US : Micron Technology announced that it has designed a receiver interface into one of its new mobile imaging sensors, helping to advance 3G video-phone calling.

The receiver, compliant with the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) standard, allows for the image signal processor (ISP) embedded in the sensor for the primary camera to be repurposed as the ISP engine for the secondary camera, reducing the second camera’s cost. Secondary cameras are gaining popularity as a key design feature in today’s handsets, allowing for 3G video-phone calling within designated networks.

“As today’s mobile phones continue down the path of becoming more feature-rich with new capabilities such as 3G video-phone calling, interface standards such as MIPI are becoming more critical,” said Sandor Barna, director of strategy and planning for Micron’s imaging business unit. “We were first to announce an image sensor with a MIPI transceiver and we are continuing that tradition of technological leadership with the introduction of the MIPI receiver.”

The first sensor to feature the MIPI receiver is the recently announced 1/4-inch, 3-megapixel complete camera system-on-chip (SOC) sensor (product number MT9T111). The MT9T111 sensor also features an industry-leading anti-shake capability, greatly reducing image blurring often found in camera phone pictures due to camera shake. General customer sampling for the sensor is currently underway, with mass production expected in the fourth quarter of 2007. Micron also plans to deploy the MIPI receiver interface in some of its future mobile phone sensor products.

Micron’s CMOS image sensor portfolio offers designers of virtually every image-capture application the flexibility, speed, resolution and feature set needed to develop high-quality products. Micron’s portfolio of CMOS image sensors are used in a variety of applications that span the mobile, consumer, medical, automotive, commercial, industrial and high-speed markets.

About Micron

Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets DRAMs, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors, other semiconductor components, and memory modules for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, and mobile products. Micron’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the MU symbol.