Omnivision and Spreadtrum co-founder Datong (David) Chen has been appointed Chairman of the Board. The company's former CEO and Chairman Shaw Hong now becomes Chairman Emeritus and Chairman of OVT Strategic Development Committee.
IFNews, EEWorld, asmag, IPR: The company files two lawsuits against SmartSens claiming that its security-aimed SC5035 image sensor infringes on Omnivision's Chinese patent ZL200510052302.4.
According to iKnow site, the ZL200510052302.4 is actually a patent family:
Similarly to Omnivision's Nyxel announcement, StartSens too says it has improved IR sensitivity in its SC5035 sensor, but has announced this 6 months earlier, on April 18, 2017:
"SmartSens Technology's near-infrared enhancement is due to its new pixel structure. In the new structure, the electron capture region of each pixel is extended to more fully capture the electrons generated by the near-infrared band photons. This special pixel structure makes the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the near infrared band more than doubled compared with the original technology. At the same time, the new structure of the adjacent photodiode do a deep isolation, reducing the crosstalk between pixels, improve image clarity.
The 5-megapixel SC5035 is the first device in the SmartSens Technology CMOS image sensor lineup with the new technology, and its near-infrared (NIR) band is twice as susceptible to existing products. In the current security monitoring, machine vision and intelligent transportation systems and other applications, the night infrared fill light wavelengths concentrated in the 850nm ~ 940nm near infrared band. So the sensitivity of the near infrared band to enhance, can greatly enhance the product's night vision effect."
SmartSens graph shows 940nm QE of ~30% in 2um pixel, while Omnivision Nixel achieves 40% QE in 2.8um pixel:
SC5035 flyer is available on-line:
Other than SC5035, SmartSens has quite a broad lineup of sensors for security and surveillance applications:
It’s so unexpected that OV sue for these patents. The patent itself could easily got invalid.
ReplyDeleteI afraid we are exposed to only a part of full story here. I'm surprised to see just one SmartSens product in the lawsuit, the one that uses IR enhancement similar to OVT Nyxel.
DeleteMay be the real OVT intent is reaching a cross-licensing agreement where SmartSens gives its IR enhancement patent in exchange for OVT patent in the lawsuit.