Combined MIPI/SMIA 2Gbps IP

Design & Reuse has an article about dual-mode SMIA/MIPI receiver IP, available from Israeli company VLSI Plus. While it's intended for ISP or application processor side, sensor needs a transmitter, it's an interesing read nevertheless. The article presents technical challenges and solutions in MIPI interface designs.

Refocus Features in CNET

CNET: Talking about EDoF technologies, one should mention Refocus Imaging start-up. While not really EDoF, it allows to change focus after the picture is taken. Like EDoF, it also relies on a special lens and an extensive post-processing. However, the final picture resolution is sacrificed for refocus capability. CNET article nicely explains other Refocus features.

Micron Imaging Becomes Independent on March 4

Yahoo: Micron is to launch a new independent identity for its Imaging Business on March 4, 2008. It will also unveil "cutting-edge technology and product initiatives" for DSC and mobile phones. My guess is this will be 1.4um pixel sensor generation, may be combined with EDoF.

Cristel-Loic Tisse Paper on Resolution vs. Quality

Cristel-Loic Tisse from DxO put his EIC 2008 paper on-line:

C.Tisse, F.Guichard & F.Cao “Does Resolution Really Increase Image Quality”, SPIE Proc. of conference on Electronic Imaging, San Jose - US, January 2008.

The paper discusses image quality scaling with pixel size. The main idea is that small pixels designers should solve quite a few chalenges to deliver a real improvement in image quality.

Nokia Reshuffles Its IC Supplier Strategy

Digitimes: Nokia is changing its IC development strategy. According to Digitimes sources, Silicon Touch Technology Incorporated (SiTI), Fitipower Integrated Technology and Weltrend Semiconductor are three design houses that are expected to supply Nokia with ICs for camera lens zoom (?) via module makers.

Nokia Invests in Morpho

Tech-On: Morpho, a developer of software image stabilization technologies for mobile devices, received ¥165M investment from Nokia Growth Partners of Finland, a Nokia Group company.

This was the first time that Nokia Growth Partners has ever invested in a Japanese company. Morpho said this investment followed the fund it received from NTT DoCoMo Inc in October 2007.

Morpho is a venture company formed in 2004 mainly by engineers who graduated from the University of Tokyo. The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Co Ltd also invested in Morpho in September 2004.

Morpho's "PhotoSolid 2.0," a software application to prevent blurring of still images, has been adopted for mobile phones manufactured by NEC Corp, Sharp Corp and Panasonic Mobile Communications Co Ltd thus far. Morpho also handles "MovieSolid" stabilization software for video.

Kodak 1.4um Pixel Sensor Appears in Camera Phones Soon

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Kodak is to start shipping samples of its 1.4um pixel 5MP sensor to prospective customers this spring, with expectations of selling large volumes later in the year. It displayed a prototype of this sensor earlier this month both during a meeting with major investors in New York City and at the 3GSM Mobile World Conference, in Barcelona, Spain.

Omnivision is Expected to Bottom Out

Barron's: Jefferies & Co. analyst Adam Benjamin says Omnivision's fundamentals should bottom in the April quarter. After that, he sees improved seasonality, a mix shift to higher resolution sensors and improving gross margins.

WLP Captures Image Sensors Market

PR.com: Electronics.ca publishes WLP market report. It states that today about 35% of CMOS imagers in latest consumer cell-phone and notebook cameras are encapsulated in a WL-CSP. According to the report, it is forecast the technology could penetrate about 63% of this market as of 2012 as it will progressively widespread from CIF/VGAs to higher resolution image sensors.

Keith Fife Features in CNET

CNET: Keith Fife and his colleagues from Stanford University presented a multi-aperture image sensor on the recent ISSCC. Fife's 3MP prototype divides the pixel array into slightly overlapping 16x16-pixel patches called subarrays. Each subarray has one common microlens - thus the term multi-aperture.

The image differences from one subarray to the next can be used to extract the distance information from the image. Keith also claims other potential advantages, like improved noise filtering.

I don't think this sensor has its market yet, but it's always interesting to see fresh ideas, very different from what others are doing. This is why I like Keith Fife's papers.