Sony declared that it has manipulated two CMOS image sensor models, specially developed for smartphones and other related applications. The sensors employ two unique functions such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) Movie functions for bright settings and RGBW Coding function for low-light conditions.
Sony's unique ‘RGBW Coding’ function, incorporated in CMOS image sensors are capable of clear shooting in dark environments. The initial operation of this unique function is that the conventional range of RGB (Red-Green-Blue) pixels has been augmented with the addition of W (White) pixels.
The ‘RGBW Coding’ function provides increased sensitivity, facilitating low noise, high-quality shooting suitable for dark indoor environment. Due to the small size of individual pixels, the RBGW Coding function incorporated to the image sensors enables higher resolution at a more compact size. This is due to the function’s recognition of SN ratio (signal-to-noise ratio) equivalent to that of a single pixel size of 1.4 µm. The new CMOS models are capable of generating output signals through the RGB method.
The ‘HDR (High Dynamic Range) Movie’ function is employed for bright environments for capturing brilliant colors, under a wide range of bright light.
Different levels of shooting like indoor setting against a bright outdoor background have several complexities such as shadow blocking or extreme brightness. These issues arise due to the combination of bright-light and low-light, or when the same shot is employed for varying optimal exposure conditions. Hence, the novel ‘HDR (High Dynamic Range) Movie’ function has been developed to overcome these difficulties by facilitating shooting of both the background and subject matter with brilliant colors.
Source: http://www.sony.net/