Tessera Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:TSRA) announced today that Samsung Electronics has licensed Tessera's FotoNation(R) FaceTracker solution, which provides high-performance face detection and tracking capabilities.
Consumers continue to demand increasingly feature-rich, easy-to-use cameras in cell phones and digital still cameras. Tessera's FotoNation FaceTracker solution provides fast, high-performance face detection and tracking capabilities that enable the camera to select settings automatically to help capture the highest quality picture. The FotoNation FaceTracker solution uses innovative face-oriented technology to detect up to 10 faces in the camera viewfinder in as little as 0.1 seconds. It enables a camera to automatically adjust focus, color and exposure settings, helping to optimize portraits even when subjects are backlit, off-center or over / under exposed.
Samsung Electronics also licensed Tessera's FotoNation SmileCheck and FotoNation BlinkCheck extension modules, which allow manufacturers to provide even richer experiences for users by indicating when faces are smiling or blinking, or synchronizing a shutter to when a human subject is smiling. Combined with the FotoNation FaceTracker solution, this technology will enable Samsung Electronics to offer enhanced image quality for a variety of video and picture capture applications on Samsung's media processors.
"Samsung's low-power, high-performance media processors are already delivering ease of use and high quality image processing capabilities to our customers," said Chinhyun Kim, vice president, System LSI SOC development, Samsung Electronics. "Image enhancement technologies, such as Tessera's FotoNation FaceTracker solution, that can automatically produce better quality portrait photography should further enhance end users' experience in image capturing."
"We are delighted that Samsung, a world leader in camera technologies for mobile applications, has chosen Tessera FaceTools technology to enable their users to achieve the best possible video and still image quality, without the need to be an expert user," said Mike Bereziuk, executive vice president, Imaging & Optics, Tessera. "Our transformational imaging technologies allow consumer electronics companies to offer a wide range of advanced features as the digital still camera, mobile phones and video camera markets converge."
Tessera recorded an initial fee from Samsung Electronics under this license agreement in the fourth quarter of 2009. Because the FotoNation FaceTracker technology is 'design-in' intellectual property, the timing between signing a FotoNation FaceTracker technology license agreement and Tessera's receipt of initial royalty payments under the agreement is approximately 12-15 months.
Source: http://www.tessera.com/