The Company
PIXEL-Scan is developing a basic technique for CMOS image sensor (CIS) effective Resolution Improvement, Color Rendering and Image Quality Enhancement via Cumulative Imager-Specific Crosstalk Compensation.
The Problem
The rising demand for portable cheap and compact image sensory devices implies the continuous growth in requirements for enhanced sensor performance and improved image quality. Currently, the resolution of image sensor is characterized and represented by its absolute pixel number (i.e., nominal number of the pixels in the array). This is not the best measure, due to the global distortion occurring in each and every physical pixel and manifested in information leakage from this pixel to its surroundings or crosstalk that might be photonic (e.g., optical, chromatic), electronic or both. This leakage degrades the sensor resolution, reduces overall sensitivity, makes poor color separation, and leads to additional noise after the color correction procedure, such that the real "effective" imager resolution (number of "effective" pixels) might be much below the nominal. The loss of photocarriers due to crosstalk directly translates to loss in image quality.
The Solution
Since crosstalk might be considered as one of the main sources of imager performance degradation, affecting its resolution and final image quality, then thorough and carefully crosstalk treatment gives rise to sensor effective resolution and image quality improvement (i.e., the increase in the "effective" pixels number up to the nominal).
Competition
PIXEL-Scan's technology is unique. There is no direct competitor, offering similar features. Some companies are implementing proprietary redundant techniques that are complex and provide no real two-dimensional image sensor constructional features. As image resolution increases, these redundant techniques will yield a very poor image quality and affect the color separation. Another alternative approach is to increase the image quality by increasing the number of pixels. This approach, while increasing the "formal" image resolution (number of pixels in the imaging array), is a "brute force" approach that significantly increases the die size (hence cost) and power dissipation and increases the pixel density, thus enhancing the crosstalk effect, which reduces the "real" effective resolution (creates a blurred image).
Technology & Product Description
PIXEL-Scan intends to develop an image processing module, acting as a hardware accelerator and executing in hardware the crosstalk compensation or its time critical sections.
The Team
Prof. Orly Yadid-Pecht - Co-Founder and Chief Consultant
Dr. Igor Shcherback - Co-Founder and CTO
Dr. Avi Strugano - Operations Manager
Mr. Elad Gan - Algorithm development
Company Status