9 Megapixel Camera Module from DIS

At Photokina 2008, Digital Imaging Systems (DIS) has announced the launch and availability of the first ever 9 megapixel camera module for mobile phones. The official name of the device is DIS6931, and it provides features like auto-focus, high quality lenses, mechanical shutter and ND-filter. It also has integrated actuators and an easy to access platform software, thus enabling mobile phones to capture images just like with a high-end digital still camera.

In the press release that can be found on the producer's website, Roland Pudelko, CEO of Digital Imaging Systems said, "We wanted to maintain our leadership in digital still camera (DSC) quality modules for mobile phones to create new market opportunities for handset manufacturers. With our ultra fast AF (auto-focus), the fastest mobile click-to-capture time and excellent picture quality, we are in a strong position to drive the convergence of mid-range DSC’s into mobile devices.”

Want to know more about this little module? Well, besides the characteristics stated above, DIS6931 incorporates a high-resolution CMOS sensor, a proprietary interface, miniaturized and proprietary low power actuators, along with a common firmware platform. The control interface will allow flawless upgrades between different DIS camera modules, like higher resolution or optical zoom.

Other features are the fast autofocus (under 300 ms) and the fast capture time (under 200 ms), which, together with the DCS capabilities, allow users to capture fast moving objects. Maximum resolution for the module is 3488 x 2616 pixels, while the device also supports HDTV sizes, with frame rates up to 30fps.

If you're interested in this little gadget, then you will be glad to know that pre-production samples are available, and that mass production for it will start in the last quarter of 2008.