Abstract: An image processing circuit comprises a first sample-and-hold circuit that samples a first data from a pixel; a second sample-and-hold circuit that samples a second data from the pixel; a voltage-to-current circuit that includes a resistor and a current source, and receives the first data and the second data to output a difference data; and a black sun spot determination circuit. The black sun spot determination circuit compares a first VSL level at a first time with a second VSL level at a second time, both from the second sample-and-hold circuit, and determines the presence of a black sun spot based on a difference between the first and second level.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device comprising at least one instruction processing module arranged to receive a bit-manipulation instruction, and in response to receiving the bit-manipulation instruction to select at least one bit from at least one source data register in accordance with a value of at least one control bit, select from candidate values a manipulation value for the at least one selected bit in accordance with a value of at least one further control bit, and store the selected manipulation value for the at least one selected bit in at least one output data register.

Abstract: A sample-and-hold circuit having an error correction circuit portion that compensates for charge injection and noise. The error correction circuit portion includes an error-current-accumulating capacitor and a feedback circuit. The error-correction circuit performs error correction during a sampling operation by accumulating, at the error-current-accumulating capacitor, an error current output from an amplifier of the sample-and-hold circuit, and then applying, via the feedback circuit, a voltage boost to an input of the amplifier. The magnitude of the voltage boost depends on a voltage of the error-current-accumulating capacitor, and on various design parameters of the components of the circuit. By appropriately setting the design parameters, the magnitude of the fed-back voltage boost can be made to cancel out error due to charge injection and noise.

Abstract: An image processing circuit includes a first dual sample-and-hold circuit that samples a first data and a second data from a first pixel, a second dual sample-and-hold circuit that samples a third data and a fourth data from a second pixel, a voltage-to-current circuit including a resistor and a current source, that receives the first data and the second data to output a first difference data, and that receives the third data and the fourth data to output a second difference data; and an analog-to-digital converter that converts the first and second difference data from an analog form to a digital form.

Abstract: An image processing circuit includes a first dual sample-and-hold circuit that samples a first data and a second data from a first pixel, a second dual sample-and-hold circuit that samples a third data and a fourth data from a second pixel, a voltage-to-current circuit including a resistor and a current source, that receives the first data and the second data to output a first difference data, and that receives the third data and the fourth data to output a second difference data; and an analog-to-digital converter that converts the first and second difference data from an analog form to a digital form.

Abstract: A signal processing device comprising at least one control unit arranged to receive at least one pack-insert instruction, decode the received at least one pack-insert instruction, and output at least one pack-insert control signal in accordance with the received pack-insert instruction. The signal processing device further comprising at least one pack-insert component arranged to receive at least a first data block to be inserted into a sequence of data blocks to be output to at least one destination register, receive a plurality of further data blocks to be packed within the sequence of data blocks to be output to the at least one destination register, arrange the at least first data block and the plurality of further data blocks into a sequence of data blocks based at least partly on the at least one pack-insert control signal, and output the sequence of data blocks.

Abstract: A signal processing device comprising at least one control unit arranged to receive at least one bit-expand instruction, decode the received at least one bit-expand instruction, and output at least one control signal in accordance with the received at least one bit-expand instruction. The signal processing device further includes at least one execution unit component arranged to receive at least one source register value comprising at least one data bit to be expanded, extract at least one data bit from the at least one source register value located at an offset position according to the at least one control signal, expand the at least one extracted data bit into at least one multi-bit data type, and output the at least one multi-bit data type to at least one destination register.

Abstract: A method and a device having amplification and noise reduction capabilities, the device may include (a) an amplifier; (b) an input circuit that includes multiple sampling circuits, (c) an error capacitor that is arranged to be charged by the amplifier, during a noise integration period, to an error voltage that is indicative of noise generated as a result of a sampling of first and second signals; and (d) a feedback circuit that is arranged to provide to the second input of the amplifier and in proximity to a beginning of second phase of operation, a feedback signal that represents the error voltage and thereby at least partially compensate for the noise.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device comprising an instruction processing module for performing operations on data in accordance with received instructions. The instruction processing module comprises a context selector unit arranged to selectively provide access to at least one process attribute(s) within a plurality of process contexts in accordance with at least one context selector value received thereby. The instruction processing module is arranged to receive an instruction comprising a context indication for a process attribute with which an operation is to be performed, provide the context selector value based at least partly on the context indication to the context selector unit, and execute the operation to be performed with the process attribute for at least one process context to which the context selector unit provides access in accordance with the context selector value.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device comprising at least one instruction processing module arranged to receive a bit-manipulation instruction, and in response to receiving the bit-manipulation instruction to select at least one bit from at least one source data register in accordance with a value of at least one control bit, select from candidate values a manipulation value for the at least one selected bit in accordance with a value of at least one further control bit, and store the selected manipulation value for the at least one selected bit in at least one output data register.

Abstract: A method and a device having amplification and noise reduction capabilities, the device may include (a) an amplifier; (b) an input circuit that includes multiple sampling circuits, (c) an error capacitor that is arranged to be charged by the amplifier, during a noise integration period, to an error voltage that is indicative of noise generated as a result of a sampling of first and second signals; and (d) a feedback circuit that is arranged to provide to the second input of the amplifier and in proximity to a beginning of second phase of operation, a feedback signal that represents the error voltage and thereby at least partially compensate for the noise.

Abstract: A device that includes a pixel array, an interfacing circuit and a sample and hold circuit. The interfacing circuit directs to at least one pixel of the pixel array a sampled voltage that is outputted from the sample and hold circuit. The sample and hold circuit includes an NMOS transistor, a bootstrap circuit, a capacitor, sample phase switches and hold phase switches. During the sample phase the source of the NMOS transistor receives the input voltage; the gate of the NMIS transistor receives, from the bootstrap circuit a gate voltage that exceeds a supply voltage and a capacitor of the sample and hold circuit is charged to the input voltage to provide the sampled voltage. During a hold phase the capacitor stores the sampled voltage; the gate, source and drain of the NMOS transistor are maintained at the same potential and the source of the NMOS transistor is disconnected from an input port through which the input voltage was provided.

Abstract: A device that includes a pixel array and a sample and hold circuit configured to provide sampled current to the pixel array wherein the sample and hold circuit includes a first transistor, a capacitor and a pair of current mirrors. The pair of current minors are connected to the first transistor and wherein the capacitor is connected to a drain of the first transistor.

Abstract: A system that includes: multiple transistors that comprise a first transistor that is maintained in a weak inversion state; wherein sources of the multiple transistors are coupled to a low current source; wherein drains of the multiple transistors are coupled to a voltage supply source; a first amplifier that has a positive input, negative input and an output; wherein the positive input receives an input voltage; wherein the negative input is coupled to a source of the first transistor; wherein the output is coupled to a gate of the first transistor and to a multiplication and subtracting circuit; a multiplication and subtraction circuit that is coupled to the first amplifier and outputs an output signal that equals a difference between the input voltage and a product of a current reduction variable and a voltage reduction signal; wherein the voltage reduction signal is associated with a current reduction factor; wherein the output signal is provided to a second transistor that is maintained in weak inversion

Abstract: A device that includes: a pixel array and a sample and hold circuit configured to provide sampled current to the pixel array; wherein the sample and hold circuit includes a first transistor, a capacitor and a pair of current mirrors; wherein the pair of current mirrors are connected to the first transistor and wherein the capacitor is connected to a drain of the first transistor; wherein the sample and hold circuit is configured to: sample an input current during a sampling phase to provide a sampled current, wherein the sampling includes: providing the input current to the pair of current mirrors and allowing the capacitor to be charged to the capacitor voltage that is a function of the input current; store, during a hold phase, the capacitor voltage; wherein the capacitor voltage forces an output stage of the sample and hold circuit to output a current that is substantially equal to the sampled current; and utilize the pair of current mirrors to force the gate, source and drain voltages of the first tran

Abstract: A device that includes a pixel array, an interfacing circuit and a sample and hold circuit. The interfacing circuit directs to at least one pixel of the pixel array a sampled voltage that is outputted from the sample and hold circuit. The sample and hold circuit includes an NMOS transistor, a bootstrap circuit, a capacitor, sample phase switches and hold phase switches. During the sample phase the source of the NMOS transistor receives the input voltage; the gate of the NMOS transistor receives, from the bootstrap circuit a gate voltage that exceeds a supply voltage and a capacitor of the sample and hold circuit is charged to the input voltage to provide the sampled voltage. During a hold phase the capacitor stores the sampled voltage; the gate, source and drain of the NMOS transistor are maintained at the same potential and the source of the NMOS transistor is disconnected from an input port through which the input voltage was provided.

Abstract: A system that includes: multiple transistors that comprise a first transistor that is maintained in a weak inversion state; wherein sources of the multiple transistors are coupled to a low current source; wherein drains of the multiple transistors are coupled to a voltage supply source; a first amplifier that has a positive input, negative input and an output; wherein the positive input receives an input voltage; wherein the negative input is coupled to a source of the first transistor; wherein the output is coupled to a gate of the first transistor and to a multiplication and subtracting circuit; a multiplication and subtraction circuit that is coupled to the first amplifier and outputs an output signal that equals a difference between the input voltage and a product of a current reduction variable and a voltage reduction signal; wherein the voltage reduction signal is associated with a current reduction factor; wherein the output signal is provided to a second transistor that is maintained in weak inversion

Abstract: Operation of conventional nitride read-only-memory (NROM) cells is modified, such that each charge trapping region of an NROM cell is capable of storing any one of three charge states. For example, each charge trapping region can have an erased state, a first programmed state, or a second programmed state. Each of these states results in a different threshold voltage. During a read operation, the threshold voltages associated with two charge trapping regions are identified and decoded to provide a 3-bit data value. If each NROM cell includes two separate charge trapping regions, two NROM cells can store a total of 6-bits of data. The average storage density is therefore increased from two bits per NROM cell to three bits per NROM cell.

Abstract: In conventional memory arrays in which a bit line is shared by memory cells, a cell current flows over into neighbor cell(s) in a program verify process, and therefore, the threshold of a memory cell to be programmed is erroneously determined to be lower. Therefore, in a program verify process, a control circuit 3 writes a fail value to a neighbor cell buffer 5 when all neighbor cell(s) having an offset of n or less from a memory cell to be programmed are in the erased state, and when otherwise, writes a pass value to the neighbor cell buffer 5. The control circuit 3 verifies input write data and also verifies data stored in the neighbor cell buffer(s). In the latter verify process, a verify voltage higher than an ordinary one is used to compensate for the leakage of cell current.

Abstract: Operation of conventional nitride read-only-memory (NROM) cells is modified, such that each charge trapping region of an NROM cell is capable of storing any one of three charge states. For example, each charge trapping region can have an erased state, a first programmed state, or a second programmed state. Each of these states results in a different threshold voltage. During a read operation, the threshold voltages associated with two charge trapping regions are identified and decoded to provide a 3-bit data value. If each NROM cell includes two separate charge trapping regions, two NROM cells can store a total of 6-bits of data. The average storage density is therefore increased from two bits per NROM cell to three bits per NROM cell.