SAN JOSE, Calif. – poLight AS (Horten, Norway), a vendor of optical MEMS actuated autofocus lenses, has announced that it is working with Texas Instruments Inc. to produce the optical MEMS part of its TLens assembly.
The TLens (tunable lens) is reflow solderable and offers advantages over voice-coil motor (VCM) operated autofocus systems. It is faster and uses less energy to achieve focus. According to poLight a camera phone with a traditional VCM can take 500-ms and 220-mW to focus compared with a TLens system taking 80-ms and 1-mW. Typically the TLens will be 20 times faster and use only 2.5 percent of the power of a VCM system in continuous autofocus mode.
poLight is developing three different actuated autofocus devices based on a patented technology using Optical MEMS and polymer to fit in camera modules based on 1/5-inch up to 1/2.5-inch sensors, reaching 5-megapixel to 12-megapixel and higher resolutions.
"Texas Instruments with their MEMS engineering expertise and their worldwide manufacturing operation significantly strengthen our ability to serve our camera module customer demands," said Christian Dupont, CEO of poLight, in a statement.
Texas Instruments worked to develop a process that met the device performance needs while at the same time met cost goals, poLight said.
poLight also counts SVTC [Silicon Valley Technology Center] as one of its partners SVTC supports companies developing novel transistors, microfluidics, MEMS, photovoltaics and other nanotechnologies for the life science, aerospace & defense and semiconductor markets and can provide prototype and low volume production.
poLight has also developed a "Fast point-and-focus" application that runs on the OMAP4460 processor. "poLight’s TLens takes advantage of the OMAP platform’s image signal processing capabilities and advanced camera APIs to introduce to consumers a focus speed that will change end users expectations for the better,” said Fred Cohen, director of the OMAP platform ecosystem at Texas Instruments, in statement issued by poLight.
poLight was founded in 2006 and formerly known as Ignis Display AS. It has raised about $22 million in venture capital rounds in 2009 and 2011 from Alliance Venture, Viking Venture Management, Sinvent AS and Investinor AS.
Related links and articles:
www.polight.com
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