System and method of evaluating the performance of an image processing algorithm

• US 6,931,633 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vazquez, Nicolas, Schultz, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiss, Eric B.
• Application Number:
  US09/629,653
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 345/769, 345/863, 395/169, 704/8, 704/9, 707/5, 715/530, 715/533, 715/539, 715/772, 717/541, 717/127, 717/130, 717/150, 717/154, 717158-159, 717/131, 717/132, 717/133, 702/182, 702/186, 352/173
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for creating an image processing algorithm and automatically evaluating the performance of the algorithm. A user may develop an image processing algorithm in an image prototyping environment. The image prototyping environment may provide image processing functions for analyzing, processing, or manipulating various types of images. Once the user has developed an image processing algorithm, the user may execute the algorithm. In response to executing the algorithm, the execution time requirements of the algorithm may be determined. This information may be used, for example, in order to determine whether the image processing algorithm is fast enough to evaluate images that are acquired at a particular rate in a real-time application. The information may also help the user identify portions of the algorithm that need to be modified, e.g., because they are bottlenecks in the algorithm. In the preferred embodiment, the image prototyping environment is operable to automatically generate a program implementing the image processing algorithm, once the user is satisfied with the performance of the algorithm.

Claims

1. A memory medium comprising program instructions for creating an image processing algorithm, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

performing one or more image processing functions on an image in response to user input;

recording the one or more image processing functions, wherein the one or more image processing functions define an image processing algorithm;

receiving user input specifying desired execution time criteria for the image processing algorithm;

executing the image processing algorithm in response to user input;

measuring an execution time that elapses during said executing the image processing algorithm; and

automatically changing the image processing algorithm based on the specified execution time criteria in order to reduce the execution time of the image processing algorithm, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm is not performed directly in response to user input.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving user input to undo the changes made to the image processing algorithm in said automatically changing.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm comprises automatically changing one or more parameters of at least one image processing function in the image processing algorithm.

4. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm comprises automatically changing a number of pixels used in at least one image processing function in the image processing algorithm.

5. A computer-implemented method for creating an image processing algorithm, comprising:

performing one or more image processing functions on an image in response to user input;

recording the one or more image processing functions, wherein the one or more image processing functions define an image processing algorithm;

receiving user input specifying desired execution time criteria for the image processing algorithm;

executing the image processing algorithm in response to user input;

measuring an execution time that elapses during said executing the image processing algorithm; and

automatically changing the image processing algorithm based on the specified execution time criteria in order to reduce the execution time of the image processing algorithm, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm is not performed directly in response to user input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving user input to undo the changes made to the image processing algorithm in said automatically changing.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm comprises automatically changing one or more parameters of at least one image processing function in the image processing algorithm.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said automatically changing the image processing algorithm comprises automatically changing a number of pixels used in at least one image processing function in the image processing algorithm.

9. A memory medium comprising program instructions for creating an image processing algorithm, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

performing one or more image processing functions on an image in response to user input;

recording the one or more image processing functions, wherein the one or more image processing functions define an image processing algorithm;

executing the image processing algorithm in response to user input;

measuring an execution time that elapses during said executing the image processing algorithm;

automatically generating one or more suggested changes to the image processing algorithm for reducing the execution time of the image processing algorithm; and

displaying information indicating the one or more suggested changes.

10. The memory medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving user input accepting one or more of the suggested changes; and

automatically making the accepted changes to the image processing algorithm.

11. The memory medium of claim 9,

wherein one or more of the image processing functions have associated parameters;

wherein said automatically generating one or more suggested changes comprises automatically generating at least one suggested change to a parameter value associated with an image processing function.

12. The memory medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving user input specifying desired execution time criteria;

wherein said automatically generating one or more suggested changes is performed based on said execution time criteria.

13. A computer-implemented method for creating an image processing algorithm, comprising:

performing one or more image processing functions on an image in response to user input;

recording the one or more image processing functions, wherein the one or more image processing functions define an image processing algorithm;

executing the image processing algorithm in response to user input;

measuring an execution time that elapses during said executing the image processing algorithm;

automatically generating one or more suggested changes to the image processing algorithm for reducing the execution time of the image processing algorithm;

displaying information indicating the one or more suggested changes to the image processing algorithm;

receiving user input accepting one or more of the suggested changes; and

automatically making the accepted changes to the image processing algorithm.