Method of processing sub-images of an image field

• US 5,041,993 A
• Filed: 02/06/1990
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Original Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Inventors: Rawlings, Keith C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harkcom, Gary V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaffe, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US07/474,662
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 364/518, 364/521, 382/41, 382/57
• US Class Current: 382/304
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management

Abstract

An image processing system has sixteen processing assemblies provided by transputers which each have a memory and a processor. An infra-red television camera supplies signals representing different areas of the field of view to respective different ones of the processing assemblies. The assemblies also receive external signals from other sources and are interconnected with one another by a line which enables synchronization between the assemblies. Each processor processes only that information in its memory and provides output signals representative of the respective area of the field of view.

Claims

1. A method of image processing comprising the steps of:

viewing an image field;

dividing the image field into a plurality of sub-images;

determining in real time an amount of processing memory required for each sub-image;

supplying image information in respect of different sub-images directly to respective different ones of a plurality of memory units in respective processing assemblies independently of others of the assemblies, those sub-images requiring increased processing memory being supplied to a greater number of processing assemblies than the processing assemblies that are supplied with others of the sub-images requiring lesser processing memory;

causing said processing assemblies to perform independent processing operations on information in each said memory unit; and

providing respective independent output signals in respect of the different sub-images of the image field directly to utilization means independently of others of the assemblies.

2. A method according to claim 1, including the step of supplying said output signals to display means to provide a display representation of the image information.