McCann Imaging Site

I've bumped into an interesting site McCann Imaging with video lectures and papers on HDR imaging, low-light color processing and other ISP issues. Quite recent presentations from Electronic Imaging 2008 conference are on-line too. Many thanks to Mary and John McCann, the owners of the site!

MIPI IP Core from Mixel

Chip Design Magazine runs a story about MIPI interface mentioning a complete mixed-signal IP core MXL-PHY-MIPI from Mixel as the first available MIPI IP that includes both the analog and digital DPHY blocks. The IP is designed in TSMC and Chartered 0.13um LP processes.

ST Licenses Dblur's EDoF, Abandons DxO's?

EETimes France: ST Micro and Israeli developer of EDoF technology Dblur have striked a collaboration agreement to develop a 3.2MP 1.75um sensor.

ST also plans to use other Dblur software lens technologies including wide apertures (low F#) to improve low light performance and low-profile lens (up to 30% less depth) for both fixed focus and AF camera modules and future wafer-scale optics and assembly technologies.

Now it's not clear what happens with a year old license of DxO Lab's EDoF (another link to EETimes Europe article). It looks like something is wrong with DxO EDoF solution, if ST has decided to switch after a year of efforts.

Yahoo reports that Dblur also announced a stand-alone EDoF chip, PA-DB3615SA. The chip is manufactured by SMIC and supports sensor resolutions up to 3.2MP. Its mass production is to start in May 2008.

Micron Adds 2MP Sensor to its 1.75um Family

Yahoo: Micron announced 1/5" 2MP SoC sensor. Nothing unusual about this new sensor, it seems that Micron is just filling the gaps in its 1.75um sensors lineup.

The new sensor fits in 6.5 x 6.5 mm camera module.

Omnivision Enters 1.75um Pixel Mass Production

Yahoo: Omnivision announces start of mass production of its 1st generation 1.75um pixel based sensor, the 3MP OV3640. This announcement comes more than a year after Micron and Samsung announced their MP start.

Omnivision also reports about multiple tier one handset makers design wins with this sensor.

Omnivision Presents 1/13" VGA Sensor

Yahoo: The new OV7690 SoC sensor uses announced yesterday 1.75um OmniPixel3-HS pixels coupled with non-linear microlens shift. The sensor fits into camera module of just 4.5 x 4.5 x 2.8mm.

The OV7690 comes in a newly developed chip scale package (CSP3) which is said to improve device reliability and reduce system height.

The OV7690 is currently available for sampling, with expected volume production in Q3 2008.

Omnivision Improves 1.75um Pixel Sensitivity

Yahoo: Omnivision announced OmniPixel3-HS architecture, which incorporates a new pixel design that doubles the sensitivity of its 1.75um OmniPixel3 architecture to 960mV/lux-second.

OmniPixel3-HS is a symmetric pixel design that eliminates color shading across the image plane. It has low stack hight and improved QE. It's claimed to have an improved low-light sensitivity and lower noise in all lighting conditions.

"Our R&D team engaged in a focused effort with technology partner TSMC to move more advanced design rules into the current 0.11-micron image technology to support this new pixel architecture," said Howard Rhodes, OmniVision's Vice President of Process Engineering. "OmniVision has systematically analyzed the performance of over 100 different pixel designs over 100 different process variations to arrive at the OmniPixel3-HS design. The result is an OmniVision proprietary image technology that doubles the sensitivity of our first generation OmniPixel3 1.75 micron pixel."

Great work, Howard and the team! I always believed in your capabilities.

Omnivision Integrates EDoF onto Sensor Chip

Yahoo: Omnivision claimed a mobile handset industry first with the introduction of the OV3642, a 1/4-inch, 3MP SoC sensor with TrueFocus embedded on-chip. As I recall, Magnachip announced DxO EDoF integration a year ago, but it's certainly first such solution for Omnivision.

The OV3642 is built with OmniVision's new OmniPixel3-HS technology which is claimed to be double the sensitivity (960mV/Lux-sec) of other manufacturers' 1/4" 3MP SOC sensors. TrueFocus keeps focus from 20cm to infinity, both stills and video. The OV3642 also has AF support so it can be used in camera designs with fixed focus, TrueFocus and AF.

The Omnivision's sensor fits in a "biggish" 8.5mm by 8.5mm socket, while most of the competitors use 8mm by 8mm packages.

The OV3642 speed is 15fps in full resolution transferred over either a two lane MIPI interface, or a traditional parallel interface. It also has JPEG compression, OTP memory and ISP functions.

The OV3642 is currently available for customer sampling with volume production is expected in Q3 2008.

€141M "MINimage Programme"

EduBourse: The aim of the "MINimage programme", which represents overall expenditure on R&D of €141M spread over four years, is to perfect a new generation of micro-cameras for mobile phones. The programme, which is being implemented in association with Saint-Gobain, Varioptic, DxO Labs, French research bodies and small businesses, is coordinated by the ST Micro group.

France intends to grant the aid of €70 million to the MINimage programme. The EU Commission decided that the state subsidy would not have any lasting damage on rivals because it was small compared to overall research spending in the sector. Even if the project manages to create a breakthrough, ST Micro would only see market share increase by a few percentage points, the EU said.

EETimes Europe adds that CEA, the National Institute for Computer Science and Control (INRIA) and the Hubert Curien Laboratory are among the participants in the program.

Jean Monet University defines the program objectives:

"The principal innovations of the MINIMAGE program aim at the miniaturization of optics and the mechanics of focus, the increase in the definition and in the sensitivity of the detectors, and the improvement the algorithms of treatment and analysis of images, embarked in a specialized processor.

The MINIMAGE program aims to develop technological bricks very innovating, in particular: detectors with higher definitions (5 to 8 million pixels); optics with liquid lens and digital lens for a miniaturized and robust autofocus; a process to do a collective assembly of modules integrating the sensor and its optics; a heart of processor flexible and optimized for the image processing."

From Saint-Gobain's site:

"Saint-Gobain Flat Glass has joined forces with STMicroelectronics (a leading name in the semiconductors industry), two mid-sized businesses and four research centers on the MinImage project, to develop innovative microcamera processes for mobile phones. On December 21, 2006, the go-ahead came through from AII, the industrial innovation agency that will be contributing to project funding of €69.9 million over four years. On this project, Saint-Gobain is supplying complex glass micro-lenses that combine optical features such as thin-film-deposited optical diaphragms, shutters and IR filters."

Varioptic and Sunny Launch 3MP Camera Module

Sunny Optics, Zhejiang (China) and Varioptic, Lyon (France) announce the launch of a second liquid lens auto focus camera module – CCM-8312B. Sunny’s CCM-8312B uses Omnivision OV3640 3MP sensor coupled with Sunny’s optics and Varioptic’s Arctic liquid lens. At 8.5 x 8.5 x 6.7 mm, the camera module is one of the smallest 3MP AF camera modules in the market.

It's not clear whether this module is in production, samples or technology demo stage.