Allows Smartphones and Tablets to Record 240 fps Equivalent Full HD Video

TOKYO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 24, 2014 — Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced the launch of “T4K82”, a 13-megapixel BSI¹ CMOS image sensor that allows smartphones and tablets to record full HD video at 240 equivalent frames per second (fps), the industry’s highest² frame rate. Sample shipments are scheduled to start in March.

Toshiba: "T4K82", a 13-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor with high speed video technology for smartphones and tablets (Photo: Business Wire)

High speed video recording requires a high frame rate with short exposure time, resulting in underexposed images. “T4K82” incorporates “Bright Mode” technology that boosts imaged brightness up to four times, realizing full HD video capture at 240 fps equivalent. The new sensor allows smartphones and tablets to record high quality, high speed video, and to offer extended imaging functions including smooth slow motion playback and high speed continuous shooting.

The sensor also adopts a newly developed low power circuit design that reduces power consumption to 82% that of “T4K37”, a 13-megapixel sensor in mass production³.

About “Bright Mode”
“Bright Mode” technology secures double the exposure time by adopting interlaced⁴ video output, not the progressive⁵ output that standard CMOS sensors use. "Bright Mode" also employs charge binning⁶, which doubles the electrical charge of each pixel, resulting in an image four times brighter than that from a CMOS sensor without "Bright Mode". Toshiba will also provide an interlace-progressive conversion program that enables users to offer high quality progressive video with low image deterioration, without changing the frame rate.