FotoNation announces "FaceTime’…’‚‚ª" technology for digital cameras & camera phones

Face Recognition Technology Used to Trigger New Type of Count-Down Timer

Burlingame, CA, January 15, 2008 -- FotoNation, a leading provider of embedded imaging solutions for the imaging industry, announced today "FaceTime", a new technology to assist in capturing self-portraits when using digital camera or camera phones. FaceTime is being debuted at the 2008 Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show in Las Vegas. The technology is offered as an add-on module to the FotoNation FaceTracker’…’‚‚ª 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.

’*‚„’‚‚‚‚¾‚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.

A demonstration is available at PMA. For more information, see www.fotonation.com.