Thursday, April 24, 2014

Sony Presents 2nd Generation 13MP Stacked Sensor for Smartphones

Sony presents 13MP IMX214 sensor, already featuring in Oppo Find 7 and OnePlus One smartphones. The 1/4-inch 1.12um pixel IMX214 is said to be "the industry's first 13M-Pixel CMOS image sensor enabling HDR output at 30 frame/s." The new sensor utilizes SME-HDR (Spatially Multiplexed Exposure HDR) technology. It sets two different exposures in a single frame and performs image processing to generate HDR images. A reduced backside optical stack helps to improve the color crosstalk and angular sensitivity over the 1st generation stacked sensor IMX135:

Posted by Vladimir Koifman at 23:10

14 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 12:24 AM

    This is a 1/3-inch format sensor, not a 1/4-inch as stated in your introduction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vladimir KoifmanApril 25, 2014 at 7:32 AM

      I've just copied it from the Sony page linked in the post:

      "•Diagonal 5.867 mm (Type 1/4) approx. 13.13M effective pixels"

      Delete
  2. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 12:56 AM

    Can any one explain the Spatially Multiplexed Exposure HDR?
    The comparison with conventional multi-frame HDR implies this is spatial instead of temporal. However, how it achieve spatial multiple exposure? by some pixels with one exposure and other pixels with different exposure? In this case, how can it output 13M full resolution HDR picture?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 8:14 AM

      Furthermore, in IMX135 page http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201208/12-107E/ which has very similar statement regards 'HDR Movie' as IMX214's SME-HDR. In IMX214 page, it calls IMX135's implement as BME-HDR. I wonder what's is B stands for, and what's the difference between them.

      Delete
    2. LouApril 27, 2014 at 5:42 PM

      An example of spatial HDR (as I undertsand it) can be found at http://www.semicon.toshiba.co.jp/eng/product/sensor/cmos/hdr/index.html#anchor03.
      Linked pages give a nice overview of different HDR implementations.
      The Toshiba feature is also present in the CMOSIS' CMV imagers

      Delete
    3. AnonymousApril 28, 2014 at 4:14 AM

      I'm also wondering about the difference between the SME (IMX214) and BME (IMX135). In 2013 ISSCC's presentation slides, p.16 explained how the HDR was done; and called it "Binning Spatially Varying Exposure". My guess is that later they called this Multiplexed Exposure. Could the B come from the Binning? Or the "Blending" of long exposure and short exposure? Don't know.

      Delete
    4. AnonymousApril 28, 2014 at 8:38 PM

      So, so called Binning Spatially Varying Exposure is more like traditional Spatial HDR, it is reduce the output resolution by binning different exposed pixels. I am interested to see how IMX214 managed to output full resolution in SME.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 4:54 AM

    IMX214 is 1/3 inch, 1/4 inch is IMX219, low cost 8Mp solution.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 5:36 AM

    Does it do OIS?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 7:48 AM

      That's a strange question. A lens and OIS VCM and a suitable controller can "do OIS". A sensor can only do EIS.

      OIS works by moving a lens relative to the sensor to compensate for camera shake.

      Delete
    2. DikoApril 25, 2014 at 2:45 PM

      I would really appreciate some links for self-educating on OIS & EIS.

      Thank you in advance. :-)

      Delete
  5. AnonymousApril 29, 2014 at 3:55 AM

    Sometimes OIS also works by moving the sensor relative to the lens unit to compensate for camera shake.

    ReplyDelete
  6. KotreshOctober 16, 2015 at 6:13 AM

    IMX214 is full frame sensor (36mmX24mm) ? Is it 35mm film sensor ?
    Can we project in a theatre ? Please advise.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Дядя МитричOctober 18, 2016 at 7:34 PM

    FHD 60fps aviable! why not slow mode?

    ReplyDelete

All comments are moderated to avoid spam and personal attacks.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)