LG G8 ThinkQ will include IR facial recognition

LG Electronics and Infineon Technologies AG have teamed up to introduce Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology to smartphone selfie lovers.

Infineon's REAL3 image sensor chip will play a key role in the front-facing camera of the upcoming LG G8 ThinQ.

Building upon the combined expertise of Infineon and pmdtechnologies in algorithms for processed 3D point clouds (a set of data points in space produced by 3D scanning), the innovative sensor will deliver innovative front camera capabilities in a smartphone.

While other 3D technologies utilise complex algorithms to calculate an object's distance from the camera lens, the ToF image sensor chip delivers accurate measurements by capturing infrared light as it is reflected off the subject.

As a result, ToF is faster and more effective in ambient light, reducing the workload on the application processor and decreasing power consumption.

Due to its fast response speed, ToF technology is widely used in various biometric authentication methods, such as face recognition.

Because ToF sees objects in 3D and is not affected by light from external sources, it delivers an excellent recognition rate, both indoors and out, great for implementation in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.

Infineon is recognised for its technological excellence in sensor solutions.

The German chipmaker enables highly reliable automotive, power management and digital security applications.

The company developed the ToF technology featured in the LG G8 ThinQ for use in both premium, high-end smartphones as well as mid-tier devices.

"Infineon is poised to revolutionise the market," says Infineon power management and multimarket division president Andreas Urschitz.

"We have demonstrated service beyond the mere product level – specifically catering to phone OEMs, associated reference design houses and camera module manufacturers. Within five years, we expect 3D cameras to be found in most smartphones and Infineon will contribute a significant share.

 "Keeping in mind LG's goal to provide real value to its mobile customers, our newest flagship was designed with ToF technology from inception to give users a unique and secure verification system without sacrificing camera capabilities," says LG Mobile senior vice president and product strategy head Chang Ma.

"The LG G8 ThinQ featuring ToF will be an optimal choice for users in search of a premium smartphone that offers unmatched camera capabilities.