Image quality

Two 'Image quality' stories September 2012 - September 2013

Samsung announces new ‘ISOCELL’ image sensor tech for premium smartphones & tablets

Jordan Kahn Sep 24 2013 - 9:33 am PT

Samsung announced today that it is introducing a new advanced image sensor technology that will improve image quality and the user experience for camera systems in premium smartphones and tablets:

Building on these past advances and continuing the push toward higher quality image sensors for mobile devices, Samsung has developed ISOCELL the next generation of pixel technology, which is patent pending. ISOCELL technology forms a physical barrier between neighboring pixels – isolating the pixel. This isolation enables more photons to be collected from the micro-lens and absorbed into the correct pixel’s photodiode minimizing undesired electrical crosstalk between pixels and allowing expanded full well capacity (FWC).

The result, according to Samsung, will be “higher color fidelity to reproduce the original color with sharpness and richness,” even in low lighting conditions. It will also offer a greater dynamic range compared to back side illumination pixel technology. The company says ISOCELL will help reduce the height of the camera module in smartphones and tablets, which could lead to even slimmer hardware.

Samsung plans to make the new image sensor technology available for mass production by Q4 2013:

As the first Samsung image sensor to adopt this new technology, the S5K4H5YB 8Megapixel imager utilizes a 1.12um ISOCELL pixel and has a 1/4inch optical format. The S5K4H5YB is currently sampling to customers with mass production scheduled for Q4 2013.

Sony explains Xperia V’s sensor-on-lens touchscreen tech

Jordan Kahn Sep 11 2012 - 12:18 pm PT

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After announcing the new ICS-powered Xperia lineup last month, Sony shared some details today on the new sensor-on-lens touch screen tech being built into the Xperia V. Sony described the tech as providing the same benefits to smartphones as in-cell and on-cell touch technology, which Apple is rumored to be including in the next-generation iPhone. In a blog post on the Sony Mobile Developer blog, the company explained exactly how the sensor-on-lens technology works and some of the benefits it provides to the Xperia V. Some of those benefits include better image quality, less haze, 5 percent better display luminance, and a lighter and thinner device due to an extra layer of glass being removed:

Sensor-on-lens touch technology means that the number of physical layers in the touch panel (handset stackup) is reduced, as the sensor layer is actually part of the lens itself. This in turn means that you will get better image quality, as there is no interference from the touch sensor component. There is one less layer of glass and one less layer of glue, compared to conventional touch panels… This technology also moves the image plane closer to you as a user, which makes it feel like you are actually touching the image itself. With this direct touch experience, you will get less parallax issues compared to a conventional touch panel, as the image and the point of touch are closer together in the sensor-on-lens touch screen technology.

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