Patent ID: 7432967

Claim:
An imaging system, comprising: an image sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors; a controller operative to generate instructions for the imaging system; a serial bus coupled to the controller; and a control system in communication with the sensor, the control system coupled to the controller through the serial bus, the control system responsive to the instructions that are received from the controller through the serial bus to determine row and column address control signals for the array of pixel sensors, said control system comprises: a control logic circuit coupled to the controller through the serial bus for receiving instructions from the controller, a programmable row-column and timing controller serial processor coupled to the control logic circuit and to the image sensor for controlling the image sensor in response to commands received from the control logic circuit, and an amplifier for amplifying data read from the image sensor and an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing data read from the image sensor, wherein the image sensor, the control logic circuit, the programmable row-column and timing controller serial processor, the amplifier, and the analog-to-digital converter are all provided in a common integrated circuit.