A dual camera module from Toshiba Electronics Europe can simultaneously output recorded images and depth data, making it possible to focus images after snapping a photo. The module, targeted for mobile devices, incorporates twin ¼-in., optical-format, 5-Mpixel CMOS camera modules (5 Mpixels by 2 arrays).
The TCM9518MD integrates a dedicated image-processing IC that measures and appends depth data to objects in the image. When combined with customers’ applications, the module supports new photo functions such as focus and defocus, and can extract and erase objects in photographs. The dual camera module also supports a digital focus function—users simply adjust the point of focus without needing a mechanism to move the lenses.
The image-processing IC generates 13-Mpixel images by upscaling images taken by the twin 5-Mpixel cameras. The CMOS sensors have a pixel size of 1.4 µm; the module measures 18.0 by 12.0 mm by 4.65 mm.