Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, image processing method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An image processing method to be performed by an image processing apparatus for performing operations for each hierarchical layer of a hierarchical neural network, the method comprising:

• dividing, into two-dimensional blocks, a feature image of a hierarchical layer that is made to be a processing target by a calculator and storing each of the two-dimensional blocks in any one of a predetermined number of memories;
• determining a memory access pattern, which is a pattern for reading two-dimensional blocks from the predetermined number of image memories, based on a type of an operation to be performed on the feature image;
• and
• reading out the two-dimensional blocks from the predetermined number of image memories in accordance with the memory access pattern,
• wherein, in the storing the two-dimensional blocks, the predetermined number of image memories are assigned to respective two-dimensional blocks repeatedly in a predetermined order from a head row/column along a row/column,
• in a second or a subsequent row/column, a memory, which the assignment is started, is shifted by a constant number from a previous row/column in the predetermined order, and
• in reading out the two-dimensional blocks, a set of blocks corresponding to each of a plurality of memory access patterns is read out from respective memories in a single access cycle.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer of an image processing apparatus for performing operations for each hierarchical layer of a hierarchical neural network to perform a method, the method comprising:

• dividing, into two-dimensional blocks, a feature image of a hierarchical layer that is made to be a processing target by a calculator and storing each of the two-dimensional blocks in any one of a predetermined number of memories;
• determining a memory access pattern, which is a pattern for reading two-dimensional blocks from the predetermined number of image memories, based on a type of an operation to be performed on the feature image;
• and
• reading out the two-dimensional blocks from the predetermined number of image memories in accordance with the memory access pattern,
• wherein, in storing the two-dimensional blocks, the predetermined number of image memories are assigned to respective two-dimensional blocks repeatedly in a predetermined order from a head row/column along a row/column,
• in a second or a subsequent row/column, a memory that the assignment is started is shifted by a constant number from a previous row/column in the predetermined order, and
• in reading out the two-dimensional blocks, a set of blocks corresponding to each of a plurality of memory access patterns is read out from respective memories in a single access cycle.