Handheld imaging device with quad-core image processor integrating image sensor interface

1. A portable imaging device, comprising:

an image sensor configured for generating signals carrying data relating to an image sensed by the image sensor;

a second image sensor;

a processor configured for processing the data relating to the imaged sensed by the image sensor, the processor comprising:

a multi-core processing unit provided in the processor, the multi-core processing unit having a plurality of processing units connected in parallel;

an image sensor interface configured for receiving the signals generated by the image sensor, converting the signals to a format readable by the multi-core processing unit and providing control information to the image sensor;

a second image sensor interface, wherein:

the image sensor interface, the second image sensor interface and the multi-core processing unit share a wafer substrate with the processor, and

a transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the multi-core processing unit is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an input buffer provided on the shared wafer substrate and in communication with the plurality of processing units, the input buffer for receiving data bound for the plurality of processing units and configured for sharing by the plurality of processing units.

3. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an output buffer provided on the shared wafer substrate and in communication with the plurality of processing units, the output buffer for receiving data processed by the plurality of processing units and configured for sharing by the plurality of processing units.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor is configured for sensing a pattern printed on a surface of a card, and the second image sensor interface is configured for receiving from the second image sensor data indicative of the pattern sensed from the surface of the card, and decoding the pattern into an image processing script.

5. The device according to claim 4 , further comprising a CPU for executing an image processing language interpreter on the image processing script, and providing instructions to the multi-core processor to process the data relating to the image sensed by the image sensor in accordance with the image processing script.

6. The device according to claim 3 , further comprising a print head interface, the print head interface for reading dither-formatted data from the output buffer and passing the dither-formatted data to a print head.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is a charge-coupled device (CCD), and the image sensor interface includes an analogue/digital converter for converting signals passing between the processor and the CCD.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a data cache connected to the plurality of processing units via a plurality of buses.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein each processing unit of the plurality of processing units includes two I/O address generators, and each I/O address generator is connected to a respective one of the plurality of buses.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a printer for printing out the image sensed by the image sensor.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising, on the shared wafer substrate, a print head interface for receiving print data from the four processing units, and sending the print data to the printer.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control information comprises a frame sync pulse and a pixel clock.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor interface is configured for receiving image data captured by the second image sensor.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the second image sensor interface is configured to send second image sensor control information to the second image sensor.

15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the second image sensor control information comprises a line sync pulse and a pixel clock pulse.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processing units are connected by a crossbar switch.