Renesas - New SoC that Enables Industry-Leading 16-Megapixel Still Image and High-Speed Continuous Shooting for Mobile Phones

The new CE150 SoC is designed to support high-speed continuous image shooting, which is demanded in high-end cameras offering top picture quality. The new SoC features high-speed enhancements including a two-lane MIPI® CSI-2 (see Note 1) high-speed output interface from the camera to the mobile phone application processor. In addition, advances in noise-reduction technology deliver industry-leading high-quality image processing by pairing the CE150 with a 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor.

Recently, the market for mobile phones with camera functionality has seen an increase annually, especially in the number of high-end mobile phone handsets with camera resolutions of more than 5 megapixels and functions that rival those of digital still cameras. In 2012, models with camera resolutions over 5 megapixels are expected to account for about 80 percent of total mobile phone shipments. Sales of mobile phone models with camera resolutions over 5 megapixels are predicted to exceed 400 million units.

Renesas Electronics has been active in this market since 2003, when its CE Series of camera engine products was introduced. The company has been expanding this business by developing semiconductor devices that enable mobile phone cameras to achieve image quality on a par with that of digital still cameras. As of the end of December 2010, Renesas Electronics has shipped more than 50 million CE Series devices in total, and the scale of shipments is expected to continue expanding.

The new CE150 SoC was developed based on the company’s accumulated expertise in this market and incorporates features such as high-speed continuous shooting functionality and image processing technology that meet the demand for higher pixel counts and superior image quality.

Key features of the new CE150 SoC:

1) High-speed continuous shooting support

Improvements to the image processing circuit enable high-speed continuous shooting at 15 frames per second of high-quality photos with a resolution of 13 megapixels, which is five times better than Renesas Electronics’ existing SoCs.

2) Output interface conforming to MIPI CSI-2 standard

A two-lane camera interface conforming to the MIPI CSI-2 standard is provided for output. The new output interface, combined with software running on the host, makes it possible to transfer data using less power and with reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).

3) Support for superior photo quality

An improved noise-reduction function and Renesas Electronics’ exclusive Neo Clear Resolution™ single-frame ultra-high-resolution technology result in photo quality superior to that possible with earlier products.

4) Ability to implement multiple functions through firmware

Optional firmware is available for implementing functions such as anti-blurring stability enhancement, smile detection, and object tracking.

Renesas Electronics offers the new CE150 SoC as a camera system processor for high-end mobile phones, including smartphones, and is launching an aggressive sales promotion campaign. By further strengthening the CE Series lineup, Renesas Electronics is working to increase its share of the market for high-end mobile phone camera processor devices with resolutions from 5 to 16 megapixels from 15 percent in FY2009 to 30 percent in FY2012.