OmniVision viewing camera solution to provide 140dB HDR and LED flicker mitigation

This image sensor takes full advantage of the GEO GW5 CVP family’s ability to process 140dB HDR images with full LFM at 60 frames per second (fps). Conversely, the GW5 family’s advanced local tone mapping enables it to make optimal use of the OX03C10’s HDR and LFM image captures, providing a more pleasing image for drivers.

“We have partnered with OmniVision for more than five years because of its leading pixel technologies and strong track record in working with automotive tier-ones around the globe,” said John Casey, VP and GM for automotive at GEO. “This latest joint solution provides an exciting opportunity, leveraging the GW5’s ability to process the captures from two image sensors simultaneously, while providing high HDR and LFM at 60fps using OmniVision’s new OX03C10. This allows SVS camera designers to get the highest possible image quality without the added system bill-of-materials cost, complexity and power consumption of two CVPs.”

“GEO is a longtime partner and brings image signal processing performance, including the ability to process 140dB captures, along with the in-depth knowledge of customer pain points that comes from being an approved vendor with a proven product,” added Andy Hanvey, Director of Automotive Marketing at OmniVision. “With the recent launch of our OX03C10 image sensor, we recognised that GEO and OmniVision could once again collaborate and make it easier for automotive designers to create the highest quality viewing cameras, across all lighting conditions, and in the presence of flickering LEDs from headlights, road signs and traffic signals.”

This sensor’s integration of OmniVision’s HALE (HDR and LFM engine) combination algorithm provides high HDR and LFM performance simultaneously, while its Deep Well dual conversion gain technology significantly reduces motion artifacts. Additionally, OmniVision’s split-pixel LFM technology with four captures provides the best performance over the entire automotive temperature range.

The OX03C10 is also the first viewing image sensor with HDR and LFM that can deliver 1920x1280p resolution at a frame rate of 60 fps, enabling greater design flexibility and faster camera-view switching for drivers. The product has a low power consumption for any 2.5MP LFM image sensor, along with a small package size, enabling the placement of cameras that continuously run at 60 fps in even the tightest spaces,.

OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked architecture enables pixel performance advantages in the OX03C10 over non-stacked technology, in addition to a smaller die and lower power consumption. For example, 3D stacking allowed OmniVision to boost pixel and dark current performance, resulting in a 20% improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio over the prior generation of its 2.5MP automotive viewing sensors.

The GW5 CVP family integrates an innovative HDR image signal processor (ISP) that supports the simultaneous 140dB HDR and a high LFM output of the OX03C10, providing great image detail in scenes with both bright and dark areas. Additionally, the GW5 includes GEO’s 5th-generation eWARP geometric processor to dewarp fisheye lenses exceeding a 180^o wide field of view. The GW5 reduces system complexity and cost by requiring no external DDR memory and supporting dual sensor input that can process the captures from two OX03C10 sensors simultaneously.

OmniVision’s OX03C10 image sensor is available for sampling, and GEO’s GW5 CVP family is in mass production. Both companies’ devices provide advanced ASIL functional safety and AEC-Q100 Grade 2 certification for automotive applications.