technologies for the electronics industry, today announced that it has licensed its OptiML™ Focus image-enhancement solution to Samsung Electronics. This innovative Tessera® technology enables industry-leading image quality for camera modules used in next-generation mobile devices including mobile phones, PDAs and webcams.

“As the industry’s leading imager supplier, we feel it is crucial to use leading-edge technologies that will provide us a competitive advantage in the market,” said YT Lee, Senior VP Product Planning, Samsung Electronics System LSI Division. “Our relationship with Tessera will enable us to expand upon our broad product portfolio to better serve our customers’ needs.”

The OptiML Focus solution enables all objects in an image to be in focus simultaneously, from 20cms to infinity, with no mechanical parts. This provides an innovative alternative to current autofocus solutions that require moving parts which are larger, slower, more expensive and less reliable. The technology, which provides improved image quality when compared to current fixed focus solutions, also enables barcode and full document capture for low-cost, fixed lens cameras.

The OptiML Focus solution integrates industry-leading lens design with compact digital algorithms that when combined, result in an image which is always in focus. Today’s digital cameras typically have either depth of field focus capability or low-light performance capability. However with the OptiML Focus technology, camera modules can have both capabilities at the same time, providing deep field focus as well as high-quality low-light performance.

“We are excited that Samsung, one of the world leaders in advanced semiconductor technology, has chosen Tessera as its technology partner for providing next-generation imaging features in their image sensor,” said Mike Bereziuk, COO, Tessera. “By integrating our OptiML Focus solution into their next-generation image sensor devices, Samsung will be able to provide its customers with non-mechanical autofocus and high-quality low-light performance – at lower cost and with higher reliability.”

The OptiML Focus solution is currently available for licensing from Tessera.

About OptiML Image Enhancement Technologies

The OptiML family of image enhancement technologies from Tessera enables significantly higher-quality images in camera phones without the need for mechanical parts, providing a cost-effective alternative to current solutions which require moving parts and are larger, slower and less reliable. The OptiML Zoom solution offers 3X zoom capabilities, and the OptiML Focus solution enables all aspects of a high-quality image to be brought into focus automatically and simultaneously. The OptiML UFL solution improves low-light performance by increasing the amount of available light by as much as 250 percent, without degrading the field depth or other performance factors.

About Tessera Technologies, Inc.

Tessera is a leading provider of miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry. Tessera provides a broad range of advanced packaging, interconnect, and consumer optics solutions which are widely adopted in high-growth markets including consumer, computing, communications, medical and defense electronics. Tessera's customers include the world's top semiconductor companies such as Intel, Samsung, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Micron and Infineon. The company's stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol TSRA. Tessera is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Information Source:    Business Wire