QuickLogic delivers Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE) with Qualcomm EBI2 display interface

In response to demand for their Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE) technology among users of Qualcomm chipsets, the folks at QuickLogic have developed a proven system block (PSB) for VEE that connects directly to the EBI2 (see article #206902809 for more details on VEE).

This newly-available PSB simplifies the use of VEE technology with a Qualcomm chipset and a Smart LCD to enhance image viewability and significantly reduce system power. The solution has been developed in collaboration with several handset OEMs and is available today using QuickLogic's Customer Specific Standard Product (CSSP) platforms.

Qualcomm provides handset OEMs and ODMs with solutions for the CDMA, WCDMA (UMTS), and HSPA markets. According to market researcher iSuppli, demand for these handsets will exceed 550 million units in 2009 and nearly 650 million units in 2010. The VEE technology improves the multimedia user experience in these handsets by adaptively enhancing image content for optimum display on a mobile LCD, even while dramatically increasing battery life. The core of the VEE technology is based on the proven iridix core licensed from Apical Limited, which is substantiated by nearly a decade of scientific research.

Unlike typical global enhancement algorithms such as gamma correction, VEE is context sensitive and adapts on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The technology also adapts to the effects of ambient lighting on display viewability, giving developers an alternative to simply boosting backlight intensity levels for bright, daylight viewing – a common use case in the handset industry. The result is a savings in power with a corresponding extension of battery life.

The EBI2 PSB extracts image data from bus transactions intended for a Smart Display, interprets and enhances the image content, then passes the enhanced data on to the display device as EBI2 bus transactions. The entire operation is transparent to the system, allowing the VEE-enabled CSSP to simply drop into the system design between the Qualcomm chipset and display.

Availability
VEE-enabled CSSPs targeting use in Qualcomm-based designs are available immediately.