ST Licenses DxO Digital Optics

To complete a day of AF announcements, there is another one from DxO Labs and ST:

"DxO Labs today announces a licensing agreement and a strategic cooperation with STMicroelectronics to develop and bring to market breakthrough imaging sensors and camera modules featuring DxO Digital Optics, a revolutionary embedded imaging technology.

A new generation of STMicroelectronics imaging modules will feature full auto-focus functionality without any motor or moving parts, enabling DxO Digital Optics fixed lens optics to deliver sharp images from a very short distance to infinity. The resulting products will initially target the high-end mobile imaging market (3 and 5 Mpix camera modules).

DxO Digital Optics Digital Auto-Focus Extended Depth-of-Field Priority (or DxO Digital Optics DAF EDoF Priority) is just one of the implementations enabled by DxO Digital Optics technology which is based on a unique co-design of optics and image signal processing. For cameraphone vendors, this digital auto-focus solution is a more efficient alternative to traditional mechanical actuator-based auto-focus. It acts instantaneously, drastically shrinks module size, significantly reduces power consumption, and contributes to substantial cost reductions while providing better image quality even in very low light conditions.

One of the hot features long sought by cameraphone vendors is Extended Depth-of-Field (EDoF). Unlike traditional actuator-based auto-focus which tends to deliver limited depth of field, DxO Digital Optics DAF EDoF Priority provides a uniformly sharp image from the foreground to the background.

“Extending the depth of field of fixed focus high resolution camera modules while preserving image quality and keeping costs down is the dream of our industry. DxO Labs, with DxO Digital Optics, has definitely the right technology to achieve this goal,” says Philippe Quinio, STMicroelectronics' Imaging Division Marketing Director.

“We are very pleased to work with STMicroelectronics on DxO Digital Optics auto-focus-enabled products,” adds Jerome Meniere, CEO of DxO Labs. “Recognized by the industry for their mastery of the entire embedded imaging chain, from silicon sensors to fully tested modules, STMicroelectronics is a great partner with whom to bring such advanced full camera module solutions to market.”