Efficient filtering of image data

1. A method for efficiently applying a filter to image data, comprising using a processor to:

(a) identify a filter having a filter size and defining coefficient values for each pixel in the image data;

(b) select a sub-matrix in the image data, the sub-matrix having a plurality of pixels and the sub-matrix corresponds to the filter size, the plurality of pixels in the sub-matrix without a center pixel is a number that can be represented in a 2 N form;

(c) receive a coefficient value for each of the plurality of pixels, the coefficient value represented in 2 M form is defined based on a filter type;

(d) calculate an average value of multiplications of pixel values with corresponding coefficient values of each of the plurality of pixels, wherein a multiplication of a pixel value and corresponding coefficient value is calculated by shifting a binary representation of the pixel value M bits, and a division to calculate the average value is performed by shifting a binary representation of a sum of the multiplications N bits; and

(e) apply the average value to a center pixel in the sub-matrix.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein if the number of the plurality of pixels is not in the 2 N form, selectively removing one or more pixels from the plurality of pixels to enable a remaining number of a plurality of pixels to be capable of being represented in the 2 N form.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising selecting a new sub-matrix in the image data and repeating (c) to (e), and when an end of a row of the image data is reached, the new sub-matrix is selected from a beginning of the image data and one or more pixels below the previous sub-matrix.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the center pixel is any pixel in the sub-matrix, and a relative position of the center pixel is consistent in successive selection of the sub-matrix.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the center pixel is a group of adjacent pixels in the sub-matrix.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprises identifying an edge region within the sub-matrix.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , further comprises selecting unfiltered data to avoid losing sharpness of the edge region.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

swapping row numbers of rows above a center row in the sub-matrix with row numbers of rows below the center row, wherein the swapping enables processing pixel values of pixels in a peripheral region of the image data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

swapping column numbers of columns on a left side of a center column in the sub-matrix with column numbers of columns on a right side of the center column, wherein the swapping of the column numbers results in a first pixel in top left hand corner of the sub-matrix being the center pixel.

10. A filter circuit for filtering image data, comprising:

a memory for storing a portion of the image data;

coefficient logic configured to determine a filter coefficient to be applied to a reference pixel in a sub-matrix of the image data, the coefficient logic includes a register array to store a plurality of filter coefficients, the register array further includes data representing a filter type associated with each register in the register array, wherein the filter coefficients are numbers that can be represented in a 2 M form;

First In First Out (FIFO) logic to retrieve portions of the image data from the memory; and

filter logic configured to calculate an average of multiplications of pixel values and corresponding coefficients, the filter logic including sum logic to calculate a sum of numbers, multiplication logic to multiply a pixel value by a corresponding coefficient value through a bit shift operation, and division logic to divide the sum of numbers by a number of pixels in the sub-matrix, wherein the number of pixels in the sub-matrix being capable of being represented in a 2 N form.

11. The filter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the filter logic further including logic to selectively remove one or more pixels from the sub-matrix, if the number of pixels in the sub-matrix without the center pixel is not represented in the 2 N form, so that the number of pixels in the sub-matrix without the center pixel is in the 2 N form.

12. The filter circuit of claim 11 , wherein the selective removal includes removing pixels from bordering regions of the sub-matrix.

13. The filter circuit of claim 11 , wherein the selective removal includes a combination of removing pixels from bordering regions and increasing a size of the center pixel.

14. The filter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the filter logic is incorporated in a graphics processor.

15. A method of efficiently applying a filter to image data, comprising using a processor to:

identify a filter having a filter size to filter the image data;

reduce a number of pixel positions within the filter, the number of pixel positions selected from different concentric rings of the filter; and

apply the filter with the reduced number of pixel positions to the image data, wherein the number of pixel positions is selected to reduce the filter size to a number that can be represented in a 2 N form to enable use of bit shift operations for multiplication and division.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the applying the filter includes,

selecting a sub-matrix in the image data, the sub-matrix having a plurality of pixels;

receiving a coefficient value for each of the plurality of pixels;

calculating an average value of multiplication of pixel values of each of the plurality of pixels with the corresponding coefficient value of each of the plurality of pixels; and

applying the average value of a center pixel in the sub-matrix.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the coefficient values are defined individually for a combination of each of the plurality of pixels and a filter type.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein a same coefficient value is defined for all pixels in the plurality of pixels, for a filter type.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:

swapping row numbers of rows above a center row in the sub-matrix with row numbers of rows below the center row, wherein the swapping enables processing pixel values of pixels in a peripheral region of the image data.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein selecting the sub-matrix further comprises identifying an edge region within the sub-matrix.