance. Simple.

The size Belkin LiveaAction Camera Remote is small size. Its design resembles a USB pendrive. In addition to taking pictures alias photographing, this tool can be enabled to record video from a distance. The principle works the same as when take a photo. And also, cover the coverof this gadget can work a small tripod.

Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote
source Belkin


Belkin LiveAction Camera Remote is compatible with iPhone and iPod IOS device and the price of this tool is 50 USD.
camera remote
2 Read More

HTC - Verizon Launched DROID Incredible 4G LTE Smartphone

Verizon and HTC just launched the DROID Incredible 4G LTE smartphone with the latest operating system Android, Droid Incredible 4G LTE is a high-end device is incorporated with Verizon LTE .

DROID Incredible 4G LTE
DROID Incredible 4G LTE


HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE uses a display screen 4-inch qHD S-LCD plus and Qualcomm Snapdragon chip SoC S4 ( eq : MSM8960 ), dual -core 1.2GHz Krait and Adreno 225 GPU.

In addition, DROID Incredible 4G LTE specification also includes a 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot, Camera 8MP with 1080p video recording capabilities and LED flash, secondary camera for video calls, with battery 1700 mAh.
As the name suggests, DROID Incredible 4G LTE, uses 4G connectivity, Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n support , Direct , Hotspot , DLNA ) and Bluetooth 4.0 plus the latest NFC. Still have not heard the word FM radio and GSM networks for international roaming, but both are expected to be embedded in it as well. With such capabilities, it is hoped, DROID Incredible 4G LTE using the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, combined with HTC Sense UI v4.0.

For the price, until I write this article, an estimated price of DROID Incredible 4G LTE ranging between $300.
verizon
1 Read More

Western Digital Presents VelociRaptor 1 TB

Western Digital - WD brings his latest hard drive with 1 TB capacity is VelociRaptor. Hard drive with 10,000 RPM is designed for high-performance PCs, Mac computers and professional workstations that require high performance and large capacity. Western Digital VelociRaptor is also claimed to be the choice for PC enthusiasts and professional creators.

Werstern Digital VelociRaptor 1 TB
images: WD Velociraptor 300 GB


In addition comes with a capacity of 1TB, WD VelociRaptor, Werstern Digital also brings a lot of options with a capacity of 500 GB and 250 GB.
Hard drive VelociRaptor 1 TB take advantage of this new enterprise-class mechanics that provide resistance to work for a continuous (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) with a high workload, so VelociRaptor is ideal for professionals who need a creator of the best SATA drive. In addition, WD is also committed to bring the SATA drive with the best and most reliable performance for customers, and the family of WD VelociRaptor drive.

With such capacity, drive WD VelociRaptor 1 TB that recently given the best combination of speed and storage for users who need high-powered hard drive with some excellent features, such as super speed, greater capacity, reliability tough, super cool operation, Rotary Acceleration Feed Forward (RAFF), Technology Ioding NoTouch ramp, and environmentally friendly.

To get the WD VelociRaptor 1 TB, you can directly to distributors, resellers, and e-tailer selected in your city, of course, with warranty for 5 years. For the price of WD VelociRaptor 1 TB is priced at 390 USD, while the version of the 500 GB and 250 GB, each priced at 245 USD and 185 USD.
western digital velociraptor 1 tb
3 Read More

New iPad Is not the Best

New iPad Is not the Best - Not everyone is saying, or maybe you do not agree with the title New iPad Is not the Best in this article. I possessed the view that New iPada is not the best because the main reason is the tablet does not have a quad-core CPU.

In addition to the above reasons and despite exists possess a high resolution 2048 x 1536 pixel display Retina and 5 MP camera to capture pictures 1080p HD and support 4G LTE, but the tablet is also not saving battery power. There was also minus a fast quad core processor as a rival product.



Then what is the comparison with other tablets? Here are some tablets that have a better performance than the iPad, both in terms of processor speed and a lowerprice:

Asus Transformer Pad 300
Asus tablet has a 10.1 inch which is supported by the Android 4.0 operating system. To spur the kitchen Transformer Pad 300 uses quad-qore processor 1.2GHz with Nvidia Tegra 3. This tablet are priced at USD379, 99 has a storage capacity of 32GB and 1GB RAM.

Asus Transformer Pad 300 Tablet has a battery life of up to 10 hours and can be extended up to 15 hours with additional optional Keyboard Dock for USD149. With a dock full keyboard and touch pad, making it function like a tablet laptop devices. Dock keyboard has specific keys for quick access to the tablet functions.

This tablet comes with a weight of 653 grams, has a screen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and adopting Tegra 3 chip. Thus, capable of delivering powerful gaming experience with the ability 12 core graphics of the integrated. Asus tablet has an 8 megapixel rear camera that can capture images at 30 frames per second. Then, pasted to the front of the camera 1.2 megapixel camera.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
Tablets made by Samsung uses the latest operating system Android, Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). But that's just the spokesman delivered without elaborating further.

The new tablet is expected to have a super fast processor, the Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core. Galaxy Tab 10.1 is currently only has a 1 GHz dual-core processor with Nvidia Tegra 2.
In addition to quad-core chip and software ICS, the new tablet has built-in remote control universal. Intelligent Remote feature allows you to switch TV channels or Blu-ray player. Samsung announced that the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be priced at USD400. Galaxy Tab priced at $500 as early as the iPad.

Acer Iconia Tab A510
The tablet is equipped with quad-core 1.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with 1 GB of RAM, screen resolution of 1280 × 800 10.1, rear 5MP camera and 1MP front camera. The tablet has a capacity of 32GB of internal storage via microSD card. Acer tablet has been equipped with the latest Android 4.0 operating system. Acer Iconia Tab A510 is expected to be priced at USD449, 99

Google Nexus Tablet
Google Inc. and ASUS reportedly working on a tablet that's cheap but has a strong performance. Google plans to release a Nexus tablet 7inch is priced at USD149 and$ 249

Unfortunately the Google delayed the launch of a tablet. Google is awaiting some supporting components such as the Nvidia Tegra 3 SoC and DDR2 memory and is expected to fall by mid-year. So that it automatically push the sales price.
tegra 3
2 Read More

Windows Launches Windows RT

Windows Launches Windows RT - Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 8, is still a promise that will be launched at the end of the year. But even this giant software company has given an official name for each version of Windows 8. And what is Windows RT?

There are three main versions of the Windows 8, as quoted from the official Windows team blog. First, the Windows version 8 (plain). Dedicated to the users PC to use the mediocre.

windows RT

The second version is Windows 8 Pro. This version is targeted segments of the business, application developers and technology enthusiasts. Microsoft claimed, many business-friendly features on Windows 8 version Pro, including encryption capabilities, virtualization management, and domain connectivity.

Both Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, running on the computer and the tablet with x86/64 architecture processor (32 bit and 64 bit). For devices with ARM processors are currently in general use for the tablet, it will use Windows 8 RT. This is the official name of the operating system Windows 8 for ARM . RT stands for "Run Time".

In Windows 8 RT, there is a free version of Microsoft Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. This software is optimized for touchscreen. But no software built multimedia for Windows Media Player in this version.

source Kompas Mobile
windowsrt
1 Read More

Panasonic Lumix GF5

Panasonic Lumix GF5 - Panasonic announced a new compact camera is the Panasonic Lumix GF5. The digital camera are claimed to have a complete feature and can enhance the user experience of photography . Panasonic Lumix GF5 comes with the ability of Live MOS 12 MP sensor. Panasonic 's latest camera has the ability interchangeable lens system that allows the user to change lenses as you wish.

Panasonic Lumix GF5
foto: Panasonic Lumix GF5


Panasonic Lumix GF5 camera features include the ability sensitivity settings up to ISO 12800, noise reduction system that includes a combination 3DNR (3D Noise Reduction) and MNR (Multi-Prosess Noise Reduction). The combination can reduce the level of interference, both in the dark and bright images.

In addition, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 camera is also equipped with 3 inch touch screen with 920,000 dot color density. Lumix GF5 can also record full audio video High Definition ( HD ) 1920 x 1080. Panasonic Lumix GF5 camera produce AVCHD video format .. When the user activates the video recording mode, the camera lens focused on an object can be changed at will.

Panasonic Lumix GF5 also has features such as Soft Focus filter, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, One Point Color, Cross Process, Low Key, Toy Effect and Star Filter. In addition, the advanced camera also has smart features such as Face Recognition, Intelligent D-range Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, and Intelligent ISO Control.

Lumix GF5 camera is available in various colors black, white and red. With a price tag of approximately USD599, users get a camera with standard lens 14-42mm zoom. And Panasonic also offers options for the price of USD749 for the camera with power zoom lens 14-42mm. Interested?
panasonic lumix GF5
0 Read More