Watch maker Citizen to mass produce CMOS camera modules with auto focus function for cellular phones

21 May '05

6 min read

A leading watch company Citizen Group to start mass production of CMOS camera modules with auto focus function for cellular phones.

Electric Power Consumption Cut by 90% Through Application of Wristwatch Motor Technology

Developed Jointly by 3 Citizen Group Companies - Citizen Watch Co Ltd. (president, Makoto Umehara), and its two consolidated subsidiaries Citizen Electronics Co Ltd (Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture; president, Takashi Masuzawa) and Miyota Co Ltd (Miyota-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano Prefecture; president, Yuzo Maekawa) have jointly developed a CMOS camera module with an automatic focus function for use in cellular phones. Samples will be shipped from July 1, 2005, and mass production will begin on December 1, 2005.

“CCM-XUA” series; sample price: ¥15,000 before tax
- Samples shipped from: July 1, 2005
- Start of mass production: December 1, 2005
- Target sales: at least 1 million units a month (in 2006) and at least 2 million units a month (in 2007)

The new product is a CMOS camera module with an auto focus function for use in cellular phones. It uses a new stepping motor that was developed out of the motor technology applied to wristwatch movements.

By using a stepping motor in the actuator of a camera's auto focus mechanism, the electric power consumption in the standby state of the auto focus system has been greatly reduced to about one-tenth that consumed by a conventional piezoelectric motor. In addition, a new material resin incorporating carbon nanofibers is used in the lens holder, allowing high image precision and high yield to be achieved.

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