OmniVision introduces a new 5 megapixel RGB-IR image sensor

     OmniVision Technologies has announced the OV5678, the industry's first 5-megapixel RGB-Ir image sensor for 2-in-1 laptops. The sensor has higher facial recognition authentication accuracy using a single camera and can be used for infrared (IR) Windows Hello as well as high-quality color (RGB) images for selfies and video conferencing. By combining infrared and color imaging, designers can make thinner, more functional 2-in-1 laptops.

     "Before this, Windows Hello facial recognition authentication was not common in 2-in-1 laptops, mainly because it usually required a second camera for near infrared imaging." "The OV5678 adds value to the product while saving space by combining RGB and IR capabilities in a single 5-megapixel sensor, eliminating the need for a second camera," said Jason Chiang, product marketing manager at OmniVision.

     To ensure high-quality color images, the OV5678 features OmniVision's 1.12 micron PureCel Plus pixel architecture with deep trench isolation that greatly reduces color crosstalk. In addition, its embedded color filter array (BCFA) has a high tolerance and can collect light at various angles.

     The PureCel Plus architecture also uses thicker silicon to capture images in near-infrared light outside the visible spectrum, thereby improving the quantum efficiency of near-infrared imaging - the entire process requires only 1.3 million pixels, which is only a quarter of the full resolution of the OV5678 sensor. This IR performance enables machine vision applications such as Windows Hello facial recognition authentication. It can also use eye tracking to determine whether the user is watching the screen, thus reducing power consumption. Eye tracking can also warn users about eye strain if they spend too much time looking at the screen.