Image data combining apparatus and method

An image data combining method for combining m lines (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data that have been output from a reading unit, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor that divides a portion of the image data into m lines of pixel data and outputs the m lines of pixel data into a memory that has a width direction and a height direction, such that each of the m lines is stored in the width direction, said method comprising:

• an access step of accessing the memory;
• and
• a determination step of determining an upper address used for accessing the memory in said access step, based upon first data that relates a position, along the height direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory, and determining a lower address used for accessing the memory in said access step, based upon second data that relates a position of the width direction in the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory,
• wherein the lower address includes values in which a portion of a plurality of bits constituting the second data is interchanged in such a manner that p items (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) of pixel data at a time are extracted successively from each of the m lines of pixel data.

An image data processing apparatus for arranging m groups (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data that have been output from a reading unit and outputting arranged image data, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor and divides at least one line of image data into m groups of image data and outputs the m groups, and consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are arranged as each of the m groups of pixel data, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory unit configured to store the m groups of pixel data output by the reading unit;
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire first data and second data, wherein the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• a generation unit configured to generate an address for accessing said memory unit, wherein the address includes values in which a portion of a lower bit of the second data is moved to an upper side and a portion of the first data locates the upper side of the portion of the lower bit of the second data, and
• an access unit configured to access said memory unit by using the address generated in said generation unit in such a manner that p items (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) of pixel data output from each of m groups of pixel data extracted from said memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.

An image data processing method for arranging m groups (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data that have been output from a reading unit and outputting arranged image data, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor and divides at least one line of image data into m groups of image data and outputs the m groups, consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are arranged as each of the m groups of pixel data, and a plurality of pixel data in each of the m groups are stored in a memory unit, said method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring first data and second data, wherein the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• generating an address for accessing the memory unit, wherein the address includes values in which a portion of a lower bit of the second data is moved to an upper side and a portion of the first data locates the upper side of the portion of the lower bit of the second data;
• and
• accessing the memory unit by using the address generated in said generating step in such a manner that consecutive p pixels output from each of m groups of pixel data extracted from the memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.

An image data processing system comprising:

• a reading unit configured to output m groups (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data, said reading unit having at least one line sensor and dividing at least one line of an image data into m groups of image data and outputting the m groups, wherein consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are disposed as the m groups of pixel data;
• a memory unit configured to store the m groups of pixel data output by said reading unit;
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire first data and second data, wherein the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• a generation unit configured to generate an address for accessing said memory unit, wherein the address includes values in which a portion of a lower bit of the second data is moved to an upper side and a portion of the first data locates the upper side of the portion of the lower bit of the second data;
• and
• an access unit configured to access said memory unit by using the address generated in said generation unit in such a manner that p items (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) of pixel data output from each of m groups of pixel data extracted from said memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.

An image data processing apparatus for arranging m lines (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data that have been output from a reading unit and outputting arranged image data, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor and divides at least one line of image data into m lines of image data and outputs the m lines, and consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are arranged as each of the m lines of pixel data, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory unit configured to store the m lines of pixel data output by the reading unit;
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire parameters for generating an address by using first data and second data, the first data relating a position, along a first direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, and the second data relating a position, along a second direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, wherein the address comprises an upper address and a lower address and the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• a generation unit configured to generate the address comprising the upper address and the lower address for accessing said memory unit based on the parameters, wherein the upper address used for accessing said memory unit along the first direction of the data stored in said memory unit is generated using a portion of the first data and a portion of the second data and the lower address used for accessing said memory unit along the second direction of the data stored in said memory unit is generated using data with the exception of the portion of the second data used in the upper address from the second data;
• and
• an access unit configured to access said memory unit by using the address generated in said generation unit in such a manner that pixel data acquired by accessing said memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.

An image data processing method for arranging m lines (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data that have been output from a reading unit and outputting arranged image data, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor and divides at least one line of image data into m lines of image data and outputs the m groups, consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are arranged as each of the m lines of pixel data, and the m lines of pixel data output by the reading unit are stored in a memory unit, said method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring parameters for generating an address by using first data and second data, the first data relating a position, along a first direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, and the second data relating a position, along a second direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, wherein the address comprises an upper address and a lower address, and the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• generating the address comprising the upper address and the lower address for accessing the memory unit based on the parameters, wherein the upper address used for accessing the memory unit along the first direction of the data stored in the memory unit is generated using a portion of the first data and a portion of the second data, and the lower address used for accessing the memory unit along the second direction of the data stored in the memory unit is generated using data with the exception of the portion of the second data used in the upper address from the second data;
• and
• accessing the memory unit by using the address generated in the generating step in such a manner that pixel data acquired by accessing the memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.

An image data processing system comprising:

• a reading unit configured to output m lines (where m is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of pixel data, wherein the reading unit has at least one line sensor and divides at least one line of an image data into m lines of image data and outputs the m lines, and consecutive p pixels that have been extracted from every p×m pixels (where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1) are disposed as the m lines of pixel data;
• a memory unit configured to store the m lines of pixel data output by said reading unit;
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire parameters for generating an address by using first data and second data, the first data relating a position, along a first direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, and the second data relating a position, along a second direction, of the m lines of pixel data stored in the memory unit, wherein the address comprises an upper address and a lower address, and the first data and the second data increase sequentially;
• a generation unit configured to generate the address comprising the upper address and the lower address for accessing said memory unit based on the parameters, wherein the upper address used for accessing said memory unit along the first direction of the data stored in said memory unit is generated using a portion of the first data and a portion of the second data, and the lower address used for accessing said memory unit along the second direction of the data stored in said memory unit is generated using data with the exception of the portion of the second data used in the upper address from the second data;
• and
• an access unit configured to access said memory unit by using the address generated in said generation unit in such a manner that pixel data acquired by accessing said memory unit will be successively arranged as an image.