Achieved high-definition image at the level of DSLR cameras
with a smartphone
- 'High Magnification Optical Continuous Zoom Camera
Module'…World's first mass production in 2022
- Innovative optical camera technology is increasingly being
used in a variety of applications, including vehicles and
robots
SEOUL, South Korea,
April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LG
Innotek (CEO Moon, Hyuksoo) has once again demonstrated its
unrivaled technology to the global market by winning the "Edison
Awards" for the second consecutive year, following their success
last year.
On the 25th, LG Innotek announced that they have won this year's
'Edison Awards 2024' for its 'High Magnification Optical
Continuous Zoom Camera Module (hereinafter referred to as 'Optical
Continuous Zoom Module') for smartphones, which is applied with the
world's best optical design technology.
Edison Awards is the most prestigious invention award in the US
held since 1987 to commemorate the innovative spirit of the
inventor Edison, and is referred to as the 'Oscars of
Innovation.'
Over 3,000 judges comprised of top management and scholars in
each industrial field across the US conduct strict reviews for
approximately 7 months. Every year, they select the winners of
the gold, silver, and bronze awards in 16 areas.
The continuous zoom module submitted by LG Innotek this year was
selected as the winner of the Silver Award in the area of
'Commercial technology' at the award ceremony held in Florida, USA on the evening of the 18th (local
time).
'Optical Zoom' is the zoom function that provides
high-definition images
by directly moving the lens to zoom in
on an object. Previously, optical zoom could only be properly
realized by installing multiple 'Fixed Zoom Modules' that work at a
specific magnification. Because of this, it has been applied only
to large professional cameras, such as DSLR cameras.
Since there was no space to install optical fixed zoom modules
in smartphones, there were no options but to adopt the 'digital
zoom' method, which zooms in on a filmed image using software. This
is the reason picture quality deteriorated when a picture was taken
while zooming in using existing smartphones.
As LG Innotek successfully developed 'optical continuous zoom
modules' in 2021, an era has opened where shooting of
high-definition images at the level of DSLR cameras is
possible.
The 'Optical Continuous Zoom Module' submitted to the Edison
Awards is a version LG Innotek commercialized for the first time in
the world in 2022. Even with just one module built-in,
high-definition images can be shot while freely adjusting between
all the intervals between 3x and 5x. An LG Innotek official
explained that the customer adopting the product can secure
additional space in a smartphone and improve battery
efficiency.
The key to the successful mass production of the 'Optical
Continuous Zoom Module' is in the 'Zoom Actuator' that adopted LG
Innotek's unrivaled precision control technology.
The 'Zoom Actuator' is the core part of a camera module
adjusting the focus of the lens while moving multiple lenses
quickly and accurately. The longer the lens operating distance, the
higher the magnification, thereby making the accurate control of
the operating distance crucial. LG Innotek's 'Zoom Actuator'
operates precisely by micrometers (㎛, one millionth of 1 meter),
and achieves a crystal clear image quality.
In addition to this, the innovation of the product was further
enhanced by solving the issue of 'protruding camera lens' by
applying a 'D Cut Design' that cuts the protruded part of the
circular lens and turns it into a flat alphabet 'D' shape.
LG Innotek has continuously upgraded the specifications since
the first mass production of the 'Optical Continuous Zoom Module'
and in the second half of 2022, it also successfully developed
continuous zoom module that can perform optical shooting between
the high magnification range between 4x and 9x. The company has won
the Innovation Award with that zoom module at CES 2023.
CTO S.David Roh said, "By winning
the Edison Award, LG Innotek was able to prove again its unrivaled
technology accumulated in the area of camera modules" and added,
"We will also apply the 'Optical Continuous Camera Modules' to
various areas such as vehicles and robots to continuously provide
differentiated customer values."
Photo -
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Logo -
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