Data management for image processing

An interface device for an image processing system that includes a memory and a processing device, the memory being adapted to store, at determined addresses, data associated with pixels of images, the pixels having spatial coordinates in an image coordinate system having a first axis and second axis, the processing device comprising a processor adapted to process the data associated with pixels of images, and the interface device being adapted to access, in the memory, addresses associated with blocks of pixels of different sizes and stored with different storage methods, the interface device comprising:

• a receiving unit adapted to receive first access information for a first determined block of pixels, the first access information including a first base address in the memory, a first dimension of the first determined block of pixels along the first axis, a second dimension of the first determined block of pixels along the second axis, and a first storage method used to store the data associated with the first determined block of pixels in the memory;
• a selection unit adapted to select, as a function of the first storage method, a first access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the first axis of the image coordinate system, and a second access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the second axis, from among a plurality of distinct access rules, each of the access rules corresponding to a path through successive pixels along the first and/or second axes of the image coordinate system according to one storage method from among a plurality of storage methods;
• and
• a memory access management unit adapted to access in the memory the addresses associated with the pixels of the first determined block of pixels, by applying the selected first and second access rules starting from the first base address and based on the first and second dimensions of the first determined block of pixels along the first and second axes, so as to access all of the addresses associated with the pixels in the first determined block of pixels stored using the first storage method,
• wherein the receiving unit is further adapted to receive second access information for a second determined block of pixels, the second access information including a second base address in the memory, a third dimension of the second determined block of pixels along the first axis, a fourth dimension of the second determined block of pixels along the second axis, and a second storage method used to store the data associated with the second determined block of pixels in the memory,
• the selection unit is further adapted to select as a function of the second storage method, a third access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the first axis of the image coordinate system, and a fourth access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the second axis, from among the plurality of distinct access rules,
• the memory access management unit is further adapted to access in the memory the addresses associated with the pixels in the second determined block of pixels, by applying the selected third and fourth access rules starting from the second base address and based on the third and fourth dimensions of the second determined block of pixels along the first and second axes, so as to access all of the addresses associated with the pixels in the second determined block of pixels stored using the second storage method,
• the first storage method is different than the second storage method,
• at least one of the first dimension is different than the third dimension and the second dimension is different than the fourth dimension, and
• at least one of the first access rule is different than the third access rule and the second access rule is different than the fourth access rule.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for an interface device, the interface device being part of an image processing system that also includes a memory and a processing device, the memory being adapted for storing, at determined addresses, data associated with pixels of images, the pixels having spatial coordinates in an image coordinate system having a first axis and a second axis, the processing device comprising a processor adapted to process the data associated with pixels of images, and the interface device being adapted to access, in the memory, addresses associated with blocks of pixels of different sizes and stored with different storage methods, the computer program comprising instructions for, when the program is executed by the interface device, performing the steps of:

• receiving, at the interface device, first access information for a first determined block of pixels, the first access information including a first base address in the memory, a first dimension of the first determined block of pixels along the first axis, a second dimension of the first determined block of pixels along the second axis, and a first storage method used to store the data associated with the first determined block of pixels in the memory;
• as a function of the first storage method, selecting a first access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the first axis of the image coordinate system, and selecting a second access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the second axis, from among a plurality of distinct access rules, each of the access rules corresponding to a path through successive pixels along the first and/or second axes of the image coordinate system according to one storage method from among a plurality of storage methods;
• accessing in the memory the addresses associated with the pixels in the first determined block of pixels, by applying the selected first and second access rules starting from the first base address and based on the first and second dimensions of the first determined block of pixels along the first and second axes, so as to access all of the addresses associated with the pixels in the first determined block of pixels stored using the first storage method;
• receiving, at the interface device, second access information for a second determined block of pixels, the second access information including a second base address in the memory, a third dimension of the second determined block of pixels along the first axis, a fourth dimension of the second determined block of pixels along the second axis, and a second storage method used to store the data associated with the second determined block of pixels in the memory;
• as a function of the second storage method, selecting a third access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the first axis of the image coordinate system, and selecting a fourth access rule, which corresponds to a path through successive pixels along the second axis, from among the plurality of distinct access rules;
• and
• accessing in the memory the addresses associated with the pixels in the second determined block of pixels, by applying the selected third and fourth access rules starting from the second base address and based on the third and fourth dimensions of the second determined block of pixels along the first and second axes, so as to access all of the addresses associated with the pixels in the second determined block of pixels stored using the second storage method,
• wherein the first storage method is different than the second storage method,
• at least one of the first dimension is different than the third dimension and the second dimension is different than the fourth dimension, and
• at least one of the first access rule is different than the third access rule and the second access rule is different than the fourth access rule.