PhotoAccess.com News
PhotoAccess Announces Availability of PhotoChip™
The world's fastest digital camera engine
Mountain View, CA, June 19, 2000
PhotoAccess.com Corporation, a leading provider of digital imaging
solutions for the Internet, today announced the availability of
its PhotoChip™, the world's fastest digital image processing
chip for use in digital cameras. The PhotoChip, the Company's first
generation digital imaging processor, features an "instant-on" environment
and throughput rates of up to 24 megapixels per second - significantly
faster than any other application specific integrated circuit or
DSP available (digital cameras today typically process images at
3 to 4 megapixels per second). With significantly increased processing
speed, the PhotoChip can deliver color data at rates up to 36 bits
per second, providing superior color images. Moreover, the proprietary
PhotoChip eliminates the typical lag time encountered with digital
cameras when previewing images on an LCD panel immediately after
a photo is taken. The high-quality PhotoChip can enable digital
cameras to capture a rapid succession of digital images with minimal
lag time.
The PhotoChip is being coupled with an advanced system design for
an Internet-enabled eCamera being developed by PhotoAccess.com.
The proprietary eCamera will allow digital photo consumers to connect
directly to the Internet to upload, e-mail and process digital images
without having to connect to a PC or Mac computer. Availability
of the eCamera is anticipated before the end of 2000. PhotoAccess.com
is seeking corporate partners with interest in the PhotoChip or
eCamera system design. To find out more, please direct all inquiries
to PhotoChip@photoaccess.com.
According to market research firm, International Data Corporation
(IDC), the worldwide digital still-camera market for 1999 was 6.6
million units. Projections for 2004 exceed 40 million units, growing
at a cumulative annual growth rate of 45 percent.
"Digital cameras need to become more user friendly by mimicking
the ready-to-go nature of traditional film cameras. Similarly, they
should provide photo consumers with a very simple and quick way
to get photographic prints and share them without having to use
a PC, said Mammad Safai, vice president and general manager of eCamera
Systems at PhotoAccess.com. "The PhotoChip's superior performance,
high-quality and flexible architecture makes it an ideal candidate
for digital camera manufacturers that want to put digital cameras
out onto the market quickly. With our PhotoChip reference design,
digital camera designers can provide a family of cameras by simply
changing sensor boards and firmware."
About the PhotoChip™
The highly scaleable and programmable PhotoChip is designed to perform
signal processing in pipelined silicon, allowing each stage of image
processing to occur simultaneously, and thereby attaining unprecedented
processing speed. Additional features of the PhotoChip include:
- Support for multiple storage media and display types;
- Capable of operating 8, 10 or 12 bit data;
- Self-contained sequencer to drive any CMOS or charge coupling
device (CCD) sensors as large as 9 million pixels;
- No need for separate chip/timing generator to drive sensors;
- Capable of mapping any CCD to LCD just by reprogramming the
PhotoChip;
- Incorporates Photo Response Non-uniformity Correction (PRNU)
as well as Gamma, Linearity and Color Matrix corrections; and
- Capable of raw data, .bmp, and .jpg outputs.
About PhotoAccess
Founded in 1997, PhotoAccess.com is a leading provider of digital
imaging solutions for the Internet. Its mission is to provide partners
and consumers worldwide with the most convenient, cost-effective
way to obtain film-quality prints from digital photos. The privately
funded company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with
offices in Seattle, Washington, and Tokyo, Japan. PhotoAccess recently
expanded into Asia, founding PhotoAccess.com K.K. and launching
their Japanese Web site,
www.PhotoAccess.co.jp. PhotoAccess has received venture capital
funding from AVI Capital, JAFCO America and Allegro Capital. For
more information on PhotoAccess and its products, please visit the
U.S. Web site at www.PhotoAccess.com.
Press Contacts:
Michael Chan
PhotoAccess.com
(650) 965-6350
mchan@photoaccess.com
Mammad Safai
PhotoAccess.com
(650) 965-6315
msafai@photoaccess.com
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