TrueImaging Start-Up Company

Another image sensor startup just came to my attention: TrueImaging Technology (San Jose, CA). It offers "unique "analog-free" ultra high dynamic range CMOS Image Sensors for cell phone cameras and multi-megapixel digital cameras". Its "patented technology enables superior image quality with better edge precision in sunlight conditions and vastly improved clarity in low-light conditions. TruImaging raises the bar above all the other analog-based image sensor players by bridging the quality/cost gap -- providing high CCD quality at low CMOS cost and low CMOS power consumption."

Here is what TrueImaging site says about its technology:

TruImaging's patented oversampling technology is critically strategic to cell phone camera OEMs and ODMs -- because it directly overcomes the "limitation of electrons" when cell camera pixel size needs to scale from 4um down to 3um and below. This is a physical limitation for all the analog-based conventional Active Pixel Sensors (APS) and CMOS approaches scaling to multi-megapixel cell cameras (1, 2, 3MP).

As focal plane resolution increases and lower frame rate (with longer integration time) is required for low light conditions with reduced photo diode sensitivity, output data rate is a serious problem for all analog readout players where noise bandwidth increases proportionally to the amount of data being transmitted. TruImaging addresses the noise sources by being digital at the pixel level with oversampling. TruImaging overcomes the "limitation of electrons" by effectively increasing well capacity, which increases signal and signal-to-noise ratio, which reduces the effects of shot noise and KTC noise -- beyond all other approaches. More light capability means better image quality.

TruImaging Technology provides unsurpassed ultra high dynamic range and significantly increased sensitivity necessary for low light level performance. This translates into "Day/Night Vision", "Indoor/Outdoor", "In the sun/out of the sun", flashless cell phone cameras... affordably.

• Integrated digital conversion on focal plane for digital cameras.
• Analog to digital conversion is at each pixel. Thereby, eliminates all analog electronics for improved reliability and reduced cost. No precision analog or trim to fit components are used.
• 100% pure digital circuitry implementation of analog to digital function with no analog ADC circuitry.
• Proven to be extremely low power compared to all other focal plane design methods.
• Exceeds the capabilities of analog and other digital approaches in linearity, dynamic range and signal to noise ratio.
• Uses generic CMOS logic manufacturing process.
• SoC integration friendly.

However, the investor page on its site does not name any, while the news page promises to exhibit products within a year. The site design is dated by 2004, however there is no products exhibited yet. The site does not name people behind the company.