Aptina Signs Patent License Agreement with Sony

Aptina, an innovator of CMOS imaging technology, focused in delivering excellent pixel performance, sensor functionality and camera system capability to a world going visual, is all set to deliver new and differentiated solutions to its customers. The company recently signed a patent cross-license agreement with Sony, which will now allow both the companies to use each other’s patented portfolios.

“Patents and innovation are a critical component of Aptina’s strategy, and Aptina’s patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the image sensor industry. We believe that this powerful blend will advance technology to realize our goal of enabling consumers to capture beautiful images and visual information,” Bob Gove, president and chief technology officer of Aptina said in a statement.

Aptina has been in talks with Sony for some time now to develop patent portfolios that include seminal image sensor patents covering image capture and processing methods. These technologies are fundamental to the world’s growing image sensor industry, with sales of over two billion units annually, and found in almost every consumer electronics device including smartphones, automobiles, tablets, televisions, gaming platforms, medical equipment and digital cameras.

This cross-license agreement enables these two innovation leaders to operate freely and use each other's patented inventions to advance the pace of development for cameras and other imaging applications. The cooperation fostered by the cross-license reinforces the ability of both companies to provide compelling imaging solutions to their customers, noted the company.

Aptina recently announced a high performance full HD mobile sensor designed to meet the needs of OEMs and ODMs who are designing forward-facing applications on their devices. The company is sampling the AR0261 now, and it will make it available by the summer of 2013 with several different options for OEMs and manufacturers with their own ISP.