The developer of the color television and LCD technology Sarnoff Corporation can now added a smart digital camera for use in mobile phones and telematic applications to its list of accomplishments.

"One day soon we will use our cell phones to take and transmit still pictures and video," said Nathaniel McCaffrey, head of Sarnoff’s Advanced Imaging group.

Even though it was built for the U.S. Defense Department, as a surveillance device, BLINC™ digital camera holds much promise with the advent of 3G services and demand of multimedia applications.

The BLINC is built on Sarnoff’s proprietary CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS) technology.

The technology enables it to deliver more than 100 times the dynamic range of a typical camera. Measuring only 1.2 inches square, the BLINC can capture images in under one-tenth of a second, which is faster than the two seconds required by existing technology to capture an image. It provides both still image and 30 frames per second video capture, and offers digital and analog output at VGA resolution (640 x 480).

The company foresees BLINC being used in mobile devices, such as cell phones and PDAs, telematics, and home security. For instance, the camera could be used in telematic applications to help a driver when backing up.

The company says that it is developing a proprietary compression technology that will enable mobile phones, with their limited capacity, to deliver higher resolution pictures or more frames per second.

At present, Sarnoff is in discussion with manufacturers from chipmakers to automotive parts suppliers to the future uses of the technology.

For more information: http://www.sarnoff.com/sarnoff_story/press/2001/041701B.htm