Handheld imaging device with integrated chip incorporating on shared wafer image processor and central processor

A portable imaging device, comprising:

• an image sensor configured for generating signals carrying data related to an image sensed by the image sensor;
• an integrated chip provided on a wafer substrate, the integrated chip integrating on the wafer substrate an image processor for processing the image sensed by the image sensor, an image sensor interface for receiving signals from the image sensor, an input buffer for receiving data from the image sensor interface, and an output buffer;
• a plurality of processing units provided in the image processor, the plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch to form a multi-core processing unit for the processor;
• a data cache integrated in the integrated chip, the data cache connected to the plurality of processing units via a plurality of buses;
• a CPU indirectly connected to the crossbar switch is provided in the integrated chip for performing general operating system duties, wherein:
• a transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the image processor is conducted entirely within the integrated chip and on the shared wafer substrate;
• the crossbar switch is separate from the plurality of buses;
• the input buffer is configured to send data to each of the plurality of processing units;
• the output buffer is configured to receive data from each of the plurality of processing units;
• and
• the input buffer is separate from the output buffer.