NEWS JUNE 2010
Auto-focus invention for smart phone cameras gets Cambridge Mechatronics its 100th Patent
Cambridge, UK June 14th Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd (CML), a leading developer of ASICs and Intellectual Property for precision electronic actuators used in high volume consumer products, today announced that it has been awarded its 100th patent. This latest patent was granted for one of the company's most important inventions relating to the use of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) in the miniature camera auto-focus application. The company has more than 30 other SMA actuator related inventions which are currently being examined or awaiting examination by the patent authorities in China, Europe, Great Britain, Japan, Korea and the USA.
The new patent is for a particular SMA mechanism that will enable the smallest and simplest SMA auto-focus actuator possible. As SMA wire is already acknowledged as the basis of extremely small, strong and simple actuators, auto-focus modules manufactured under license from CML are highly competitive in the rapidly growing smart phone camera market. CML predicts that the total annual market for miniature auto-focus modules will pass 400 million units as early as 2012.
CML has been working with numerous auto-focus module manufacturers, camera integrators and other partners, many of which are located in Japan and Korea. Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII) of Makuhari, Japan, was announced as the first manufacturing licensee in July 2009. CML expects to announce several other licensees during the remainder of 2010.
CML has also developed an SMA Actuator Control ASIC. The tiny device, branded Xlinea, was released for mass production in September 2009 and is available to CML licensees directly from the Atmel Corporation of San Jose, California.