6G promises accurate positioning in 3D given the massive amount of infrastructure required. However, the idea that 6G is essential for driverless vehicles and other robotics has been quietly dropped by some enthusiasts. After all, you expect your car to work on any road, and progression from ADAS automatic driver assistance systems to driverless driving is carried out most elegantly and safely with the Tesla approach. That makes the vehicle independent when needed, the connected car is a different matter. Tesla avoids LIDAR and ultrasound, focusing on radar and mostly image capture cameras. As for the others, well, the only consensus is that whatever else you add, you must have these cameras. In this article we therefore look at these in general, both for use independently of 6G and as part of 6G. The most comprehensive and up-to-date report on all sensors, including this one, is the Zhar Research Report, “ Sensor Markets, Technologies, Enterprises 2023-2043: By Measured Parameters, Operating Modes, Application Sectors, Patent Trends, Top Patent Grantors, Manufacturer Ratings, Future Leaders, Research Pipeline, Roadmaps, Market Forecasts“.
Here we share some of that coverage. In the section on image sensors and cameras, it is noted that an image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and transmits information that is used to create an image. It converts the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of electricity that carry the information. The waves can be light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is advisable to also include ultrasound imaging – see “Ultrasonic sensors” in the report. In fact, the report also includes a section on ultrasonic sensors and how imaging comes into play there as well.
Image sensors are used in electronic imaging devices of both analog and digital types, which include digital cameras, camera modules, camera phones, optical mouse devices, medical imaging devices, night vision devices such as thermal imaging devices, radar, sonar, and others. As technology changes, electronic and digital imaging tend to replace chemical (camera film development) and analog imaging. There are two types of commonly used electromagnetic input image sensors on the market – charge coupled devices (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductors (see MOS and CMOS sensors in the report).
Image sensors are somewhat of a forerunner for all sensors as their sales and patent growth is similar and the interest of leading patent holders worldwide. This is partly due to their broad applicability in most application areas, from military to medical, automotive to personal electronics, and they come in so many different forms. An image sensor or imager captures and transmits information used to create an image, basically from the far infrared (THz) as for security and archeology to the ultraviolet across the electromagnetic spectrum. It does this by converting the variable attenuation of these waves as they pass through or reflect off objects, turning them into small bursts of electrical current that carry the information.
The report finds that Samsung is the leading sensor company for 2023-2043 when considering a range of metrics, from patenting to technology, finance and strategy. Part of that consideration is its remarkable image capture capability and the fact that it supplies electric car leader Tesla with its embedded cameras. It’s no surprise, then, that Samsung is a leader in patenting image sensors, one of the most patented sensor topics of all, as shown below.
