Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE) enriches mobile multimedia experience

Every now and again I get to see something that makes me say "Wow – that is really, REALLY cool!" Such was the case a couple of weeks ago when the folks at QuickLogic were kind enough to give me a pre-launch briefing on their latest product called the Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE).

I don't know about you, but I find it incredibly difficult to watch video on my iPod and similar multimedia platforms when I'm outdoors, because the sunlight simply washes things out. Even when I'm inside, if the batteries start to go down and the platform moves into a power-saving mode and reduces the backlight, the contrast is often so bad that all you can see is a minimal amount of detail.

Well, QuickLogic's new VEE technology appears to be able to solve all of these issues. Below you can see stills from the videos QuickLogic showed me (you can see part of these videos yourself as discussed later in this column).

Original video with VEE Off.
(Click this image to view a larger, more detailed version)

Same video with VEE On.
(Click this image to view a larger, more detailed version)

VEE technology addresses both of my "niggles" above. First, it allows a mobile device to provide a superior user experience in outdoor and bright ambient light environments without increasing the LCD backlight, thus preserving precious battery life.

Second, in indoor or low ambient light conditions, VEE allows the mobile device to operate with a lower LCD backlight while maintaining the visual experience; a comman use-case of thsi class would be watching movies on a mobile device during an airplane flight, for example.

Even better, one of the benefits of the VEE architecture is that its settings can be updated in real-time, adapting the algorithm on-the-fly as the ambient lighting conditions change.

The core of the VEE technology is based on the iridix algorithm licensed from Apical Limited. This algorithm was developed by scientists from the ground up to model the methods that the human eye uses to adapt viewed scenes and images to changing ambient light conditions.

In order to deliver a power-efficient, yet flexible solution for the multitude of use cases, application and baseband processors, and LCD displays, QuickLogic and Apical Limited partnered to architect and develop the optimal blend of Apical algorithms with QuickLogic's video enhancement algorithms and ViaLink programmable fabric for mobile and portable multimedia products.

The proprietary VEE technology provides high quality contrast optimization for a wide range of mobile consumer and prosumer devices. It specifically addresses the mobile industry's need to provide consumers with a TV-quality viewing experience while extending battery life at the same time. By intelligently re-mapping display data to enhance sub-regional variations, VEE improves the viewability of images and video without affecting on-screen graphics. This is an important use-case when consumers have a split-screen between web browsing and Mobile TV or YouTube functionality.

VEE technology will be included in QuickLogic's library of Proven System Blocks (PSBs) and can be implemented in multiple silicon platforms, ultimately being delivered to OEMs and ODMs as a Customer Specific Standard Product (CSSP). The folks at QuickLogic say that VEE's introduction underscores their strategy to create next generation solutions that address key design concerns in the mobile industry.

Check VEE out for yourself
QuiclLogic have provided a short overview video that shows the effects of using VEE. Click Here to download a compressed (6 MB) ZIP file containing an MP4 video. (Or if you wish, you can Click Here to access a much higher resolution [36 MB] version.)

Availability
Visual Enhancement Engine technology is available now as a PSB soft-core for use with QuickLogic's PolarPro family of programmable solution platforms. It is also being integrated as a hard logic implementation in the next generation of the company's ArcticLink solution platform line, with sampling expected in Q3 2008.