Polygonal Masking Image Generation Without Memory Buffers

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Solution Overview

Problem

The surveillance system's flexibility is limited by the need for memory buffers in image masking, which increases hardware area and cost, restricting the implementation of irregular and polygonal image masks on front-end devices.

Innovation Solution

A method for generating a masking image using a general polygonal mask by determining the relative locations of pixels to the mask's edges, allowing for flexible image masking without requiring memory buffers, enabling the integration of image masking circuits into surveillance devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If irregular or polygonal image masks are used to improve masking flexibility, then masking adaptability is improved, but memory buffer requirements increase leading to larger hardware area and higher hardware cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemasking flexibilityVSAvoidhardware area

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the memory buffer requirement from the image masking process by implementing a sequential pixel processing method that determines pixel visibility status on-the-fly using polygon edge equations, eliminating the need for storing intermediate geometric conversion results in memory buffers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional geometric conversion mechanism that requires memory buffers with a direct mathematical computation approach using polygon edge equations to determine pixel visibility status, substituting physical memory storage with computational logic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If irregular or polygonal image masks are used to improve masking flexibility, then masking adaptability is improved, but hardware cost increases due to memory buffer requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemasking flexibilityVSAvoidhardware cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the memory buffer component from the hardware architecture by implementing a sequential processing method that computes pixel visibility status directly from polygon edge equations, thereby eliminating the associated hardware cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses simple mathematical computations (polygon edge equations) that require minimal hardware resources compared to memory buffers, effectively replacing expensive memory components with low-cost computational operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Ease of manufacture

If rectangular image masks are used to reduce hardware cost by eliminating memory buffers, then hardware cost is reduced, but masking flexibility is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware costVSAvoidmasking flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of limiting mask shapes to rectangles to avoid memory buffers, the patent inverts the approach by using general polygon masks with sequential pixel processing, achieving both flexibility and low hardware cost through mathematical computation rather than physical memory

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9530231B2Method for generating masking image using general polygonal mask

Publication Date: 2016.12.27 NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP

AI summary

A method for generating masking image using general polygonal mask includes receiving a pixel of a raw image and a polygon vertices array corresponding to a polygonal mask, determining whether the pixel is inside the polygonal mask, labeling the pixel to be a masked pixel if the pixel is inside the polygonal mask, or labeling the pixel to be a visible pixel if the pixel is outside the polygonal mask, and outputting the masked pixel or the visible pixel to generate the masking image.