Methods for enabling in-field selection of near-sensor digital imaging functions

A method of processing data with a field programmable imaging array (FPIA) chip, the FPIA chip comprising a substrate, macropixel elements disposed on the substrate, and field programmable gate array (FPGA) elements disposed on the substrate in electronic communication with the plurality of FPGA elements, the method comprising:

• processing digital data with the macropixel elements;
• transferring processed digital data from the macropixel elements to the FPGA elements;
• reconfiguring connections between the macropixel elements and the FPGA elements;
• and
• converting serial digital data from the macropixel elements to parallel digital data for processing by the FPGA elements.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a sensor array chip to generate analog data;
• a sensor interface chip, having a first side disposed on a first side of the sensor array chip, to convert the analog data to digital data;
• and
• a digital processing chip, having a first side disposed on a second side of the sensor interface chip, to process the digital data provided by the sensor interface chip, the digital processing chip comprising a plurality of deserializer elements to convert serial digital data to parallel digital data,
• wherein a second reconfigurable interconnect in the plurality of reconfigurable interconnects is configured to be dynamically reconfigured to electronically couple at least one macropixel element to a first deserializer element in the plurality of deserializer elements.