Product category:
Electromechanical Components
News Release from: Johnson Electric World Trade | Subject: NanoZoom
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 20 February 2006
Module zooms in to upgrade handset
photography
NanoZoom is a high-precision motion technology module for in-focus continuous zoom in camera phones.
New from Johnson Electric, NanoZoom is a high-precision motion technology module for in-focus continuous zoom in camera phones Together with its recently introduced NanoLens that provides fast and accurate autofocus, the company is well placed to enter the high-end and high-growth camera-module market for camera phones, a sector that has been enjoying double-digit growth annually
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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NanoZoom, using Tamron optics and driven by Johnson Nanomotion piezo technology, offers unprecedented silent zoom, speed and optical quality in a compact 3x continuous zoom interfaced to a 3Mpixel CMOS sensor.
It operates over a range of more than 10mm at a high speed of 100mm/s or faster while maintaining exceptionally high positioning accuracy.
Johnson Electric also offers an application development toolkit that allows the camera phone designer to rapidly integrate the two modules and the associated ASIC driver within the camera phone's system.
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Jim Dick, Senior Vice President of Johnson Electric said: "NanoZoom and NanoLens, together with Tamron optics, represents a new picture-quality threshold for camera phones, one that could transform mass market usage of such phones, from 'shoot-for-fun' to 'shoot-to-keep' applications".
"Such cutting-edge technology in motion solutions will open up vast possibilities for camera phone makers and users alike".
"Consumers today are ready for fast, simultaneous and accurate zoom-and-focus functions in camera phones, and those who are first-to-market with next-generation camera phones will be the winners".
Dick sees the opportunity for camera-phone handset makers to further differentiate their products with this new and powerful technology, while service providers would also benefit from greater system usage by more serious users such as doctors, engineers, estate agents and others.
Like its NanoLens predecessor, NanoZoom is a technology enabler that opens up all kinds of opportunities for new applications, and consequently increased revenue for service providers in the camera phone industry.
Dick added: "Many professionals do not currently use their camera phones for photo-taking and photo-messaging because of poor image quality".
"All that will change as issues such as speed, sise, noise and accuracy are overcome by new technologies".
According to Dick, the possibilities are infinite.
Anyone who happens to be in a situation where a quality photograph would be useful for record purposes or for immediate transmission to a third-party, would benefit from this new technology.
For example, engineers inspecting buildings or equipment could take quality photographs on their camera phones and transmit them to their colleagues for review and discussion.
Such "anytime, anywhere" usage would be just as applicable to doctors, designers and other users who need quality images.
The concept of "citizen journalists" also has huge potential.
South China Morning Post launched its "Citizen Post" initiative during the WTO meetings in Hong Kong last December, inviting readers to send in digital photos for use in the scmp.com website.
The newspaper group is considering making the website a permanent feature as other media groups in the region launch similar initiatives.
High image-quality in camera phones expands the number of citizen journalists into potentially the millions.
NanoZoom was created by the same team of experts who developed NanoLens at Johnson Electric's Value Innovation centre in Shenzhen, China.
Experts from Johnson Electric's Nanomotion in Israel, with their piezo motion technology, provided the foundation while Johnson Electric's Nihon Mini Motor in Japan and Johnson Electric in China took care of microcomponents and production.
As with NanoLens, the end product NanoZoom leapfrogs competition from Japan, USA and Europe.
The alliance with optics specialist Tamron reinforces the high-end performance niche that NanoZoom targets.
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