Image processing apparatus and method

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a clusterer configured to cluster virtual point lights (VPLs) sampled in a three-dimensional (3D) space based on either one or both of sampling positions and normal vector directions of the sampling positions;
• and
• a determiner configured to determine whether a first cluster is to be used to render a first tile based on a correlation between a normal direction of an object vertex within the first tile to be rendered and a normal direction representing the first cluster classified by the clustering, in response to a dot product between a first vector representing the normal direction of the object vertex within the first tile and a second vector corresponding to a unit vector of a direction from the object vertex toward the first cluster being greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

An image processing method comprising:

• clustering virtual point lights (VPLs) sampled in a three-dimensional (3D) space based on either one or both of sampling positions of the VPLs and normal vector directions of the sampling positions of the VPLs;
• and
• determining whether a cluster is to be used to render a tile based on a correlation between a normal direction of an object vertex within the tile to be rendered and a normal direction representing the cluster classified by the clustering, wherein the determining comprises determining that the first cluster is to be used to render the first tile in response to a dot product between a first vector representing the normal direction of the object vertex within the first tile and a second vector corresponding to a unit vector of a direction from the object vertex toward the first cluster being greater than or equal to a first threshold value.