Image data processing system and method with image data organization into tile cache memory

Abstract

An image data processing system and method are disclosed in which image data is organized for fast and efficient transfer of image data to and from an image memory using a tile cache. Image data is stored in a memory having data words of a predetermined data width. Each data word includes a plural adjacently disposed image pixels of a single scan line. A set of consecutive data words corresponds to a two dimensional tile of the image whereby adjacent data words store image pixels of adjacent scan lines. The image data is transferred to a tile cache in these tiles. Following image processing on a tile of image data stored in the tile cache, the tile of image data is transferred back to the memory. The technique repeats for each tile of image data. Separate tiles of image data may be operated on by different data processors simultaneously.