Aware, Inc. and ChipWrights Drive Image Compression Solution for Next-Generation Embedded Imaging Applications.Business/Technology Editors Embedded Systems Conference 2002 SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2002 Aware Ports its JPEG JPEG in full Joint Photographic Experts Group Standard computer file format for storing graphic images in a compressed form for general use. JPEG images are compressed using a mathematical algorithm. 2000 Codec to ChipWrights' CWvx Architecture Aware Inc., a leader in wavelet-based image and data compression technology, and ChipWrights, Inc., a leader in digital signal processing See DSP. Digital Signal Processing - (DSP) Computer manipulation of analog signals (commonly sound or image) which have been converted to digital form (sampled). (DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive ) technology for mobile imaging applications, announced today at the Embedded Systems Conference that Aware has ported its JPEG2000 codec to ChipWrights' recently-announced CWvx architecture. This technology represents a major advance in the embedded software implementation of JPEG2000, specifically targeted at wireless devices and digital cameras. Images are inherently data-intensive and complex. Image compression solutions are a key element in addressing today's bandwidth and storage limitations and in enabling powerful yet portable imaging technology. Today's more powerful image sensors require higher compression ratios. JPEG2000 compress images to sizes that are 30 to 50 percent smaller than traditional JPEG, without sacrificing quality. "The JPEG2000 standard is computationally complex, which is why the CWvx architecture is ideal," said Robert Mungovan, vice president of Aware's Advanced Products Group. "ChipWrights has developed a new approach that enables very efficient embedded image processing. Thus, ChipWrights' new processor, coupled with Aware's optimized JPEG2000 codec, will provide a flexible, standards-compliant, image compression solution for next- generation embedded imaging devices such as digital cameras and cell phones." "Mobile imaging applications demand new, more flexible data compression techniques," said Steven J. Wilson, vice president of marketing, ChipWrights. "Aware's expertise in JPEG2000 and image compression software allowed us to rapidly develop support for this emerging standard to meet the demand the fast-growing digital imaging markets. This will help establish a new standard for visual communications utilizing the latest wavelet-based coding techniques. Such technology advancements will help lower the cost and improve the performance of next-generation mobile imaging devices." The Aware codec is optimized and designed from the ground-up for embedded processors, with a very flexible and modular application program interface and DSP-friendly C Model. This software design allows embedded developers to select the code blocks that best leverage the specifics of their architecture while, at the same time, allows them to select the JPEG2000 encoding options that best fit their application. About JPEG2000 JPEG2000 is an image compression standard ideal for embedded applications. Created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (image, body, file format, standard) Joint Photographic Experts Group - (JPEG) The original name of the committee that designed the standard image compression algorithm. JPEG is designed for compressing either full-colour or grey-scale digital images of "natural", real-world scenes. (JPEG), JPEG2000 was adopted as an international standard by the ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. (International Organization for Standardization International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Organization for determining standards in most technical and nontechnical fields. Founded in Geneva in 1947, its membership includes more than 100 countries. ) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland, www.itu.ch) A telecommunications standards body that is under the auspices of the United Nations. Comprising more than 185 member countries, the ITU sets standards for global telecom networks. (International Telecommunications Union See ITU. (body, standard) International Telecommunications Union - (ITU) ITU-T, the telecommunication standardisation sector of ITU, is responsible for making technical recommendations about telephone and data (including fax) communications systems for PTTs and suppliers. ) in January 2001. JPEG2000 is based on state-of-the-art wavelet (mathematics) wavelet - A waveform that is bounded in both frequency and duration. Wavelet tranforms provide an alternative to more traditional Fourier transforms used for analysing waveforms, e.g. sound. technology, and offers a number of benefits over the original JPEG standard, including higher compression, error resilience, and a multi-resolution or multi-layered file format that enables a lower quality or smaller versions of the image to be extracted directly out of the compressed file, which is ideal for wireless applications. A lossless compression A compression technique that decompresses data back to its original form without any loss. The decompressed file and the original are identical. All compression methods used to compress text, databases and other business data are lossless. option coupled with a layered file format make it useful for applications that can tolerate no image data loss. Lossy See lossy compression. (algorithm) lossy - A term describing a data compression algorithm which actually reduces the amount of information in the data, rather than just the number of bits used to represent that information. and more compressed versions of the image can be stored in the lossless See lossless compression. (algorithm, compression) lossless - A term describing a data compression algorithm which retains all the information in the data, allowing it to be recovered perfectly by decompression. Unix compress and GNU gzip perform lossless compression. file, which is created by one encoding step. Each layer represents a fully viewable but incrementally higher quality version of the image. For more information on JPEG2000, please visit http://www.aware.com/products/compression/jpeg2000.html. About Aware Aware, Inc. designs, develops, licenses and markets a variety of wavelet transform-based data compression software products. Its solutions enable digital image, video and certain types of data to be compressed to between 1% and 10% of their original size for applications in law enforcement, multimedia, the oil and gas industry, medical image transmission, the Internet and wireless. Aware, Inc. also designs, develops, licenses and markets DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary technology that enables broadband communications over existing telephone networks. The company licenses its DSL intellectual property and software to semiconductor manufacturers and equipment manufacturers who sell products incorporating Aware's technology. Aware also markets to systems companies to encourage them to design its technology into their products, and to service providers to encourage them to deploy new broadband services based on its technology. More information about Aware can be found at http://www.aware.com. About ChipWrights ChipWrights is a fabless semiconductor company A fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips. It achieves an advantage by outsourcing the fabrication of the devices to a specialized semiconductor manufacturer called a semiconductor foundry or "fab. specializing in the design, development, and marketing of a new class of fully programmable digital signal processing devices. ChipWrights is developing the industry's first fully programmable, low cost, low power, and very high performance DSP/RISC microcontroller for fast-growing digital imaging markets. Specific application areas include real time image capture/presentation and image transmission/network media infrastructure. ChipWrights also provides a complete software development tool suite and hardware reference designs. The company is headquartered in Newton, MA. Additional corporate and technical information is available at www.chipwrights.com. Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. Warning Portions of this release contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as estimates or projections of future revenue and earnings and the growth of the DSL market. Aware wishes to caution you that there are factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results indicated by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: we have a unique business model, our quarterly results are difficult to predict, we depend on a limited number of licensees, we derive a significant amount of revenue from one customer, we depend on equipment companies to incorporate our technology into their products, we face intense competition from other DSL vendors, DSL technology competes with other technologies for broadband access, our business is subject to rapid technological change, and we will require additional engineering personnel. We refer you to the documents Aware files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the section titled Risk Factors in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. for the quarter ended September 30, 2001 and other reports and filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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