FotoNation introduces two exciting features for digital cameras and camera phones

FotoNation might be an unknown company name for most people, but they claim their technology are embedded in every three digital cameras sold today.

FaceTime
FotoNation today announced "FaceTime," a new technology to assist in capturing self-portraits when using digital camera or camera phones. The technology is offered as an add-on module to the FotoNation FaceTrackerT technology and is available for immediate licensing.

FaceTime solves a long standing problem faced by photographers who want to take a self portrait or if they want to be included in a group photo. The typical solution offered today requires photographers to set the timer shutter and then rush to be in position before the shutter triggers. Alternatively, photographers use a remote shutter and then they hide their hands in the scene.

FotoNation FaceTime is a new type of shutter trigger technology that is invoked when the photographer’s face is detected in a scene. After the photographer puts the camera in FaceTime mode and presses the shutter button, the camera waits to fire the shutter until it recognizes the addition of the face of the photographer to the scene. Once detected, a count-down timer is initiated giving photographers time to relax and compose themselves in the scene.

"Sooner or later, every photographer wants to be part of a photo they are composing; and until now, it has always been a cumbersome effort. We believe that FaceTime is the first new technology that brings a pragmatic solution to self-portraits," said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation, Inc

FotoNation today also announced  the availability of licensing for "SmileCheck," a new technology to detect smiles in portrait photos taken by digital cameras and camera phones. 

SmileCheck
SmileCheck is an extension module of FotoNation’s currently shipping FaceTracker product line.  By monitoring the video preview stream in the cameras during framing, SmileCheck first looks for faces in the scene of the photo. Once faces are detected, the software looks for facial features associated with smiles.

SmileCheck enables a new type of picture taking mode called "Smile Shutter" in digital cameras. Once the camera’s trigger button is depressed, the shutter is not engaged until smiles are detected on all faces within the frame, ensuring photos with all smiles. Markets for this new technology include high volume portrait studios, school and event photographers, and identity photography, such as passports and badge ID cards for simplifying workflow.

"SmileCheck is part of FotoNation's growing embedded facial analysis solutions. By offering the industry better tools for understanding of the content of images, such as information about the people in photographs, we can enhance the overall picture taking experience," said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation, Inc.

Both the FaceTime and SmileCheck are being debuted at the 2008 Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Convention, held this week from January 31-February 2, 2008 in Las Vegas.  

About FotoNation
FotoNation is a world-leading independent provider of embedded imaging solutions for the digital camera and mobile phone industry providing products and technology to improve image quality and user’s experience in digital photography. The company’s extensive portfolio of patented innovations include in-camera corrections for red-eye, dust spot removal, chromatic aberration correction, face tracking, smile detection and other face based technologies. Clients include Canon, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Microsoft, Minton, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Samsung, Sanyo, and Sony, among others.