camera products and the future

1. camera products and the future

2. memory and processor video, audio, temperature, chemical, tactile ADC communication DAC & actuators electronic system of the future

3. why are products that can capture images important? this processor has a lot of logic allocated to scene analysis that’s why people like to look at pictures

4. cell phone camera image 640 x 480 needs more pixels and more dynamic range

5. silicon sensitivity human vision

6. pixel spacing limit = 0.61 l( f number ) about 3 um for f/8 in green light

8. FOVEON X3 IMAGE SENSOR SUMMARY • measures all colors in each pixel location, CCD sensors measure only one color • uses a fundamental property of silicon for the color filtering, CCD sensors use plastic filters applied as a post process step

9. vertical color filter lateral color filter spot size 3 mm everybody else Foveon X3 Foveon X3 vertical color filter image sensor captures 3X information from a given spot

10. sun pixel size wavelength lithography transistor size time

12. no noise reduction ISO 1600 with noise reduction

13. James Janesick Scientific Charge Coupled Devices SPIE press 2001

14. what camera consumers actually need • 97% pictures 5x7 prints => 2 M pixels • consumers know they will get better pictures with more light • good $99.95 digital camera

15. 14 bit ADC big transistors CCD spec imager specialized transistors SOC camera chip $$$ Ghz DSP tiny transistors

16. multi chip image module sensor lens imager FRP DSP single element plastic lens in camera module cannot correct for chromatic aberration optically

17. edge of field image before correction after correction of lateral chromatic aberration correction of lateral chromatic aberration is easier if all colorinformation from each pixel site is available

18. the superficial plastic color filter is the manufacturing Achille’s heal for cheap CMOS image sensors • limits fab sources • messy process with nasty learning curve • color control difficult to manage • color filters fragile

19. conclusions • figure out what quality/cost consumers really need

20. conclusions • figure out what quality/cost consumers really need • determine what the real performance problem is

21. conclusions • figure out what quality/cost consumers really need • determine what the real performance problem is • figure out how to make it cheaper

22. conclusions • figure out what quality/cost consumers really need • determine what the real performance problem is • figure out how to make it cheaper • don’t listen to anybody, think instead