Methods, systems and apparatus to optimize pipeline execution

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a hardware pipeline to at least:

• generate, with a first logic circuit, a bit descriptor based on a comparison of intensity values of first pixels of a pixel kernel of a first image to at least one of (i) a first intensity value of a central pixel of the pixel kernel, (ii) an average value of the intensity values, or (iii) a threshold value, the bit descriptor to associate the intensity values with a bit string;
• determine, with a second logic circuit in circuit with the first logic circuit, disparity values associated with differences in locations of first ones of the first pixels and second pixels of a second image, the disparity values including a first disparity value associated with a first difference value corresponding to (A) a first location of a third pixel of the first pixels and (B) a second location of a fourth pixel of the second pixels, the first disparity value based on a comparison of a first intensity of the third pixel and a second intensity of the fourth pixel;
• generate, with a third logic circuit in circuit with at least one of the first logic circuit or the second logic circuit, a disparity map based on the differences in the locations of the first ones of the first pixels and the second pixels, the disparity map including the first disparity value;
• and
• output, with a fourth logic circuit in circuit with at least one of the first logic circuit, the second logic circuit, or the third logic circuit, a stereo image based on a determination that the third pixel corresponds to the fourth pixel, the determination based on the disparity map.

A hardware pipeline to perform stereo matching, the hardware pipeline comprising:

• means for generating a post-mask bit descriptor based on an application of a concatenation mask to a pre-mask bit descriptor, the post-mask bit descriptor to map intensity values of first pixels of a pixel kernel of a first image to a bit string, the post-mask bit descriptor to have a first number of bits, the concatenation mask to have at least one of a second number of bits or one or more sorting trees, the pre-mask bit descriptor to have a third number of bits, and the first number, the second number, and the third number of bits to be different from each other;
• means for determining in circuit with the means for generating, the means for determining to determine disparity values associated with differences in locations of ones of the first pixels and second pixels of a second image, the disparity values including a first disparity value associated with a first difference value corresponding to (A) a first location of a third pixel of the first pixels and a second location of a fourth pixel of the second pixels, the first disparity value based on a comparison of a first intensity of the third pixel and a second intensity of the fourth pixel;
• and
• means for aggregating in circuit with the means for determining, the means for aggregating to:
• generate a disparity map representative of the differences in the locations of the pixels, the disparity map including the first disparity value;
• and
• cause a stereo image to be generated in response to a determination that the third pixel corresponds to the fourth pixel, the determination based on the disparity map.

A method to perform stereo matching, the method comprising:

• determining disparity values associated with differences in locations of pixels included in different images, the disparity values including a first disparity value associated with a first difference value corresponding to (A) a first location of a first pixel of a first image and (B) a second location of a second pixel of a second image, the first disparity value based on a comparison of a first intensity of the first pixel and a second intensity of the second pixel, the determining of the first disparity value including:
• determining an absolute difference between the first intensity and the second intensity;
• determining a Hamming distance between a first bit descriptor of the first pixel and a second bit descriptor of the second pixel;
• determining a sum of the absolute difference and the Hamming distance;
• and
• clamping the sum to an integer;
• generating a disparity map representative of the differences in the locations of the pixels, the disparity map including the first disparity value;
• and
• in response to determining that the first pixel corresponds to the second pixel based on the disparity map, generating a stereo image based on the first pixel and the second pixel.

An apparatus to perform stereo matching, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one memory;
• machine readable instructions;
• and
• processor circuitry to execute the machine readable instructions to:
• generate a bit descriptor based on a comparison of intensity values of first pixels of a pixel kernel of a first image to at least one of (i) a first intensity value of a central pixel of the pixel kernel, (ii) an average value of the intensity values, or (iii) a threshold value;
• determine disparity values associated with differences in locations of first ones of the first pixels and second pixels of a second image, the disparity values including a first disparity value associated with a first difference value corresponding to (A) a first location of a third pixel of the first pixels and (B) a second location of a fourth pixel of the second pixels, the first disparity value based on a comparison of a first intensity of the third pixel and a second intensity of the fourth pixel;
• generate a disparity map based on the differences in the locations of the first ones of the first pixels and the second pixels, the disparity map including the first disparity value;
• and
• output a stereo image based on a determination that the third pixel corresponds to the fourth pixel, the determination to be based on the disparity map.