Patent ID: 6163324
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of filtering pixels in a graphics image, wherein the pixels have pixel values, comprising the following steps:defining different sets of pixel values, each set comprising the value of a center pixel and the values of at least some the pixels adjacent to the center pixel;forming a plurality of bit registers having bit groups corresponding respectively to the different sets of pixel values, each bit group having bit positions corresponding respectively to different individual ones of the pixel values of the corresponding set, wherein bits in different bit registers at bit positions corresponding to a particular one of the pixel values indicate the truth or falsity of different possible relationships between the particular pixel value and other individual ones of the pixel values in the same set;logically ANDing different combinations of the bit registers to form a plurality of parallel condition registers having bit positions corresponding respectively to different individual ones of the pixel values of the different sets;evaluating the parallel condition registers to determine the median values of the different sets, wherein a true value at any particular bit position in any of the parallel condition registers indicates that the pixel value corresponding to that particular bit position is the median value of its set;within each set of pixel values, replacing the value of the center pixel with the value of the median value of the set.