Image sensor provides greater accuracy for facial recognition

21st May 2019

Omnivision

Lanna Deamer

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OmniVision has announced the OV5678 - according to the company it is the industry’s first 5MP RGB-Ir image sensor for 2-in-1 convertible laptops. This sensor enables a single camera with greater accuracy for infrared (IR) Windows Hello facial authentication as well as high quality colour (RGB) images for selfies and video conferencing. Combining IR and colour imaging allows designers to create more compact, thinner 2-in-1 convertible laptops with greater functionality.

“Previously, Windows Hello facial authentication was not commonly found in 2-in-1 convertible laptops, as it required a second camera for IR functionality,” said Jason Chiang, Product Marketing Manager at OmniVision. “The OV5678 eliminates the need for a second camera by combining RGB and IR capabilities in a single 5MP sensor, saving space while increasing value.”

To ensure high quality colour images, the OV5678 is built on OmniVision’s 1.12 micron PureCel Plus pixel architecture with deep trench isolation for greatly reduced colour crosstalk. Additionally, its Buried Colour Filter Array (BCFA) has a high tolerance for collecting light with various incident light angles.

The PureCel Plus architecture also utilises thicker silicon to improve quantum efficiency when capturing images using near-infrared light outside the visible spectrum. This is accomplished with only 1.3MP, which is a quarter of the OV5678 sensor’s full resolution. This IR performance enables machine vision applications such as Windows Hello facial authentication.

It can also be used to perform eye tracking for reduced power consumption when the user is not viewing the screen. Eye tracking can also enable user warnings about eye fatigue from looking at the screen for an extended period of time.