Toshiba "Bright Mode" Video Technology for CMOS Sensors

January 8, 2014 | Zoltan Arva-Toth | Accessories | Comment |

Toshiba has announced the development of “Bright Mode”, a CMOS image sensor technology that allows smartphones and tablets to record Full HD video at 240fps. CMOS image sensors incorporating “Bright Mode” can playback high-quality video in slow motion, giving smartphone videographers new creative opportunities. Sample sensors incorporating “Bright Mode” will be available in Q1 2014.

Toshiba Press Release

Toshiba Announces "Bright Mode", High Speed Video Technology for CMOS Image Sensors for Smartphones and Tablets

Enables 240 fps Equivalent High Speed Full HD Video Capture

TOKYO -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced the development of “Bright Mode”, a CMOS image sensor technology that allows smartphones and tablets to record Full HD video at 240 frames per second (fps), the industry’s highest frame rate1. “Bright Mode” realizes high quality slow motion playback.

High speed video recording requires a high frame rate with short exposure time, which results in underexposed images. “Bright Mode” technology secures double the exposure time by adopting interlaced2 video output, not the progressive3 output that standard CMOS sensors use. “Bright Mode” also employs charge binning4, which doubles the electrical charge of each pixel, resulting in an image four times brighter than that from a CMOS sensor without “Bright Mode”. The technology also realizes 240 fps equivalent Full HD video recording. Toshiba will also provide an interlace-progressive conversion program that enables users to offer high quality progressive video with low deterioration, without changing frame rate.

CMOS image sensors incorporating “Bright Mode” can playback high quality video in slow motion at one-eighth standard speed5, bringing new dimensions to imaging.

Toshiba’s “Bright Mode” technology contributes to a wide variety of video applications, such as high-speed recording slow motion video, and continuous shooting.

Sample sensors incorporating “Bright Mode” will be available in Q1 2014.

Notes:
[1]   Research by Toshiba, as of January 7, 2014.
[2] Interlaced video system divides frame data into odd horizontal lines in a frame (odd field) and even horizontal lines in a frame (even field), and outputs each field by turns.
[3] Sequential scan system that outputs data of all pixels in each frame.
[4] Doubling the electrical charge of the pixel by putting the electrical charge of two pixels together, when the image is downsized by half.
[5] When replaying Full HD (1080p) slow video at 30 fps.

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