Image processing apparatus and method of processing images that stops operation of pixel processing circuits when pixel data to be processed is not needed
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of pixel processing circuits, each provided for processing each of a plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously, for processing a plurality of input pixel data in parallel; and
a control circuit for stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when the processing of said pixel data to be processed in the pixel processing circuit is not needed.
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Abstract
An image processing apparatus which can reduce the power consumption by a large extent, wherein a predetermined shape to be displayed on a display is expressed by a composite of unit graphics by performing operations on a plurality of pixels simultaneously and by performing processing on valid results of operations for pixels positioned inside a unit graphic being processed. Clock enablers in operation sub-blocks judge the validity of the corresponding val data. Only operation sub-blocks receiving the corresponding val data indicating validity perform operations. Other operation sub-blocks do not perform operations. The operation blocks perform pipeline processing.
5 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of pixel processing circuits, each provided for processing each of a plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously, for processing a plurality of input pixel data in parallel; and a control circuit for stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when the processing of said pixel data to be processed in the pixel processing circuit is not needed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An image processing apparatus for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing apparatus comprising:
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a pixel position judging circuit for judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within said graphic unit for each of the plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously; a plurality of pixel processing circuits for processing a plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously mutually in parallel; and a control circuit for stopping the operation of the pixel processing circuits other than processing circuits for processing pixel data of pixels positioned within the graphic unit to be processed among said plurality of pixel processing circuits on the basis of the results of the judgement of said pixel position judging circuit. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of pixel processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, for blending a plurality of first pixel data and a corresponding plurality of second pixel data by blending ratios indicated by a blending ratio data set for each pixel to produce a plurality of third pixel data; and a control circuit for judging whether or not said pixel processing circuits will perform said blending and stopping the operation of said pixel processing circuits when judging that said blending will not be performed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An image processing apparatus for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of image processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, for blending a plurality of first pixel data and a corresponding plurality of second pixel data by a blending ratio indicated by a blending ratio data set for each pixel to produce a plurality of third pixel data; and a control circuit for judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within said graphic unit to be processed for each of said plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously and stopping the operation of a pixel processing circuit when judging that said corresponding pixel is not positioned within said graphic unit or when judging that said blending will not be performed on the basis of said blending ratio data.
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17. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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a storage circuit; a plurality of pixel processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, for producing a plurality of second pixel data from a plurality of first pixel data; a comparing circuit for comparing a plurality of first depth data of said plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second depth data of a plurality of third pixel data stored in said storage circuit in correspondence with said plurality of first depth data; and a control circuit for judging whether or not to rewrite third pixel data corresponding to second depth data stored in said storage circuit by second pixel data and stopping the operation of the corresponding pixel processing circuit when judging not to rewrite. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. An image processing apparatus for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing apparatus comprising:
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a storage circuit; a plurality of pixel processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, for producing a plurality of second pixel data from a plurality of first pixel data; a comparing circuit for comparing a plurality of first depth data of said plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second depth data of a plurality of third pixel data stored in said storage circuit in correspondence with said plurality of first depth data; and a control circuit for judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within said graphic unit to be processed for each of said plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, judging whether or not to rewrite said third pixel data corresponding to said second depth data stored in said storage circuit with said second pixel data on the basis of the result of the comparison, and stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when judging that the corresponding pixel is not positioned within said graphic unit or when judging not to rewrite.
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22. An image processing method for performing image processing by using pixel processing circuits, each provided for each of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, for processing a plurality of input pixel data in parallel, comprising the steps of:
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judging whether or not on the basis of said pixel data the pixel processing of said processing circuits is needed; and stopping operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when judging the pixel processing of said at least one processing circuit is not needed. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An image processing method for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing method comprising the steps of:
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judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within said graphic unit to be processed for each of the plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously; processing a plurality of pixel data to be processed simultaneously mutually in parallel in a plurality of pixel processing circuits; and stopping the operation of the pixel processing circuits other than processing circuits for processing pixel data of pixels positioned within the graphic unit to be processed among said plurality of pixel processing circuits on the basis of the results of the judgement. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An image processing method comprising the steps of:
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using a plurality of pixel processing circuits provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously to blend a plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second pixel data by blending ratios indicated by a blending ratio data set for each pixel to produce a plurality of third pixel data; judging based on said blending ratio data whether to perform said blending by said pixel processing circuits; and stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when judging that said at least one pixel processing circuit will not perform said blending. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. An image processing method for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing method comprising the steps of:
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using a plurality of image processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, to blend a plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second pixel data by a blending ratio indicated by a blending ratio data set for each pixel to produce a plurality of third pixel data; judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within a corresponding one of said graphic units for each of said plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously; and stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when judging that the corresponding pixel is not positioned within said graphic unit to be processed or when judging that said blending will not be performed on the basis of said blending ratio data.
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36. An image processing method comprising the steps of:
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using a plurality of pixel processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, to produce a plurality of second pixel data from a plurality of first pixel data; comparing a plurality of first depth data of said plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second depth data of a plurality of third pixel data stored in a storage circuit in correspondence with said plurality of first depth data; and judging whether or not to rewrite third pixel data corresponding to second depth data stored in said storage circuit by second pixel data and stopping the operation of the corresponding pixel processing circuit when judging not to rewrite. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. An image processing method for expressing an image to be displayed on a display means by a composite of graphic units of a predetermined shape, processing pixel data of a plurality of pixels positioned within each graphic unit on the basis of the same processing conditions, and using as valid data the results of the processing of the pixel data of the pixels positioned within said graphic unit to be processed among pixel data of a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, said image processing method comprising the steps of:
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using a plurality of pixel processing circuits, provided for a plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, to produce a plurality of second pixel data from a plurality of first pixel data; comparing a plurality of said first depth data of said plurality of first pixel data and a plurality of second depth data of a plurality of third pixel data stored in a storage circuit in correspondence with said plurality of first depth data; judging whether or not a corresponding pixel is positioned within said graphic unit to be processed for each of said plurality of pixels to be processed simultaneously, judging whether or not to rewrite said third pixel data corresponding to said second depth data stored in said storage circuit with said second pixel data on the basis of the result of the comparison; and stopping the operation of at least one of said pixel processing circuits when judging that the corresponding pixel is not positioned within said graphic unit to be processed or when judging not to rewrite.
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Specification