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Albert Theuwissen continues his "How to Measure MTF" series of articles. The latest part discusses MTF measurements at different wavelengths.

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Himax investor presentation reveals a cooperation with ST and plans to start a mass production of 2x2 and 4x4 array cameras in Q2 2014:

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TechCrunch: Google Street View team reports that its recent text and street numbers recognition algorithm can be successfully used for solving CAPTCHA puzzles widely used on the web to determine a human versus a spam bot. The algorithm has been presented in a paper at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR).

I have a feeling that this algorithm has leaked outside Google, as starting from about Sept. 2013 the amount of spam comments in this blog has grown dramatically. On same days, per each real comment I get 10 spam ones, in spite of CAPTCHA protection.

Google algorithm recoginizes this with 99.8% accuracy

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iFixIt teardown of Google Project Tango 3D camera revealed that it uses Primesense's recent Capri PS1200 SoC and its IR illuminator projects a familiar structured light dot pattern:

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EETimes: Yves Faroudja presents a layered way to improve the video compression efficiency at NAB. He adds a new pre-processor layer, prior to a standard encoder such as H.264, HEVC, or MPEG 2, and post-processor (after compression decoding). "We take an image and simplify it; and that simplified image goes through the regular [standards-based] compression process," Faroudja explains. "But we never throw away information." This additional information is inserted in what Faroudja calls a "support layer." This compresses signals not used in Faroudja's so-called simplified image. Together with the decompressed simplified image, the support layer helps reconstruct the original image in full resolution and at 35-50% reduced bit rate at the same quality.

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Imec published a brochure about its image sensor services offerings: "Imec offers services ranging from development-on-demand,
over prototyping, to low-volume production." Imec has 200mm and 300mm image sensor fabs with 65nm, 90nm and 130nm processes, including an extensive image sensor toolbox:

• Specific substrate (HR-Silicon, thick or graded dopant epi)
• Pixels (3T, 4T, trench isolation, embedded CCD pixels in CMOS)
• BSI processing
• Hyperspectral filters
• Special ARCs (CMOS compatible)
• Stitching / Butting capabilities for large area imagers
• Micro-bumping, 3D integration with TSVs
• Capability to develop dedicated pixel technologies (e.g. for SPADs).
• Organic imagers (polymer photo diodes & full imagers)

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Lightfield Forum reviews Panasonic patent application on high resolution light field imaging. The US20140078259 "Light field image capture device and image sensor" by Masao Hiramoto, Yasunori Ishii, and Yusuke Monobe proposes to place microlens behind the photosensitive layer, rather than in front of it like in most other light field imaging approaches. This promotes the Panasonic-Fujifilm organic sensing layer possibilities:


The control layer 1b switches the light reflected from the layer 1c between the 1st and 2nd image capturing sessions:

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Business Wire: ON Semiconductor announces a new PYTHON CMOS image sensor family based on 4.8um global shutter pixels. With resolutions of 300K, 500K and 1.3MP respectively, the PYTHON 300, 500 and 1300 feature in-pixel CDS (ipCDS) - global shutter with CDS in a relatively compact pixel size. The new PYTHON pixel combines a read noise of less than 9 e-, with 7.7 V/lux sensitivity and frame rates as high as 850fps (VGA format). A highly configurable sequencer also allows designers to tailor the sensor operation to the exact needs of the application, including support for fast on the fly updates to the sensor configuration. The sensor's operation is supported across the -40°C to +85°C industrial temperature range.

The new VGA, SVGA and SXGA are the first three sensors in the PYTHON family, with additional higher resolutions planned for release in the near future. All are pin-to-pin compatible with one-another and with the existing VITA1300 image sensor.

"With our new PYTHON image sensors we provide a cost-effective, high performance solution that will address the needs of the growing number of image sensing applications across a range of end markets," said Thad Smith, Director of the Image Sensor business unit at ON Semiconductor. "PYTHON offers an image sensing solution that not only provides appealing levels of speed without compromising image quality, but is also configurable and flexible enough to provide simple integration across multiple resolutions."

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Rambus PCT application WO/2014/055391 "Conditional-Reset Multi-Bit Read-out Image Sensor" by Thomas Vogelsang, Michael Guidash, Song Xue, and James Harris talks about a version of the old idea to expand DR by resetting pixel each time its signal value crosses a threshold during the integration time: "If the pixel signal exceeds a sampling threshold, the photosensitive element is reset. During an image capture period, digital values associated with pixel signals that exceed a sampling threshold are accumulated into image data."

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EETimes Europe publishes an article on how the automotive power circuit for image sensor is built. Nothing unusual there, looks more like an application note. The authors tried to adapt the sensor power to 25mVpp noise coming from a switched regulator. The camera is based on Aptina 1.2MP sensor.

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Imaging Resource publishes an interview with Foveon's GM Shri Ramaswami explaining resolution enhancement claims of the latest Foveon Quattro sensor. Basically, the reason is that the top high resolution layer is "blue-heavy" rather than blue:


"You can see that the top layer is blue-heavy, but it's not blue. The next layer is green-heavy, but it isn't green. The bottom is red-heavy. None of these is just red, green, or blue -- that really allows you to do something very interesting. So this is fundamentally a pretty smart way to keep your information, but at the same time, reduce the whole load on the system, because these things are not pure colors. It may sound counterintuitive, but it actually allows you to separate out very cleanly all the detail information -- as we call it -- from the top layer, and understand where the color detail comes from. In other words, it allows us to actually get back what was apparently lost." Regarding the possibility to enhance resolution with a pure RGB sensitivity, Shri responds "It would be impossible then, without that correlation, to do this."

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Sony patent application US20140084138 "Solid-state image sensor, method for the same, and electronic device" by Takashi Machida is quite similar to few other global shutter pixel proposals. I wonder if this patent will be ever granted:

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Omnivision patent application US20140084135 "Backside-Illuminated Photosensor Array With White, Yellow ad Red-Sensitive Elements" by Gang Chen, Duli Mao, Hsin-Chih Tai proposes to use different PD depths in BSI sensor to get pixels sensitive to white (PD extends all the way to the backside), Yellow, and Red (shallow PD). I'm not sure what are the advantages of this approach, but it's a simple and nice idea:

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Smithers Apex, the organizers of Image Sensors Conference in London, UK, now offer two more conferences:

Image Sensors Americas, to be held on September 9-11, 2014 at Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, USA. Confirmed speakers include Masahiko Koyanagi, UX Specialist, Huawei, Japan and Satoshi Miyazaki, Hyper Suprime-Cam Project, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Japan. The program will cover plenoptic cameras, gesture control, medical imaging, automotive and broadcast cameras.

Image Sensors Automotive to be held on June 17-18, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Brussels - Le Palace, Belgium. Speakers confirmed from: Euro NCAP, BMW, Continental, Ficosa, SmartSurv Vision Systems, Valeo Vision Systems, Texas Instruments, Yogitech, Aptina, OmniVision, Toshiba, Melexis, aSpect Systems, Alain Dunoyer (SBD), DxO Labs.

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PR Newswire: Sony new Alpha 7s full-frame DSLR features a new 12MP sensor capable to shot 4K 30fps video from entire sensor area with no binning or skipping. An official Youtube video talks about the new sensor's improved sensitivity and DR:

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Albert Theuwissen announces the 2nd Imaging Forum, to be held on Dec. 11-12, 2014. The subject of the second forum is "Advanced Digital Image Processing". The audience is strictly limited to 28 people, to stimulate the interaction between the participants and speaker(s). The speaker(s) will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Sony publishes some data showing its semiconductor manufacturing capacity, as of Feb. 6, 2014. A part that relates to image sensors production:

Production Capacity (per month):

• CMOS Image Sensor - 60M units
• CCDs - 12M units

Image sensor fabs:

• Japan:
  Sony Semiconductor Corporation Nagasaki TEC (CMOS Image Sensor)
  Kagoshima TEC (CCD Image Sensor)
  Kumamoto TEC (CCD&CMOS Image Sensor)
• Overseas:
  Sony Device Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (CCD&CMOS Image Sensor assembly)

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Sharp publishes a catalog with its CCD and CMOS sensors and camera modules roadmap. The high resolution part of it is shown below:


Looks like 1-inch optical format becoming popular (Sony, Aptina, and now Sharp):

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Gigaom reports that the recent Google's $3.2B acquisition, Nest, halts the sales of its Protect smart smoke alarm due to a flaw in its gesture-based user interface. Users were supposed to be able to pause the alarm by waving at it. However the alarm could be unintentionally turned off also by some other types of movement, so that if there is a fire and the alarm is going off, a nearby movement could falsely pause it. Nest's Youtube video shows how the gesture control was supposed to work in a correct way:

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Invisage files SEC form for round D investment on March 25. The company intends to raise $30M in this round, of which it has raised $17,832,709 so far.

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Chipworks publishes more details about Galaxy S5 primary camera.The 16 MP ISOCELL image sensor with 1.12 µm pixel has phase-detection pixel pairs distributed across nearly the entire active pixel array. This marks the smallest phase detection pixel generation Chipworks has seen and only the second time they have seen on a BSI sensor (Toshiba was first @ 1.4 µm). Chipworks says: "The presence of phase detection pixels also implies the use of a back aperture grid (with the phase detection pixels being half-masked). The use of an aperture grid would also be a first for Samsung (based on our analysis)."

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Business Wire: ON Semiconductor has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Truesense Imaging, a former Kodak image sensor business. The acquisition of Truesense Imaging complements ON Semiconductor’s image-sensor business by expanding its technology portfolio and adding more than 200 new customers. Under the terms of the agreement, ON Semiconductor will pay approximately $92M in cash to acquire Truesense Imaging.

"The pending acquisition of Truesense Imaging is a step towards our stated strategic goal of expanding our presence in select segments of the industrial end-market," said Keith Jackson, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor. "With the acquisition of Truesense, we will augment our abilities to deliver a broad range of high-performance image sensors to the industrial end-market and at the same time significantly expand our customer footprint. I am excited about the growth opportunities the combination of the two companies presents in the high-performance imaging market."

"ON Semiconductor is an ideal strategic fit for Truesense as we share a common vision for expanding the capabilities of high-performance sensors used in the world’s most demanding imaging applications," said Chris McNiffe, CEO of Truesense Imaging. "This combination enables us to leverage our technology base and four decades of imaging expertise with ON Semiconductor’s R&D, manufacturing and global logistics infrastructure. We are very excited to join the ON Semiconductor organization and to enable new growth opportunities for both our customers and our employees."

Based on unaudited results, Truesense Imaging’s revenue for 2013 was approximately $79M with gross and operating margins of approximately 44% and 23%, respectively. Truesense Imaging will be incorporated in ON Semiconductor’s Application Products Group (APG) business group. The transaction has been approved by ON Semiconductor’s and Truesense Imaging’s boards of directors and is anticipated to close before the end of Q22014, subject to required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Market Wired publishes a PR of Platinum Equity, the current owner of Truesense: "This is a textbook example of the value Platinum Equity's approach can provide many different stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of an investment," said Platinum Equity's Jason Leach, who led the initial acquisition. "First we provided a divestiture solution to a seller in need as Kodak confronted a difficult period of restructuring. We then executed a complex carve out with minimal disruption and established the business as an independent company that has thrived under our stewardship, to the benefit of Truesense customers, suppliers and employees. We have now found a new home for Truesense that we believe is a perfect fit."

Thanks to MD for the info!

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Business Wire: Aptina re-targets the previously announced 1-inch 4K AR1011HS sensor to security and surveillance markets. The AR1011HS is a 10.8MP image sensor based on a large 3.4µm DR-Pix pixel (84dB DR according to web site, 66dB according to flyer). At full-resolution, the AR1011HS offers 60fps video, nearly double that of competitive sensors, while jumping to 120 fps for 1080p HD mode. For cameras with a smaller optical format, Aptina introduces another previously announced sensor, the 1/2-inch 18MP AR1820HS, too capable of 4K video. The AR1820HS offers a summing mode that jumps the SNR by 6dB in 1080p videos while lowering the overall operating power.

"Arecont Vision is pleased to be the first to demonstrate the Aptina AR1011HS 4K image sensor in an ultra-high definition (UHD) IP security camera," said Raul Calderon, SVP at Arecont Vision. "Our newest 4K camera utilizing the Aptina AR1011HS is a high-performance addition to our portfolio of megapixel imaging technology that will help us continue to lead the market in professional security applications and products."

"Aptina will continue to innovate imaging solutions for surveillance customers," said Sandor Barna, CTO at Aptina. "Delivering full resolution and 4K video in a variety of optical formats allows surveillance developers to increase the image quality, improve the overall reliability and lower the total cost of ownership of their security solutions."

Aptina AR1011HS 1-inch, 10.8MP sensor.

AR1011HS Block Diagram

1/2-inch AR1820 video modes

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Design & Reuse: Pyxalis announces that it has been using Cortus APS cores in multiple image sensor designs. The processors offer the possibility to integrate more application-specific image processing functions such as auto-white balance, auto-exposure control, etc.

"By using Cortus processor cores we have been able to offer our customers very flexible sensor operation enabling a lot of different modes depending on the applications", says Philippe Rommeveaux, CEO of Pyxalis. He adds, "Cortus processor cores, with their small silicon footprint, complement our Pyxalis IP allowing us to efficiently deliver designs for different market segments".

"We are honoured to be chosen by Pyxalis for their high performance image sensors", says Michael Chapman, CEO and President of Cortus, "Their approach of adding intelligence close to the sensor is an emerging trend in the industry. Using a processor core not only offers programmability to end users, but helps the Pyxalis design team efficiency by making derivative designs easier to implement".

To date over 500 million devices have been manufactured containing Cortus processor cores.

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PR Newswire: OmniVision launches two new CameraChip sensors for high-end security and surveillance applications. The OV5658 and OV10823 offer improved light sensitivity, HDR and wide FOV.

"Driven by a transition in mid-range security and surveillance cameras to HD resolutions, high-end systems are quickly adopting even higher-resolution image sensors that can support features such as facial recognition and biometrics, on top of excellent scene reproduction," said Raymond Wu, president at OmniVision. "With this in mind, we're bringing to market two highly competitive imaging solutions, designed to deliver extremely clear high-resolution video with wide FOV. The combination of these benefits ensures detailed scene reproduction and improved video analytics processing for automated security systems."

The 1/3.2-inch 5MP OV5658 features 1.75um OmniBSI+ pixel and is capable of full-resolution 5MP video at 30fps or 1080p or 720p HD video at 60fps, or at 30fps with extra pixels for EIS. The 1/2.6-inch OV10823 uses 1.4um OmniBSI-2 pixel and is able to capture full-resolution 10.5MP video at 30fpa and ultra-high-resolution 4K2K video at 30fps. With a form factor of 7.63 x 5.98 mm in chip scale packaging (CSP), the OV10823 is said to be the security industry's smallest image sensor capable of recording 4K2K video.

The OV5658 is available in volume production. The OV10823 is currently sampling, with volume production expected to begin in the second quarter of 2014.

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A "Special Section on Advanced Image Sensor Technology" is now published in ITE Transactions on Media Technology and Applications (MTA) Vol. 2(2014) No. 2. Professors Shoji Kawahito and Jun Ohta served as an Editor-in-Chief and a Secretary of the special section, respectively. The 200-page MTA publication, full of interesting image sensor papers, is open access, and everyone can read it free of charge.

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OmniVision launches the OV6211, said to be the world's smallest global shutter sensor for applications such as notebooks, tablets, mobile phones, wearable electronics, gaming devices and security systems. The OV6211 can be used for gesture recognition, eye tracking, depth and motion detection, as well as biometrics. The OV6211 captures 400 x 400 (square) resolution video at 120 fps consuming 85mW power.

The OV6211 features a 3um OmniPixel3-GS global shutter pixel. The sensor features two low-power modes: light sensing mode and ultra-low power mode. In light sensing mode, the OV6211 wakes up from "sleep mode" only when a change in light has been detected. In ultra-low power mode, the sensor reduces resolution and frame rates to conserve additional power. These two features allow the sensor to be used in "always on" mode while consuming very little power.

The 1/10.5-inch OV6211 fits into an ultra-compact 3.2 x 3.2 mm chip-scale package (CSP3). The sensor is currently in volume production.

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PR Newswire: Plastic Logic and ISORG were jointly awarded the IDTechEx Product development award at the Printed Electronics Show in Berlin. This award was for their jointly developed flexible image sensor which also won the Flexi Award at Flextech, Phoenix, USA in February. The flexible sensor demonstration, which is only a fraction of a millimeter thick (~150 microns) and weighs only 2.7 grams, gave a glimpse of the huge range of possible applications for the large area sensor technology. The overall market for printed and flexible sensors is forecast to be worth over $7Bn by 2020 (IDTechEx 2014).

The range of possible new applications of the flexible sensor includes smart packaging and sensors for medical equipment and biomedical diagnostics, security and mobile commerce (user identification by fingerprint scanning), environmental and other industrial uses, and gesture recognition for laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule requiring rear view cameras in all new vehicles. The rule requires all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including buses and trucks, manufactured on or after May 1, 2018, to come equipped with rear visibility technology that expands the field of view to enable the driver of a motor vehicle to detect areas behind the vehicle to reduce death and injury resulting from backover incidents. The field of view must include a 10-foot by 20-foot zone directly behind the vehicle. The system must also meet other requirements including image size, linger time, response time, durability, and deactivation.

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Gizmodo publishes an interview with Symon Whitehorn, HTC's Director of Camera Development and the father of the Duo Camera (used to work for Kodak). Few interesting bits:

"...the basis of it is sort of old technology. You take a stereoscopic view of the world, much like your brain does—you see the world in 3D and you assign range and speed values to things based on your experience—and that's essentially what this is doing."

"There are a few early benefits we already have from this, which is the shallow depth-of-field "bokeh" kind of effect we can create that's typical of expensive glass. But there is going to be many more applications for it. We've just scratched the surface, and we're not really there yet in terms of the pure accuracy of the speed measurements, but the more we develop this platform, there's going to be some pretty intriguing data we're going to be able to extract."

The Ultrapixel "image sensor is based on last year's design, it's totally new (and comes from a new supplier). The revamped sensor should give daylight photos much better saturation and color accuracy."

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