Near-sensor image processing, a VLSI realization

We present a single chip circuit solution to a concept called Near-Sensor Image Processing (NISP), which includes image sensing, image processing and feature extraction. We give solutions to the three main implementation problems. A small photodiode read-out unit, which is locally compensated for process variations, a low power processor element and an instruction line driver, suitable for massively parallel processors are described. A 16/spl times/16 elements prototype has been built. However most of the results come from simulations of an improved 128/spl times/128 matrix.