Two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture

A method of filtering an image using a two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1, where N is a positive integer greater than three, the two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1 including one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1, said method comprising:

• summing, on respective clock cycles of said two dimensional pyramid filter architecture, the following:
• pyramid filtered output signals corresponding to output signals produced by four one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1;
• and
• a pyramid filtered output signal corresponding to the summation of signal sample matrices of order [2(N−1)−1].

An article comprising:

• a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed result in filtering an image using a two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1, the two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1 including one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1, where N is a positive integer greater than three, by:
• summing, on respective clock cycles of said two dimensional pyramid filter architecture, the following:
• pyramid filtered output signals corresponding to output signals produced by four one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1;
• and
• a pyramid filtered output signal corresponding to the summation of signal sample matrices of order [2(N−1)−1].

An image processing system comprising:

• an image processing unit to filter scanned color images;
• said image processing unit including at least one two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture;
• said at least one two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture comprising:
• a two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of an order 2N−1, where N is a positive integer greater than three, the two-dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1 including one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1;
• said two dimensional pyramid filter architecture of order 2N−1, in operation, capable of producing, on respective clock cycles, at least the following:
• a pyramid filtered output signal corresponding to the summation of output signals produced by four one-dimensional pyramid filters of order 2N−1;
• and
• a pyramid filtered output signal corresponding to the summation of signal sample matrices of order [2(N−1)−1];
• wherein the respective pyramid filtered output signals in said two dimensional pyramid filter architecture are summed on respective clock cycles of said two dimensional pyramid filter architecture.