System and method for processing image data relative to a focus of attention within the overall image

This invention provides a system and method for processing discrete image data within an overall set of acquired image data based upon a focus of attention within that image. The result of such processing is to operate upon a more limited subset of the overall image data to generate output values required by the vision system process. Such output value can be a decoded ID or other alphanumeric data. The system and method is performed in a vision system having two processor groups, along with a data memory that is smaller in capacity than the amount of image data to be read out from the sensor array. The first processor group is a plurality of SIMD processors and at least one general purpose processor, co-located on the same die with the data memory. A data reduction function operates within the same clock cycle as data-readout from the sensor to generate a reduced data set that is stored in the on-die data memory. At least a portion of the overall, unreduced image data is concurrently (in the same clock cycle) transferred to the second processor while the first processor transmits at least one region indicator with respect to the reduced data set to the second processor. The region indicator represents at least one focus of attention for the second processor to operate upon.