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Reinventing the Lens: Software-Enhanced Optics

Product Type: Market Research Report
Published by: Future Image Inc
Published: October 2006
Product Code: R322-41
Description
Over the past ten years, photographic cameras have almost completely transitioned from silver halide film to electronic sensors. But the other key component - the lens - has remained largely unchanged... Until now. The mobile phone industry, with its huge demand for embedded cameras, is driving a broad set of new requirements for miniaturized, rugged, low-cost, low-power, high-performance lenses. As they come to market, the superior value proposition of those lenses will threaten to displace traditional optics in cameras of all types. As a result, the business of designing and making lenses is undergoing its most fundamental upheaval since the Renaissance.

CMOS sensor developers have responded to consumer preferences for slimmer and slimmer handsets by shrinking their chips so that more pixels can be squeezed into an ever-smaller footprint. This presents a growing challenge to optics designers to supply lenses that can focus the light entering the camera down to a smaller and smaller spot. As pixel sizes shrink, the standard fixed-focus lenses found on must camera-phones cannot meet this challenge. As they continue to shrink - sensors that will reach the market next year will have sub-2-micron pixels - even auto-focus lenses composed of traditional glass and plastic lenses will be inadequate.

“Reinventing the Lens: Software-enhanced Optics,” a research study just published by Future Image, the leading independent center of expertise on the convergence of imaging, technology, and business, and host of the 6Sight® Future of Imaging conference, indicates that the combination of specially designed optical components and image processing techniques may offer the best solution to this daunting technical challenge. “We think it’s inescapable that ‘software-enhanced optics’ in one form or another will play a pivotal role in next generation camera-phones, in a wide range of capture devices for automotive, security, medical, and industrial applications, and even in ‘pure play’ camera optics,” said Tony Henning, Editor of the Future Image Mobile Imaging Report and author of the study. “The benefits of the technology are too numerous and too significant not to find traction in the value chain. The only question that remains is which one - or which ones - will find commercial success.”

The 41-page report with 21 illustrations looks first at the changing requirements for mobile camera modules brought about by changing consumer preferences, including the latest developments in CMOS image sensors and explains why these changes require a new approach to the optical components. The study then describes in general terms the process of co-designing the optics and image-processing components to optimize the image captured by the sensor and summarizes the unique benefits that result from this approach. Future Image conducted a survey and follow-up interviews with the three leading vendors of software-enhanced optics: CDM Optics Inc. (OmniVision Technology Inc.), Dblur Technologies Ltd., and DxO Labs. All three vendors and their solutions are profiled. The study concludes with our analysis of the competing solutions and the outlook for their success.
Table of Contents
About the Author / Future Image




Definitions & Methodology




I. Introduction

1. Reinventing the lens


1.1 Challenges

1.2 A Setback

1.3 Industry Response

1.4 The Incredible Shrinking Sensor

1.5 Innovation Required


2. Software-enhanced optics


2.1 Magic or Smoke & Mirrors?

2.2 Imperfect Lenses


Sidebar: History of the Lens


2.3 Unique Benfits

2.4 How Do They Do That?




II. Vendor Profiles

3. CDM Optics, Inc. (OmniVision Technology, Inc.)


3.1 Company Profile


3.1.1 Primary Contact


3.2 Technology


Sidebar: Ray Diagrams


3.3 Advantages


3.3.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses?

3.3.2 Compared to competing technologies?

3.3.3 Compared to competing products that use similar technology?


3.4 Disadvantages


3.4.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses


3.5 Product Information


3.5.1 Product name

3.5.2 Release dates

3.5.3 Target customer and market segment

3.5.4 Product size

3.5.5 Unit price

3.5.6 Speed

3.5.7 User experience

3.5.8 Power requirements

3.5.9 Other requirements

3.5.10 Ruggedness

3.5.11 Manufacturing supply

3.5.12 Track record



4. Dblur Technology Ltd.


4.1 Company Profile


4.1.1 Primary Contact


4.2 Technology

4.3 Advantages


4.3.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses?

4.3.3 Compared to competing products that use similar technology?


4.4 Disadvantages


4.4.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses?

4.4.2 Compared to competing technologies?

4.4.3 Compared to competing products that use similar technology?


4.5 Product Information


4.5.1 Product name

4.5.2 Release dates

4.5.3 Target customer and market segment

4.5.4 Product size

4.5.5 Unit price

4.5.6 Speed

4.5.7 User experience

4.5.8 Power requirements

4.5.9 Other requirements

4.5.10 Ruggedness

4.5.11 Manufacturing supply

4.5.12 Track record



5. DxO Labs


5.1 Company Profile


5.1.1 Primary Contact


5.2 Technology

5.3 Advantages


5.3.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses?

5.3.2 Compared to competing technologies?

5.3.3 Compared to competing products that use similar technology?


5.4 Disadvantages


5.4.1 Compared to traditional glass or plastic lenses

5.4.2 Compared to competing technologies?

5.4.3 Compared to competing products that use similar technology?


5.5 Product Information


5.5.1 Product name

5.5.2 Release dates

5.5.3 Target customer and market segment

5.5.4 Product size

5.5.5 Unit price

5.5.6 Speed

5.5.7 User experience

5.5.8 Power requirements

5.5.9 Other requirements

5.5.10 Ruggedness

5.5.11 Manufacturing supply

5.5.12 Track record





III. Conclusions & Outlook

6. Conclusions & Outlook


6.1. The Need Exists

6.2. CDM Optics

6.3. Dblur Technologies

6.4. DxO Labs

6.5 The Proof of the Pudding




TABLE OF FIGURES

Fig. 1 - Sharp 3MP CCD camera modules

Fig. 2 - Thinner and thinner camera-phones

Fig. 3 - Samsung Ultra Edition handsets

Fig. 4 - Schematic of a typical mobile camera module

Fig. 5 - Tiny pixels and the average human hair

Fig. 6 - Comparing the human eye and the camera obscura

Fig. 7 - Bioconvex lens

Fig. 8 - Traditional Optical System Image

Fig. 9 - Stopped Down Image

Fig. 10 - Intermediate EDoF Image

Fig. 11 - Final Wavefront Coded Image

Fig. 12 - Converging Rays

Fig. 13 - Converging Rays - Expanded View

Fig. 14 - Wavefront Coded Rays

Fig. 15 - Wavefront Coded Rays - Expanded View

Fig. 16 - The Dblur Software Lens system

Fig. 17 - Camera module design sequence with DxO

Fig. 18 - Lens height reduction with DxO

Fig. 19 - Close focus capabilities with DxO

Fig. 20 - Extended depth of field with DxO

Fig. 21 - Low light capabilities with DxO
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