I3A VISION 2020 Awards for 2011 Announced

InVisage Wins Gold Award; 36Pix Takes Silver; Aptina Imaging Receives Bronze

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--I3A has announced the 2011 winners of its VISION 2020 Imaging Innovation Awards. The awards were presented yesterday at the 6Sight Future of Imaging Summit taking place here.

“We hope that showcasing these examples in the I3A VISION 2020 awards will help to inspire others to innovate and share their creative ideas, as we progress towards our future vision. I'm very pleased to honor these three creative technology companies.”

I3A (the International Imaging Industry Association; http://www.i3a.org) is the leading global association for the imaging industry. The VISION 2020 Imaging Innovation Awards program seeks to energize, recognize and celebrate innovators whose ideas will drive the industry toward a vision of the future of intelligent imaging. Details about the VISION 2020 Initiative and Awards can be found at http://www.i3a.org/about-i3a/awards/vision2020/.

The VISION 2020 panel of expert judges selected three companies' innovative technologies from a pool of submissions:

• Gold: InVisage Technologies, Inc. (http://www.invisageinc.com/) of Menlo Park, Calif., for its QuantumFilm image sensors, which are semiconductors with unique light-capture properties -- the world’s first commercial quantum-dot-based image sensors. QuantumFilm works by capturing an imprint of a light image and then employing the silicon beneath it to read out the image and turn it into versatile digital signals. The technology makes it possible to obtain high-fidelity, high-resolution images from handheld devices such as camera phones and PDAs in even the most challenging lighting conditions. The use of QuantumFilm will enable high pixel count and high performance in tiny form factors, breaking silicon's inherent performance-resolution tradeoff, so that camera users will no longer have to choose between the convenience of a mobile phone or portable camera and the quality images captured by a large digital camera.
• Silver: 36Pix (http://www.36pix.com/) of Montreal, for its ChromaStar chroma keying engine technology, which solves the most challenging "green screen" problems and provides maximum image rendering flexibility in the fastest turnaround times, especially valuable with large volumes, such as the school and sports photography markets. Photographers take their photos using a green background and send them online to 36Pix, which uses the ChromaStar® engine to remove the green backgrounds. The photos go back over the web to the photographers (or photo labs) so that they can then insert their own backgrounds. The ChromaStar® engine's advanced algorithms quickly produce high definition images so that customers get their orders back within one or two days.
• Bronze: Aptina Imaging Corporation (http://www.aptina.com/) of San Jose, Calif., for its High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, including the first system-on-a-chip HDR product, which enables camera phones to capture high quality images and video in diverse illumination conditions. Though the dynamic range of camera phones has actually been decreasing as smaller pixels are utilized to achieve higher resolutions, Aptina’s HDR technology reverses this trend. Through a combination of advanced pixel technologies, an innovative sensor architecture, and on-chip signal processing, Aptina has engineered a completely self-contained HDR solution to capture the brightest and darkest parts of a scene at the same time.

"Each of these winning innovations has tackled a challenging area of imaging and delivered a unique, inventive solution that will help move the world of imaging forward," said Lisa Walker, I3A President. "We hope that showcasing these examples in the I3A VISION 2020 awards will help to inspire others to innovate and share their creative ideas, as we progress towards our future vision. I'm very pleased to honor these three creative technology companies."

VISION 2020 Awards Criteria

VISION 2020 Imaging Innovation Awards are given to those individuals, teams, organizations or companies whose product or service innovations enable a future of intelligent imaging where images are increasingly used to enhance communication and quality of life. All entries must be imaging-related; a broad view of imaging is used. An innovation may be drawn from the areas of capturing, storing, sharing, managing, processing or printing, among others.

The VISION 2020 entries were evaluated by an independent panel of judges, made up of industry experts, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and analysts. The judges ranked each entry according to the submission's relevance to the imaging industry, its potential market impact (does it solve a significant market problem?), the method of impact (how does it bring change to the market?), its uniqueness and its implementation status (how real is it? are there patents, beta programs or proof of concept?).

About the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A)

I3A's vision is to enable the use of imaging to simplify and enrich people's lives through visual experiences that connect generations, communities, information and services. I3A drives the global imaging ecosystem toward this vision by bringing members together to create standards and collaborate on initiatives that advance shared interests, foster growth, and open pathways to new markets.

Information about I3A can be found at http://www.i3a.org or by phone at [phone]. For information on joining I3A, please write or call Noel Mareno, [e-mail], [phone].

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