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sensor posts

Nokia patent app reveals dreams of pressure-sensitive multitouch interface

by Darren Murph posted Oct 24th 2009 @ 6:49PM

Nokia's no stranger to the patent application process here in the United States, and while we've certainly seen some strange ones emanating from its R&D labs, this one looks like something that should be implemented on the double. Explained as a "user interface for controlling an electronic device," the multitouch solution would essentially allow you to pinch, zoom and rotate objects as usual, but it would also employ an array of pressure sensors in order to give your motions a sense of severity. If executed properly, one could theoretically envision the use of a strong push to simulate a double tap (for example), or as a means to activate a secondary function that generally requires another button press or the use of a 'Function' key. Hit the read link for all the mumbo jumbo, but be sure to keep your expectations within check. Or not.

[Via UnwiredView]

TI's OMAP-DM5x coprocessors promise 20MP cameraphones, 720p recording and freedom from heartache

by Darren Murph posted Oct 16th 2009 @ 9:26AM

Another season, another Texas Instruments coprocessor for us to wonder about. For what feels like ages now, TI has been pumping out silicon that promises to bring high-def recording capabilities to cellphones, but by and large, most everything has been stuck at VGA or below. Oh sure, we've seen our first batch of 12 megapixel cameraphones, but it's not like those things are replacing DSLRs en masse. Bitterness aside, the OMAP-DM525 coprocessor is supposedly capable of bringing 20 megapixel imaging to handsets along with 720p video recording, while the OMAP-DM515 hits the ceiling at 12 megapixels. Of course, the DM525 won't actually be ready for volume production until sometime next year, but here's hoping a sample or two slips out at CES.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

MEMS gyroscopes rumored to hit array of phones in 2009

by Darren Murph posted Dec 12th 2008 @ 2:59PM

Details on this one are freakishly scarce, but DigiTimes has it that a number of recognizable handset makers are looking to incorporate MEMS gyroscopes into their 2009 smartphones. It's anticipated that such devices would be used to sense motion in one form or another, with brands like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Apple (we know you're thinking, so stop) expected to welcome the tech with open arms. So, why the sudden interest in G-sensors? Falling prices, of course -- and the natural expectation of consumers for their future phones to be entirely more sensitive to their feelings than the one they're using currently.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Aptina producing cellphone image sensor that shoots HD video

by Laura June posted Nov 22nd 2008 @ 2:18AM

It sounds like your camera phone's video capabilities may get exponentially more awesome in the near future. Aptina -- a division of Micron that manufactures one out of every three sensors for mobile phone cameras -- has announced the high resolution 5 megapixel MT9P013. There are better sensors out there already, but this one will also be able to record 720p HD video at 60 frames per second, and 5-megapixel video at 15fps. The sensor is going into production in January of 2009, according to Aptina, so it shouldn't be too long before we start seeing much better quality amateur films out there in the world.

[Via SlashGear]

Kodak signs into patent cross-license agreement with Nokia

by Darren Murph posted Oct 26th 2008 @ 12:21AM

Details are pretty scant at the moment, but Eastman Kodak Company has entered into a mysterious patent license agreement with Nokia. All we're told is that the deal will enable each outfit "access to the other's intellectual property portfolio," and it'll also provide "significant benefits to both companies, [while being] royalty bearing to Kodak." Outside of that, we're left to wonder what's in store here, so what they hey -- we'll take a stab: a Kodak sensor within the not-yet-conceived N97? Or maybe a Kodak-branded printer-scanner-fax machine in the Tube 2? The intrigue is killing us.

[Via phonescoop]

Megapixel race hits the mobile realm

by Darren Murph posted Sep 28th 2008 @ 8:27AM

When the megapixel race unofficially started in the point-and-shoot world, it didn't take long before every last camera manufacturer out there was cramming 14-megapixel sensors into any ole pocket cam. Now, it seems the same race is headed to the mobile realm. Of late, we've seen a new batch of 8-megapixel handsets and a 9-megapixel sensor, and a recent interview with LG's sales and marketing director John Barton points to even more of those in the near future. According to him, "the megapixel race that we saw amongst camera makers is now being battled out between mobile manufacturers," hinting that 10+ megapixel phones (not to mention handsets with HD video capability) are closer than we may have imagined. Mmm, the possibilities.

[Via Cell Phone Feeds]

San Francisco to test wireless parking sensors, cause rat races to momentarily open spaces

by Darren Murph posted Jul 15th 2008 @ 10:42AM

We dig the idea in theory, we really do, but we can definitely see this causing more harm than good. Starting this fall, San Francisco will begin a trial involving wireless parking sensors in 6,000 of its 24,000 metered spaces, enabling antsy drivers to be alerted via street signs or cellphones when a spot becomes available. Only one problem -- give 50 anxious motorists the same message that a single spot is unoccupied, and you've just created a bona fide mess. Though it'd probably be fun to watch from the sidelines, wouldn't you agree?

[Via Core77]

OmniVision claims 8 megapixel OmniBSI sensor turns cellphone imaging world "upside down"

by Thomas Ricker posted May 27th 2008 @ 3:19AM

Digital Camera 101: As manufacturers continue pushing the Megapixel Myth by stuffing more and more pixels onto rapidly shrinking sensors, the outcome is poor performance on top of poorly lit images of increasingly low quality. Now OmniVision, the largest CMOS image sensor manufacturer today, says they've solved the pixel size problem though backside illumination (BSI) technology. In essence, BSI helps maximize photon collection by circumventing obstructive metal and dielectric layers on the top-side of the sensor die. The result is improved light absorption, thinner overall camera modules, and increased sensitivity and F stops with reduced crosstalk. However, as EETimes' crack staff of Electrical Engineering super-nerds point out, BSI is not a new technology. In fact, several manufacturers lay claim to BSI patents. However, OmniVision seems to be the first to take the tech to mass production for consumers. To prove it, they'll release an 8 megapixel OmniBSI CameraChip sensor brimming with the new tech for sample in June. Couple it with a decent cameraphone lens and image processing circuitry and we might be in for a treat.

[Via EETimes]

New Kodak tech shrinks cam sensors without dropping image quality

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 17th 2008 @ 2:12PM

Two modern, must-have features of high end featurephones are locked in an eternal struggle to the death: camera and compactness. Slapping a large, high-quality sensor and lens on a phone tends to make it chubbier, and that's a huge problem (pun totally intended) as 3.2 and 5 megapixel autofocus cams become more of the rule than the exception. Kodak looks to be making life at least marginally easier on manufacturers, though, with some new sensor tech unveiled at MWC this week. The colorfully named KAC-05020 claims to be the world's first 5 megapixel CMOS device to sport pixels just 1.4 microns in diameter, down from the 1.75 microns typically seen on today's units. Perhaps even more importantly, though, Kodak claims that the new sensor has some bangin' light sensitivity -- somewhere on the order of two to four times the usual -- thanks to the use of its TRUESENSE technology that adds panchromatic pixels in with the RGB mix. Samples of the new sensors should be available to manufacturers in the second quarter of the year, meaning that if the Motorola-Kodak partnership is real, we're probably not going to see this sucker getting used the first time around.

[Thanks, Terry F.]

Nokia trial turns N95s into traffic sensing tools

by Darren Murph posted Feb 9th 2008 @ 2:20AM

Sure, we've seen cellphones intermingle with traffic data before, but Nokia's looking to up the ante in a big way by utilizing a large network of GPS-enabled handsets to actually predict traffic patterns and help you avoid congestion before you even leave for that afternoon appointment. In a recent trial involving 100 volunteer drivers (and an equal amount of N95s), the handset maker teamed up with UC Berkeley to test the effectiveness of using a device most people already own (read: cellphones) to beam out traffic data rather than installing permanent sensors in roadways. Eventually, Nokia hopes to expand the experiment to over 1,000 folks, and just in case you privacy junkies can already feel your heart racing, you can rest assured that all "personal identifying information" was stripped before being sent back for analysis.

Read - Nokia turns people into traffic sensors
Read - Video: Nokia test drives traffic monitoring system

NTT DoCoMo looking towards intrabody communications

by Darren Murph posted Oct 2nd 2007 @ 7:45AM

We've certainly seen instances of intrabody communications at work, but now NTT DoCoMo is looking to join the fun and hopefully tie cellphones into the equation. Apparently, the firm has "various devices" in development that could utilize an "advanced handset" in certain forms of wearable electronics to give users the ability to unlock doors, make payments and exchange data with a friend with a simple touch. The prototype mobile packs a sensor produced by Kaiser Technology Company, and while the current version can only transmit data at 40-kilobytes per second, a speedier flavor is surely on the horizon. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

iPhone's tilt sensor hacked

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 28th 2007 @ 10:42PM

Considering how much amusement can be had by using the MacBook Pro's accelerometers for completely unintended purposes, it stands to reason that hacking into the iPhone's sensors would be a virtually endless font of entertainment. It also stood to reason that it was just a matter of time before the ever-persistent hacking community broke its determined way into said sensors, and sure enough, here we have it. Like the successful coder says, the power of the iPhone's 3-axis accelerometer is largely untapped in the OS itself, so it'll be great fun to see what sorts of crazy business the homebrew folks can dream up. Get to work, everyone! Check the full video after the break.

[Thanks, bharvey]

Continue reading iPhone's tilt sensor hacked

Microsoft researchers unveil Fone+, MPTrain mobile applications

by Darren Murph posted Jul 17th 2007 @ 7:11PM

Joining the growing list of up and coming software touched by Microsoft is a number of wireless applications showed off at a summit in the firm's hometown. Most interesting was Fone+, which was described as a "product that lets users connect their mobile phones to a TV, a keyboard, and a mouse" in order to convert their set into a web browsing portal. Of course, we North Americans would probably just tether our mobiles to a laptop to enjoy big screen surfing, but this device will be aimed at nations such as a China "where PC penetration is still quite low but mobile phone ownership is high." Next up was MPTrain, which wed a heart rate sensor with a tempo analyzer to allow runners to "use music players in their mobile phones to set their workouts." Granted, it's not like we don't already have similar alternatives, but this method removes the need for a certain DAP to be on your person in order to tune your workout. As expected, no release dates for these ideas were noted, but hopefully they'll end up a bit more convincing than prior attempts.

NEC develops 8MP CMOS sensor for cameraphones

by Darren Murph posted Jun 25th 2007 @ 7:45PM

While LG's ambitious plans didn't exactly pan out in 2005, the idea of upping those megapixels in mainstream cameraphones sure is getting a lot of attention today. Shortly after Kodak announced its plan to unveil a five-megapixel iteration for future phones, NEC is hitting back with a development of its own. Apparently, the company is already shipping samples of a "system chip capable of processing cameraphone images at resolutions of up to eight-megapixels," which even includes "image stabilization circuitry as an option." Best of all, the CE131 sample device is priced at just ¥4,000 ($33), and hopefully that cost will diminish even further as mass production goes forward in October. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

Kodak 'phasing out' low-end digicams, creating 5MP sensor for cameraphone

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2007 @ 8:21PM

During the same 24 hours that BenQ called it quits on the digital camera market, Kodak has reportedly had similar thoughts when eying its low-end camera lineup. According to CNET, Kodak President Antonio Perez shared that the firm would be "abandoning the low-end of the digital camera business" at the JPMorgan Technology Conference in Boston. He also added that while the company "wasn't making much money" in that segment, it was developing its own five-megapixel CMOS sensor to be used in a (presumably mid-range) Kodak-branded digicam. More interesting, however, was the addition that this very sensor would also make its way into "several Motorola cell phones by the end of the year." Unsurprisingly, Mr. Perez was fairly tight-lipped about any further details on the deal, but it's about time we saw something more advanced than a grainy 1.3-megapixel shooter built into mainstream handsets.