Method, apparatus and system for rendering an image

A method of rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the method comprising:

• determining a first cost value associated with independent edge tracking of at least one of said bands;
• determining a second cost value associated with edge tracking of said band using data from a further band, the second cost value comprising a cost of tracking edges of the further band and a cost of tracking edges associated with said band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the further band;
• and
• rendering the image using the first and second cost values, wherein rendering of said band is postponed until edge tracking data is received from the further band, the postponing being performed in response to a determination using the cost values that resource utilisation associated with the rendering would be reduced due to the postponing.

An apparatus for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the method comprising:

• means for determining a plurality of edge tracking conditions for at least one of said bands, the each edge tracking conditions comprising waiting for at least one other band;
• means for determining a plurality of distinct rendering schedules for the image, each rendering schedule specifying an edge tracking condition for each of said bands, the edge tracking condition for each band being selected from the corresponding plurality of edge tracking conditions for said band;
• means for determining a cost for a rendering schedule, the rendering schedule cost being based on an edge tracking condition specified for each of the bands using a tracking cost of edges associated with the band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the band specified in the edge tracking condition;
• and
• means for rendering the image in accordance with a selected rendering schedule, the rendering schedule being selected based on the cost determined for the rendering schedule.

A system for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the system comprising:

• a memory for storing data and a computer program;
• a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for:
• determining a plurality of edge tracking conditions for at least one of said bands, the edge tracking conditions comprising waiting for at least one other band;
• determining a plurality of distinct rendering schedules for the image, each rendering schedule specifying an edge tracking condition for each of said bands, the edge tracking condition for each band being selected from the corresponding plurality of edge tracking conditions for said band;
• determining a cost for a rendering schedule, the rendering schedule cost being based on an edge tracking condition specified for each of the bands using a tracking cost of edges associated with the band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the band specified in the edge tracking condition;
• and
• rendering the image in accordance with a selected rendering schedule, the rendering schedule being selected based on the cost determined for the rendering schedule.

A computer readable medium comprising a program stored thereon for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the program comprising:

• code for determining a plurality of edge tracking conditions for at least one of said bands, the edge tracking conditions comprising waiting for at least one other band;
• code for determining a plurality of distinct rendering schedules for the image, each rendering schedule specifying an edge tracking condition for each of said bands, the edge tracking condition for each band being selected from the corresponding plurality of edge tracking conditions for said band;
• code for determining a cost for a rendering schedule, the rendering schedule cost being based on an edge tracking condition specified for each of the bands using a tracking cost of edges associated with the band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the band specified in the edge tracking condition;
• and
• code for rendering the image in accordance with a selected rendering schedule, the rendering schedule being selected based on the cost determined for the rendering schedule.

An apparatus for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the apparatus comprising:

• means for determining a first cost value associated with independent edge tracking of at least one of said bands;
• means for determining a second cost value associated with edge tracking of said band using data from a further band, the second cost value comprising a cost of tracking edges of the further band and a cost of tracking edges associated with said band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the further band;
• and
• means for rendering the image using the first and second cost values, wherein rendering of said band is postponed until edge tracking data is received from the further band, the postponing being performed in response to a determination using the cost values that resource utilisation associated with the rendering would be reduced due to the postponing.

A system for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the system comprising:

• a memory for storing data and a computer program;
• a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program, said computer program comprising instructions for:
• determining a first cost value associated with independent edge tracking of at least one of said bands;
• determining a second cost value associated with edge tracking of said band using data from a further band, the second cost value comprising a cost of tracking the edges of the further band and a cost of tracking edges associated with said band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the further band;
• and
• rendering the image using the first and second cost values, wherein rendering of said band is postponed until edge tracking data is received from the further band, the postponing being performed in response to a determination using the cost values that resource utilisation associated with the rendering would be reduced due to the postponing.

A computer readable medium having a program stored thereon for rendering an image as a plurality of bands, the program comprising:

• code for determining a first cost value associated with independent edge tracking of at least one of said bands;
• code for determining a second cost value associated with edge tracking of said band using data from a further band, the second cost value comprising a cost of tracking edges of the further band and a cost of tracking edges associated with said band through at least one intermediate band positioned between said band and the further band;
• and
• code for rendering the image using the first and second cost values, wherein rendering of said band is postponed until edge tracking data is received from the further band, the postponing being performed in response to a determination using the cost values that resource utilisation associated with the rendering would be reduced due to the postponing.