Patent ID: 6952502
Filing Date: 2005-10-04
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. Data filtering apparatus comprising: an input for receiving a stream of data, each data item taking a range of at least two values ranging between a low value to a high value, a segmentation device for dividing said stream into segments, a segment midpoint definer for defining a midpoint of each segment, a segment orderer for ordering said segment in a first direction from low to high on a first side of said midpoint and in a second direction from low to high on a second side of said midpoint, an extremity filter unit for comparing said ordered data on either side of said midpoint to create a temporary output per segment, for each segment, each data item on either side of said midpoint being given an extremity filter value, said filter unit being operable to utilize said ordering to find said extremity value via a minimal number of comparisons, said extremity filter for initially comparing a single end of each segment, and being operable to alternate between ends per segment, said extremity filter being further operable to compute remaining ends via comparisons of the middles of presently un-compared ends to the middle of the compared ends, and to conditionally copy a half of the compared end onto the un-compared end.