Bi-Directional Image Scaling With Single-Load Row Accumulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bi-directional image scaling techniques for hardware accelerators involve inefficient multiple load and store operations, leading to performance bottlenecks due to the need for transposing and scaling images in a three-step process.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for bi-directional image scaling that accumulates rows of a digital image concurrently in the horizontal direction and applies vertical scaling to the accumulated rows, reducing the number of load and store cycles by using a single load operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional three-step bi-directional scaling process is used, then image scaling functionality is achieved, but processing efficiency deteriorates due to multiple load and store operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage scaling efficiencyVSAvoidload and store cycles

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate scaling operations into a single integrated bi-directional scaling process. Instead of performing horizontal scaling, transposition, and vertical scaling as separate steps, the invention merges these operations to scale images in both horizontal and vertical directions simultaneously through a single load operation, thereby eliminating redundant load and store cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the image data processing into distinct horizontal and vertical scaling components that can be handled independently within a unified framework. By separating the scaling dimensions while maintaining a single load operation, the system processes horizontal and vertical scaling through different computational paths without requiring multiple memory access cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If three-step scaling process with transposition is used, then bi-directional scaling is achieved, but device complexity increases due to multiple operation steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebi-directional scaling capabilityVSAvoidnumber of operation steps

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal scaling apparatus that can perform both horizontal and vertical scaling operations within a single integrated system. The bi-directional scaling apparatus is designed to handle scaling in multiple directions simultaneously through unified control logic and a single load operation, eliminating the need for separate processing stages for different scaling directions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12586150B2Efficient bi-directional image scaling

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

A processor-implemented method for scaling an image includes receiving a digital image including at least a portion to be scaled. A set of pixels of the portion to be scaled in a horizontal direction is sampled. The sampled set of pixels is bi-directionally scaled by applying a horizontal scaling parameter to the sampled set of pixels to compute a horizontally scaled value. The horizontally scaled value is accumulated until a counter is equal to a vertical scaling parameter. A bi-directionally scaled value is computed by applying the vertical scaling parameter to the accumulated horizontally scaled value. The bi-directionally scaled value is stored.