camera products and the future

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

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

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

human vision silicon sensitivity

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

volume / weights3s3 CCD read energys3s3 CMOS read energys2s2 imager areas2s2 Imager costs2s2 pixel counts2s2 f number = L / Ds0s0 pixel pitchs0s0 pixel areas0s0 pixel SNRs0s0 ISOs0s0 depth of fields -1

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

spot size Foveon X3everybody else vertical color filter lateral color filter Foveon X3 vertical color filter image sensor captures 3X information from a given spot 3  m

time wavelength sun lithography pixel size transistor size

no noise reduction with noise reduction ISO 1600

James Janesick Scientific Charge Coupled Devices SPIE press 2001

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

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

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

edge of field image before correction after correction of lateral chromatic aberration correction of lateral chromatic aberration is easier if all color information from each pixel site is available

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

conclusions figure out what quality/cost consumers really need

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

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

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