Ceva unveils smartphone imaging-processor

Human-like vision processing is driven by applications in smartphones, automotive safety, robotics, and drones.

DSP IP platform for mobile, multimedia and connectivity licensor Ceva Inc. (Nasdaq:CEVA); LSE:CVA) today unveiled its 4G imaging and vision processor IP. The CEVA-XM4 is designed to solve challenges faced when implementing energy-efficient human-like vision and visual perception capabilities in embedded systems.

The integration of human-like vision processing in embedded systems continues to accelerate, driven by applications in smartphones, tablets, automotive safety and infotainment, robotics, security and surveillance, augmented reality, drones, and signage.

Given the typically limited space and power resources, imitating human vision and adding computational photography to embedded systems can be challenging. To address these issues, Ceva incorporated programmable wide-vector architecture, with fixed- and floating-point processing, multiple simultaneous scalar units, and a vision-oriented low-power instruction set. The company says that Ceva-XM4 achieves up to 8x performance improvement with 35% greater energy efficiency, compared with the Ceva-MM3101.

The new IP's capabilities allow it to support real-time 3D depth map generation and point cloud processing for 3D scanning. In addition, it can analyze scene information using the most processing-intensive object detection and recognition algorithms. The the Ceva-XM4 also supports a wide range of computational photography algorithms that enhance the video or image, including refocus, background replacement, zoom, super-resolution, image stabilization, noise reduction and improved low-light capabilities.

Ceva CEO Gideon Wertheizer said, "Ceva-XM4 is a huge step forward for implementing intelligent vision processing in low-power embedded applications. Ceva-XM4 builds on our extensive experience in imaging and vision achieved through working with more than a dozen Ceva-MM3101 licensees and 30 partners across a wide range of end markets, from smartphones and tablets through to surveillance and ADAS. The performance per mW and performance per mm2 of Ceva-XM4 significantly exceed those of any other computer vision solution in the market, including leading GPU-based solutions."

Embedded Vision Alliance founder Jeff Bier said, "Embedded vision is proliferating into a wide range of applications, including mobile, automotive and consumer devices. By incorporating specialized programmable processors like the Ceva-XM4 into their designs, chip suppliers can deliver the heavyweight processing performance required by typical computer vision algorithms while staying within size, cost and power consumption limits required by high-volume portable devices. This makes it possible to create systems that are more intelligent, easier to use, safer and more responsive."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 25, 2015

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2015

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018