Strategies for optimally generating pipeline processing code

• US 7,317,827 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Munsil, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso; Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US11/276,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20060147110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/235, 382/276, 382302-304, 348720-721, 345/418, 345/427, 708203-204, 708230-236
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4053 with threshold modulated relative to input image data or vice versa

Abstract

Strategies are set forth herein for generating customized code used to implement an image processing pipeline. According to one exemplary implementation, the strategies involve: providing a master transformation which maps a plurality of kinds of image input information to a plurality of kinds of image output information using a plurality of kinds of intermediary processing operations; receiving requirements of the image processing pipeline; and assembling code modules from a library of code modules by selecting components in the master transformation which satisfy the received requirements, while omitting other components in the master transformation. The strategies are advantageous because they produce code that is more tailored to a specific image processing environment, which may result in code that executes in an efficient manner.

Claims

1. A method for generating customized code used to implement an image processing pipeline, comprising:

providing a configuration module having an input requirement component, an output requirement component and an intermediary processing requirement component, wherein each of the components of the configuration module have multiple code modules respectively that are stored in a library;

providing a master transformation which maps the multiple code modules of the library;

receiving requirements of the image processing pipeline; and

assembling code modules from the library of code modules to satisfy the received requirement, while omitting other code modules, wherein the configuration module assembles the code modules by utilizing the master transformation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received requirements include input requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to receive for input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received requirements include output requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to output.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received requirements include intermediary processing requirements that define characteristics of one or more processing tasks that the image processing pipeline is to perform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the assembling of code modules uses static analysis to generate the code used to implement the image processing pipeline, in advance of application of the image processing pipeline.

6. One or more computer readable media storing machine-readable instructions configured to implement the method of claim 1.

7. An apparatus for generating customized code used to implement an image processing pipeline, comprising:

a configuration module having an input requirement component, an output requirement component and an intermediary processing requirement component, wherein each of the components of the configuration module have multiple code modules respectively that are stored in a library configured to generate the customized code by;

providing a master transformation which maps the multiple code modules of the library;

receiving requirements of the image processing pipeline; and

assembling code modules from the library of code modules to satisfy the received requirement, while omifting other code modules, wherein the configuration module assembles the code modules by utilizing the master transformation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the received requirements include input requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to receive for input.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the received requirements include output requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to output.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the received requirements include intermediary processing requirements that define characteristics of one or more processing tasks that the image processing pipeline is to perform.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the assembling of code modules uses static analysis to generate the code used to implement the image processing pipeline, in advance of application of the image processing pipeline.

12. One or more computer readable media storing machine-readable instructions configured to implement the library and configuration module of claim 7.

13. An apparatus for generating customized code used to implement an image processing pipeline, wherein the pipeline includes an input stage, a processing stage, and an output stage, comprising:

master mapping means for mapping a plurality multiple code modules of a library, wherein the input stage, processing stage and output stage have multiple code module respectively stored in the library;

means for receiving requirements of the image processing pipeline; and

means for assembling code modules from the library of code modules to satisfy the received requirement, while omitting other code modules, master mapping means assembles the code modules by utilizing a master transformation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the received requirements include input requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to receive for input.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the received requirements include output requirements that define characteristics of image information that the image processing pipeline is to output.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the received requirements include intermediary processing requirements that define characteristics of one or more processing tasks that the image processing pipeline is to perform.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for assembling of code modules includes means for using static analysis to generate the code used to implement the image processing pipeline, in advance of application of the image processing pipeline.

18. One or more computer readable media storing machine-readable instructions configured to implement each of the means of claim 13.