IMAGE DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE DATA PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20120275715A1
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMADA, Kazuo, OKUYAMA, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7875 for multiple contexts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining

Abstract

An image data processing apparatus includes a configuration selecting unit, a loading unit, and a controller. The configuration selecting unit determines types of image characteristics of individual processing units in image data and selects plural pieces of circuit configuration data for individual processing units. The loading unit predicts a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed, and loads, before selection of the circuit configuration data for the processing unit, the predetermined number of pieces of configuration data into a circuit configuration memory for a reconfigurable circuit. If the selected circuit configuration data has already been loaded, the controller causes the circuit configuration to be reconfigured. If the selected circuit configuration data has not been loaded, the controller causes the selected circuit configuration data to be loaded and the circuit configuration to be reconfigured.

Claims

1. An image data processing apparatus comprising:

a configuration selecting unit that determines types of image characteristics of individual processing units in image data and that selects a plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data for the individual processing units on the basis of the determined types of image characteristics;

a loading unit that predicts, on the basis of information on selection results of circuit configuration data obtained by the configuration selecting unit for processing units processed prior to the processing unit currently being processed among the processing units in the image data, a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed among the plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data, and that loads, before the configuration selecting unit selects the circuit configuration data for the processing unit currently being processed, the predicted predetermined number of pieces of configuration data into a circuit configuration memory for a reconfigurable circuit; and

a controller that performs control in such a manner that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected by the configuration selecting unit for the processing unit currently being processed has already been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the selected circuit configuration data, and that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected by the configuration selecting unit for the processing unit currently being processed has not been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the selected circuit configuration data is loaded into the circuit configuration memory, and the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the loaded, selected circuit configuration data.

2. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading unit adds up selection results of a plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data obtained by the configuration selecting unit for individual processing units processed prior to the processing unit currently being processed among the processing units in the image data to obtain the frequencies of selection of the individual pieces of circuit configuration data, and determines that circuit configuration data with a higher frequency of selection is more likely to be selected for the processing unit currently being processed.

3. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein every time the adding up of the selection results for a predetermined number of processing units in the image data is completed, the loading unit initializes the result of the adding up of the number of times of selection for each of the plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data.

4. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading unit stores selection results of a plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data obtained by the configuration selecting unit for individual processing units in at least one line that is immediately before a line in which the processing unit currently being processed is located, and loads into the circuit configuration memory the circuit configuration data corresponding to selection results for individual processing units that are located in the vicinity of the processing unit currently being processed among the selection results for the processing units stored in the loading unit as a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data sorted in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed.

5. An image data processing method comprising:

determining types of image characteristics of individual processing units in image data and selecting a plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data for the individual processing units on the basis of the determined types of image characteristics;

predicting, on the basis of information on selection results of circuit configuration data for processing units processed prior to the processing unit currently being processed among the processing units in the image data, a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed among the plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data, and loading, before selection of the circuit configuration data for the processing unit currently being processed, the predicted predetermined number of pieces of configuration data into a circuit configuration memory for a reconfigurable circuit; and

performing control in such a manner that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected for the processing unit currently being processed has already been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the selected circuit configuration data, and that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected for the processing unit currently being processed has not been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the selected circuit configuration data is loaded into the circuit configuration memory, and the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the loaded, selected circuit configuration data.

6. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

determining types of image characteristics of individual processing units in image data and selecting a plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data for the individual processing units on the basis of the determined types of image characteristics;

predicting, on the basis of information on selection results of circuit configuration data for processing units processed prior to the processing unit currently being processed among the processing units in the image data, a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed among the plurality of pieces of circuit configuration data, and loading, before selection of the circuit configuration data for the processing unit currently being processed, the predicted predetermined number of pieces of configuration data into a circuit configuration memory for a reconfigurable circuit; and

performing control in such a manner that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected for the processing unit currently being processed has already been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the selected circuit configuration data, and that, in a case where the circuit configuration data selected for the processing unit currently being processed has not been loaded into the circuit configuration memory, the selected circuit configuration data is loaded into the circuit configuration memory, and the circuit configuration of the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured in accordance with the loaded, selected circuit configuration data.