Image processing device with synchronized sprite rendering and sprite buffer

An image processing device comprising:

• a sprite attribute table for storing sprite attributes;
• a first reading device for making a read access to a memory that stores a plurality of compressed image data, each of which is comprised of a plurality of blocks each having a predetermined size, in advance, so as to read the compressed image data block-by-block with reference to the sprite attribute table;
• a decoder for decoding the compressed image data block-by-block so as to produce sprite pattern data;
• a first storage device which serves as a first-in-first-out memory which is given a priority in a write operation for writing the sprite pattern data therein rather than a read operation for reading the sprite pattern data therefrom, which is incapable of simultaneously performing the write operation and the read operation, and which has a storage area operable for storing a plurality of decompressed image data decoded by the decoder;
• a writing device for writing the sprite pattern data into the first storage device block-by-block;
• a second reading device for reading the sprite pattern data from the first storage device;
• a second storage device which is given a priority in a read operation for reading therefrom rather than a write operation for writing therein, and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the read operation and the write operation;
• a control device for performing prescribed processing on the sprite pattern data read from the first storage device and for writing the processed sprite pattern data into the second storage device;
• and
• a display device for reading the processed sprite pattern data from the second storage device and for displaying an image based on the processed sprite pattern data.

An processing method comprising:

• making a read access to a memory that stores a plurality of compressed image data, each of which is comprised of a plurality of blocks each having a predetermined size in advance, so as to read the compressed image data block-by-block by referring to a sprite attribute table;
• decoding the compressed image data block-by-block so as to produce sprite pattern data;
• writing the sprite pattern data into a first storage block-by block, wherein the first storage serves as a first-in-first-out memory, which is given a priority in a write operation for writing the sprite pattern data therein rather than a read operation for reading the sprite pattern data therefrom, which is incapable of simultaneously performing the write operation and the read operation, and which has a storage area operable for storing a plurality of decompressed image data decoded by the decoder;
• reading the sprite pattern data from the first storage;
• performing prescribed processing on the sprite pattern data read from the first storage so as to write the processed sprite pattern data into a second storage, which is given a priority in a read operation for reading therefrom rather than a write operation for writing therein and is incapable of simultaneously performing the read operation and the write operation;
• and
• reading the processed sprite pattern data from the second storage and displaying an image based on the processed sprite pattern data.

An image processing device comprising:

• a decoder for decoding compressed image data, each of which is compressed in advance, thus producing decompressed image data;
• a first storage device which is given a priority in a write operation for writing the decompressed image data therein rather than a read operation for reading decompressed image data therefrom and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the write operation and the read operation;
• a writing device for writing the decompressed image data into the first storage device;
• a reading device for reading the decompressed image data from the first storage device;
• a second storage device, which is given a priority in a read operation for reading therefrom rather than a write operation for writing therein, and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the read operation and the write operation;
• a control device for performing prescribed processing on the image data read from the first storage device and for writing the processed image data into the second storage device;
• and
• a display device for reading the processed image data from the second storage device, and for displaying an image based on the processed image data, wherein
• the display device does not start making a read access to the second storage device until the writing device starts making a write access to the first storage device, and the display device starts making the read access to the second storage device when the writing device starts making the write access to the first storage device.

An image processing device comprising:

• a sprite attribute table for storing sprite attributes;
• a decoder for decoding compressed image data, which is compressed in advance, by referring to the sprite attribute table thus producing sprite pattern data;
• a first storage device, which is given a priority in a write operation for writing the decompressed image data therein rather than a read operation for reading the decompressed image data therefrom, and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the write operation and the read operation;
• a writing device for writing the sprite pattern data into the first storage device;
• a reading device for reading the sprite pattern data from the first storage device;
• a second storage device, which is given a priority in a read operation for reading therefrom rather than a write operation for writing therein, and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the read operation and the write operation;
• a control device for performing prescribed processing on the sprite pattern data read from the first storage device by referring to the sprite attribute table, and for writing the processed sprite pattern data into the second storage device;
• and
• a display device for reading the processed sprite pattern data from the second storage device and for displaying an image based on the processed sprite pattern data, wherein
• the display device does not start making a read access to the second storage device until the writing device starts making a write access to the first storage device, and the display device starts making the read access to the second storage device when the writing device starts making the write access to the first storage device.

An image processing method comprising:

• decoding compressed image data, which is compressed in advance, by referring to a sprite attribute table storing sprite attributes thus producing sprite pattern data;
• writing the sprite pattern data into a first storage device, wherein the first storage device is given a priority in a write operation for writing the decompressed image data therein rather than a read operation for reading the decompressed image data therefrom, and which is incapable of simultaneously performing the write operation and the read operation;
• reading the sprite pattern data from the first storage device;
• performing prescribed processing on the sprite pattern data read from the first storage device by referring to the sprite attribute table, and writing the processed sprite pattern data into a second storage device, which is given a priority in a read operation for reading therefrom rather than a write operation for writing therein and is incapable of simultaneously performing the read operation and the write operation;
• and
• reading the processed sprite pattern data from the second storage device and displaying an image based on the processed sprite pattern data, wherein a read access is not started until a write access is made to the first storage device, and the read access is made to the second storage device when the write access is made to the first storage device.