Himax Teams up with MediaTek and Megvii to Offer Industry’s First Active Stereo Camera 3D Sensing Reference Design for Android Smartphone

Providing Cost Benefit to Enable Facial Recognition and Authentication for Secure Online Payment

TAINAN, Taiwan, Sept. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced collaboration with MediaTek Inc., an industry leading smartphone AP platform provider, and Megvii, the Chinese developer of the world’s biggest open platform of face recognition known as Face++, to offer the industry’s first Active Stereo Camera (ASC) 3D sensing reference design targeting facial recognition and secure online payment for Android smartphone. Given its cost benefit and outstanding performance, numerous smartphone makers are enthusiastic about the reference design for their next generation product launch.

The ASC 3D sensing solution combines MediaTek’s stereo matching depth engine, Megvii’s Face++ AI-based computer vision algorithm with Himax’s cutting-edge projector, sensor and laser driver. The critical technologies provided by Himax include DOE and collimator utilizing its world leading WLO technology in the projector, a high efficiency laser driver IC, high precision active alignment for the projector assembly, and two high sensitivity near-infrared CMOS image sensors in the receiver. Compared with the structured light technology, the ASC is a lower cost 3D sensing solution targeting mass market smartphone models for facial recognition, secure online payment and AI-based photo enhancement.

The key features of the ASC 3D sensing solution enabled by Himax 3D sensing technologies include:

• Customized infrared projector with patterned DOE and collimator: Between 7,000 - 10,000 invisible dots to build sophisticated 3D depth map
• High quantum efficiency sensor at 940nm band: Superior sensing capability in both indoor/outdoor environments
• Glass broken detection: Patented glass broken detection mechanism enabled by tailor made laser driver in the projector whereby laser is shut down instantaneously in the event of broken glass in the projector
• Eye safety: Certified for IEC 60825 Class 1, the international standard governing laser product safety under all conditions of normal use with naked eyes
• Compact form factor and power-efficient: Ideal for embedded and mobile device integration

“We are pleased to partner with MediaTek and Megvii. This strong alliance ensures that 3D sensing is affordable for Android mass market and can be easily adopted by smartphone makers to create exciting user experience. I believe ASC will facilitate a broader adoption of 3D sensing on Android smartphone during 2019,” said Jordan Wu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Himax Technologies.

About Himax Technologies, Inc.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIMX) is a fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. Himax is a worldwide market leader in display driver ICs and timing controllers used in TVs, laptops, monitors, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, car navigation, virtual reality (VR) devices and many other consumer electronics devices. Additionally, Himax designs and provides controllers for touch sensor displays, in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions, LED driver ICs, power management ICs, scaler products for monitors and projectors, tailor-made video processing IC solutions, silicon IPs and LCOS micro-displays for augmented reality (AR) devices and heads-up displays (HUD) for automotive. The Company also offers digital camera solutions, including CMOS image sensors and wafer level optics for AR devices, 3D sensing and machine vision, which are used in a wide variety of applications such as mobile phone, tablet, laptop, TV, PC camera, automobile, security, medical devices and Internet of Things. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Israel and the US. Himax has 2,997 patents granted and 442 patents pending approval worldwide as of June 30, 2018. Himax has retained its position as the leading display imaging processing semiconductor solution provider to consumer electronics brands worldwide.

http://www.himax.com.tw

Company Contacts:

Jackie Chang, CFO
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Ext.22300 
Or
US Tel: +1-949-585-9838 Ext.252
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
Email: jackie_chang@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Ophelia Lin, Investor Relations
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Ext.22202
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877 
Email: ophelia_lin@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Ken Liu, Investor Relations
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Ext.22513
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877 
Email: ken_liu@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Investor Relations - US Representative
Greg Falesnik, Managing Director
MZ North America
Tel: +1-212-301-7130
Email: greg.falesnik@mzgroup.us 
www.mzgroup.us