Apparatus and method for performing fast and precise spatial transformations of images

An image processing apparatus in a computer system for transforming a source image representative of an object into a destination image representative of the object, said source image comprising a source pixel array and said destination image comprising a destination pixel array, each of the source pixel array and the destination pixel array having a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels having an x value and a y value, the image processing apparatus comprising:

• means for generating a transformation matrix having transformation variables represented in fixed point format;
• means for mapping a first pixel of the destination pixel array onto the source pixel array by multiplying the x value and the y value of the first pixel by the transformation matrix to obtain a first mapped position on the source pixel array, the first mapped position having an x value and a y value;
• and
• means for mapping a second pixel of the destination array onto the source array by adding a first variable of the transformation matrix to the x value of the first mapped position and by adding a second variable of the transformation matrix to the y value of the first mapped position to obtain a second mapped position.