Image Processing Device Block Prefetching Response Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing technologies face delays in responding to user requests for changing image sizes or positions due to the need for large memory capacity to store high-definition images, limiting the data size that can be processed efficiently.

Innovation Solution

An image processing device that uses a hierarchical structure of compressed image data, loaded and decoded in blocks, with a prefetch mechanism to anticipate and load necessary image areas, reducing the need for frequent and large data transfers and improving response time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the entirety of image data for high-definition or high-resolution images is stored in a fast access memory to improve response, then response time is improved, but memory capacity requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidmemory capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is divided into multiple blocks, where only the necessary blocks are loaded into the fast access main memory at any given time. This segmentation allows the system to handle high-definition images without requiring the entire image to be stored in fast memory simultaneously, thus reducing the memory capacity requirement while maintaining fast response for the currently displayed portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading or prefetching the blocks of image data that are likely to be needed next into the main memory before they are actually required for display. This anticipatory loading reduces the waiting time for data retrieval from storage memory, improving response time without requiring all image data to be in fast memory at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If image data is loaded and decoded in real-time upon user request, then memory usage is reduced, but response time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory usageVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary decoding and loading of image blocks into the main memory in advance, based on prediction of user interaction patterns or sequential viewing logic. By preparing the data beforehand, the system avoids the time-consuming processes of reading from storage memory and decoding when the user actually requests the image, thus maintaining fast response time while keeping memory usage manageable through selective loading.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2330587B1Image processing device and image processing method
Publication Date: 2019.04.10 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP2330587B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2330587B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2330587B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Compressed image data of different resolutions stored in a hard disk drive 50 is divided into blocks of substantially regular sizes. A determination is made as to whether a required block is stored in the main memory 60 at predefined time intervals. If the block is not stored, the block is loaded into the main memory 60 (S10). Subsequently, the loaded compressed image data is referred to so that data for an image of an area required for display or for an image of an area predicted to be required is decoded and stored in a buffer memory 70 (S12). Of the images stored in a buffer area 72, i.e. a display buffer, the image of a display area 68 is rendered in a frame memory 90 (S14). The display buffer and the decoding buffer are switched depending on the timing of completion of decoding or the amount of change in the display area 68 (S16).