VLSI processor with a configurable processing element array for balanced feature extraction in high-resolution images

A VLSI processor employing a configurable processing element array (PEA) is developed for a newly proposed balanced feature extraction algorithm. In the algorithm, the input image is divided into square regions and the number of features is determined by noise effect analysis in each region. Regions of different sizes are used according to the resolutions and contents of input images. Therefore, inside the PEA, processing elements are hierarchically grouped for feature extraction in regions of different sizes. A proof-of-concept chip is fabricated using a 0.18 µm CMOS technology with a 32 × 32 PEA. From measurement results, a speed of 7.5 kfps is achieved for feature extraction in 128 × 128 pixel regions when operating the chip at 45 MHz, and a speed of 55 fps is also achieved for feature extraction in 1920 × 1080 pixel images.