Apparatus, method and computer program providing image processing using software and hardware processing
View Patent ↗A method for imaging processing is described. The method includes selecting a first set of image pixels of an input image and a second set of image pixels of the input image based at least in part on a context of the image pixels. Processing the first set of image pixels using hardware based processing to provide a first set of processed pixels is also included in the method. The method includes processing the second set of image pixels using algorithm based processing to provide a second set of processed pixels. The processed sets of pixels are combined to generate an output image. Apparatus and computer-readable media are also described.
1. A method comprising:
selecting a first set of image pixels of an input image and a second set of image pixels of the input image based at least in part on a context of the image pixels, where the second set of image pixels is less than all of the image pixels of the input image;
processing the first set of image pixels using hardware based processing to provide a first set of processed pixels, where hardware based processing is performed by performing fixed hardwired operations on the image pixels of first set;
processing the second set of image pixels using algorithm based processing to provide a second set of processed pixels, where algorithm based processing is performed by executing program instructions to perform operations on the image pixels of second set; and
combining the first and second sets of processed pixels to generate an output image.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the context of the image pixels comprises being located in a border area of the input image.
3. The method of claim 2 , where the second set of image pixels comprises pixels having the context.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the context of the image pixels comprises being located in at least one region of interest.
5. The method of claim 4 , where the second set of image pixels comprises pixels having the context.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing at least a portion of the input image using face detection processing, and
selecting image pixels determined to represent a face to be part of the second set of image pixels.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing at least a portion of the input image using object tracking processing, and
selecting image pixels determined to represent a tracked object to be part of the second set of image pixels.
8. The method of claim 1 , where combining the first and second sets of processed pixels comprises replacing processed pixels in the first set of processed pixels with corresponding processed pixels in the second set of processed pixels.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the output image to perform at least one of file compression, noise reduction, zooming, scaling, color conversion, color processing and sharpening.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the input image to perform at least one of linearization, pedestal elimination, shading compensation and noise reduction.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a first processing unit configured to select a first set of image pixels of an input image and a second set of image pixels of the input image based at least in part on a context of the image pixels, where the second set of image pixels is less than all of the image pixels of the input image;
a second processing unit configured to process the first set of image pixels using hardware based processing to provide a first set of processed pixels, where hardware based processing is performed by performing fixed hardwired operations on the image pixels of first set;
a third processing unit configured to process the second set of image pixels using algorithm based processing to provide a second set of processed pixels, where algorithm based processing is performed by executing program instructions to perform operations on the image pixels of second set; and
a fourth processing unit configured to combine the first and second sets of processed pixels to generate an output image.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the context of the image pixels comprises being located in at least one of a border area of the input image and at least one region of interest.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , where the second set of image pixels comprises pixels having the context.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the first processing unit is further configured to analyze at least a portion of the input image using face detection processing, and
to select image pixels determined to represent a face to be part of the second set of image pixels.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the first processing unit is further configured to analyze at least a portion of the input image using object tracking processing, and
to select image pixels determined to represent a tracked object to be part of the second set of image pixels.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the fourth processing unit is further configured to replace processed pixels in the first set of processed pixels with corresponding processed pixels in the second set of processed pixels when combining the first and second sets of processed pixels.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising at least one additional processing unit configured to process the output image to perform at least one of file compression, noise reduction, zooming, scaling, color conversion, color processing and sharpening.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising at least one additional processing unit configured to process the input image to perform at least one of at least one of linearization, pedestal elimination, shading compensation and noise reduction.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying program instructions, execution of the program instructions resulting in operations comprising:
selecting a first set of image pixels of an input image and a second set of image pixels of the input image based at least in part on a context of the image pixels, where the second set of image pixels is less than all of the image pixels of the input image;
processing the first set of image pixels using hardware based processing to provide a first set of processed pixels, where hardware based processing is performed by performing fixed hardwired operations on the image pixels of first set;
processing the second set of image pixels using algorithm based processing to provide a second set of processed pixels, where algorithm based processing is performed by executing program instructions to perform operations on the image pixels of second set; and
combining the first and second sets of processed pixels to generate an output image.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where the context of the image pixels comprises being located in at least one of a border area of the input image and at least one region of interest.
21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , where the second set of image pixels comprises pixels having the context.
22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where the operations further comprise:
analyzing at least a portion of the input image using face detection processing, and
selecting image pixels determined to represent a face to be part of the second set of image pixels.
23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where the operations further comprise:
analyzing at least a portion of the input image using object tracking processing, and
selecting image pixels determined to represent a tracked object to be part of the second set of image pixels.
24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where combining the first and second sets of processed pixels comprises replacing processed pixels in the first set of processed pixels with corresponding processed pixels in the second set of processed pixels.
25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where the operations further comprise processing the output image to perform at least one of file compression, noise reduction, zooming, scaling, color conversion, color processing and sharpening.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , where the operations further comprise processing the input image to perform at least one of at least one of linearization, pedestal elimination, shading compensation and noise reduction.
27. An apparatus comprising:
means for selecting a first set of image pixels of an input image and a second set of image pixels of the input image based at least in part on a context of the image pixels, where the second set of image pixels is less than all of the image pixels of the input image;
means for processing the first set of image pixels using hardware based processing to provide a first set of processed pixels, where hardware based processing is performed by performing fixed hardwired operations on the image pixels of first set;
means for processing the second set of image pixels using algorithm based processing to provide a second set of processed pixels, where algorithm based processing is performed by executing program instructions to perform operations on the image pixels of second set; and
means for combining the first and second sets of processed pixels to generate an output image.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 , where the selecting means comprises means for performing face detection for selecting those pixels associated with a detected face to comprise the second set of pixels.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 , where the selecting means comprises means for performing object tracking for selecting those pixels associated with a tracked object to comprise the second set of pixels.
30. The apparatus of claim 27 , where the selecting means comprises means for determining a border area for selecting those pixels associated with the border area to comprise the second set of pixels.