The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Donald B Gennery

Brian H Wilcox

A pipelined image processor selectively interconnects modules in a column of a two-dimensional array to modules of the next column of the array of modules 1,1 through M,N, where M is the number of modules in one dimension and N is the number of modules in the other direction. Each module includes two input selectors (10,11) for A and B inputs, two convolvers (12,13), a binary function operator (15), a neighborhood comparison operator (14) which produces an A output and an output selector (16) which may select as a B output the output of any one of the components in the module, including the A output of the neighborhood comparison operator. Each module may be connected to as many as eight modules in the next column, preferably with the majority always in a different row that is up (or down) in the array for a generally spiral data path around the torus thus formed. The binary function operator (15) is implemented as a look-up table (20) addressed by the most significant 8 bits of each 12-bit argument. The table output includes a function value and the slopes for interpolation of the two arguments by multiplying the 4 least significant bits in multipliers (21) and (22) and adding the products to the function value through adders (23) and (24).

Programmable pipelined image processor

Digital values in a moving window are compared by an operator having nine comparators (18) connected to line buffers (16) for receiving a succession of central pixels together with eight neighborhood pixels. A single bit of program control determines whether the neighborhood pixels are to be compared with the central pixel or a threshold value. The central pixel is always compared with the threshold. The comparator output, plus 2 bits indicating odd-even pixel/line information about the central pixel, addresses a lookup table (20) to provide 14 bits of information, including 2 bits which control a selector (22) to pass either the central pixel value, the other 12 bits of table information, or the bit-wise logic OR of all neighboring pixels.

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Glendale, CA, United States of America

Donald B Gennery