The research is intended to benefit cameras not only in mobile phones but across mobile devices. The Camera Phone Image Quality Initiative is entering its second phase, which will develop a system for rating image quality from phone cameras.
The group plans to define standards that let consumers compare devices, similar to the ratings used for household appliances. Consistent manufacturer specifications would indicate what users can expect from a mobile phone and its image quality. The new framework will first need adoption across a broad range of handset manufacturers.
Participants include Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, along with component manufacturers AMD, Freescale, Texas Instruments, Kodak and Micron Technology. Micron introduced a camera chip during the summer that is designed to remove lens flare from digital images and correct contrast.
“The I3A’s goal is to improve image quality across all devices,” says organisation president Lisa Walker. “As the second phase begins, we have welcomed several new members to the initiative. Their distribution across different industry segments shows how important camera and image quality is to the entire sector.”
