Image Processing Apparatus Hardware Configuration for Multi-Valued Drawing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image processing technologies require increased hardware configuration due to the need for separate hardware for multi-valued and less-than-multi-valued drawing, leading to complexity and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that determines whether image data includes multi-valued or less-than-multi-valued drawing information, using separate units for each type of drawing and incorporating a value-count reducing unit to minimize hardware requirements by converting multi-valued images to fewer values for encoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate hardware for multi-valued drawing and less-than-multi-valued drawing is used, then correct colors and translucency processing are achieved, but hardware configuration scale increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the less-than-multi-valued drawing unit perform multiple functions by adding a value-count reducing image processing unit. This unit can process both less-than-multi-valued images directly and convert multi-valued images to fewer values, allowing a single hardware configuration to handle both drawing types without sacrificing color accuracy or translucency processing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of image data by reducing the number of values in multi-valued images through the value-count reducing image processing unit. This conversion transforms multi-valued image data into a format suitable for the less-than-multi-valued drawing unit, enabling unified hardware processing while maintaining visual quality
2Adaptability or versatility
If hardware for multi-valued drawing is used, then translucency processing is achieved, but hardware configuration scale increases
Solution Approach 1:
The less-than-multi-valued drawing unit is enhanced with value-count reducing image processing capability, making it universal enough to handle both less-than-multi-valued and multi-valued images. This eliminates the need for separate multi-valued drawing hardware while preserving translucency processing through the value-count reduction step
3Adaptability or versatility
If CPU performs all image processing, then flexibility is maintained, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces CPU-based software processing with dedicated hardware units for image processing. The less-than-multi-valued drawing unit and value-count reducing image processing unit perform processing in hardware, significantly increasing processing speed while maintaining the flexibility to handle both less-than-multi-valued and multi-valued images through unified hardware control
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a determining unit that determines whether image data includes multi-valued drawing information for drawing a multi-valued image; a multi-valued drawing unit that draws the multi-valued image of the image data when the multi-valued drawing information is determined to be included in the image data; a less-than-multi-valued drawing unit that draws a less-than-multi-valued image of the image data when the multi-valued drawing information is not determined to be included in the image data; a value-count reducing image processing unit that reduces number of values of a drawing result of the multi-valued image to generate an image with a fewer number of values; and a less-than-multi-valued encoding processing unit that encodes a drawing result obtained by drawing the less-than-multi-valued image and encodes the generated image with the fewer number of values.