Partnerships simplify in-cabin monitoring design

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023, Omnivision will announce two new partnerships for in-cabin monitoring solutions with Seeing Machines Ltd. and Geo Semiconductor. Omnivision and Seeing Machines are launching a new silicon platform that leverages Seeing Machines’ in-cabin monitoring system (ICMS) technology and Occula neural processing unit NPU and Omnivision’s OAX4600 system-on-chip (SoC) platform. Omnivision’s partnership with Geo Semiconductor delivers an RGB-IR solution for automotive cabin monitoring systems, leveraging Geo’s upcoming GW6 intelligent camera video processor and Omnivision’s OX05B1S 5-MP RGB-IR automotive image sensor.

Omnivision and Seeing Machines

Announcing the integration of Seeing Machines’ ICMS technology with the Omnivision OAX4600 SoC, the new solution integrates the embedded driver monitoring engine (e-DME) software into the OAX4600 SoC silicon. The SoC meets and exceeds the regulatory requirements of the European Commission’s General Safety Regulation (GSR) as well as Europe’s New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) protocols.

Omnivision OAX4600 SoC for in-cabin monitoring (Source: Omnivision)

“The Seeing Machines e-DME software makes use of the Occula NPU integrated in the OAX4600 to reduce the load on the on-board Arm processors while accelerating the core tracking pipeline,” said Omnivision.

The company also said when the OAX4600, integrated with the ICMS solution, is paired with Omnivision’s high-resolution, wide-field-of-view automotive RGB-IR or near-infrared (NIR) camera sensors, it delivers a combination of “performance, cost, and power efficiency in a form factor” that fits space-constrained areas of the vehicle.

 The new ICMS silicon platform will be showcased at CES in the Seeing Machines private meeting suite at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. To schedule a demo or for more information, contact Kevin.Tanaka@SeeingMachines.com or an Omnivision sales representative.

Omnivision and Geo Semiconductor

Omnivision and Geo Semiconductor will demonstrate a 5-MP RGB-IR automotive image sensor with a camera video processor that can provide simultaneous driver and cabin monitoring video streams. Showcasing the simultaneous capturing and processing of RGB and IR automotive interior video from a single sensor, the solution combines Omnivision’s OX05B1S 5MP RGB-IR image sensor, with high sensitivity across all lighting conditions, with Geo’s upcoming GW6 intelligent camera video processor.

Omnivision’s OX05B1S 5MP RGB-IR image sensor (Source: Omnivision)

The OX05B1S image sensor is based on Omnivision’s 2.2-micron PureCelPlus‑S and Nyxel pixel technologies. The company claims the Nyxel technology offers the industry’s highest NIR quantum efficiency at 36%, which is a 3× increase from 12% in the previous generation. It is offered in a small 7.9 × 6.3-mm automotive CSP.

The GW6 camera video processor, developed on the TSMC 16-nm automotive process, will be offered in a 7 × 7-mm fcCSP package (video processing only) or a 17 × 17-mm fcCSP package (neural network version). The video processor can support the full 5-MP RGB-IR 4×4 pattern of the OX05B1S running at 60 frames per second and provides two unique video streams with high-quality video for both computer vision and viewing applications, said the company.

The key benefit is an integrated in-cabin solution for the driver monitoring (DMS) and occupant monitoring (OMS) algorithms while using only one high-resolution RGB-IR image sensor.

The OX05B1S will be available in mass production in the first quarter of 2023, with GW6 availability starting in 2023. Both provide advanced ASIL functional safety and AEC-Q100 Grade 2 certification for automotive applications. Please contact CES@geosemi.com for a private demonstration in the GEO suite at CES.