Image Processing Apparatus with Shared Reduction Calculation Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional image display technologies do not provide a method for seamlessly switching between three-dimensional and two-dimensional image displays using a single device arrangement, limiting flexibility and efficiency in image rendering.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus is designed with reduction calculation sections to reduce input image data in a lateral direction, a three-dimensional processing section to combine reduced data for 3D image creation, and a display switching control section to select between 3D and 2D image outputs, allowing for simultaneous three-dimensional and two-dimensional image display capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple reduction calculation sections are provided to process multiple input image data simultaneously, then processing capability is improved, but device complexity and circuit scale increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple reduction calculation sections into a single shared section that processes multiple input image data sequentially. The reduction calculation section receives image data from multiple image pickup devices and performs reduction calculations for each in turn, eliminating the need for separate reduction calculation sections for each input source while maintaining full processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single reduction calculation section is designed to handle multiple types of input image data from different image pickup devices universally. It can process image data from any of the multiple pickup devices without requiring device-specific processing units, thereby reducing circuit scale while preserving productivity.
2Productivity
If multiple reduction calculation sections are provided for each input image data, then processing efficiency is improved, but memory requirements and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple reduction calculation sections into one shared resource that is time-shared across multiple input image data streams. This single section processes image data from different pickup devices in sequence, reducing the total number of active processing units and thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining processing efficiency through coordinated time-multiplexed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The reduction calculation section operates periodically, processing image data from different image pickup devices in a time-shared manner. Each pickup device's image data is processed in alternating time slots by the same reduction calculation section, which maintains processing efficiency while reducing the number of simultaneously active processing units and their associated power consumption.
3Productivity
If multiple reduction calculation sections are provided, then image processing capability is improved, but the number of devices and circuit complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functionality of multiple reduction calculation sections into a single unified section that serves all image pickup devices. This section processes image data from multiple sources sequentially, eliminating redundant processing units and reducing the overall number of devices in the system while preserving complete image processing capability for all inputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The single reduction calculation section is designed with universal functionality to handle image data from any of the multiple image pickup devices. It can be configured to process different input sources as needed, providing the same processing capability that would require multiple dedicated sections, but with a single multi-functional unit that reduces device count and simplifies the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with (a) reduction calculation sections for reducing the number of a plurality of input image data, corresponding to a plurality of images that satisfy azimuth difference relations each other, in a lateral direction, (b) a three-dimensional processing section for combining the image data that have been reduced the number by the reduction calculation sections so as to prepare a three-dimensional image data; and (c) a display switching control section for switching and selecting which one of three-dimensional image data prepared by the three-dimensional processing section and two-dimensional image data prepared by using one of the plurality of input image data should be outputted from the image processing apparatus.