Patent ID: 7583851

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for reading an input image on a predetermined unit basis, processing the image, and generating an output image, comprising: a temporary storage unit having a storage area located horizontally and provided with a predetermined number of horizontal pixels and for temporarily storing a plurality of lines of pixel data of the input image corresponding to the predetermined number of horizontal pixels; an image dividing unit for vertically and equally dividing the input image according to the predetermined number of horizontal pixels if the number of horizontal pixels of the input image is larger than the predetermined number of horizontal pixels; an input data transfer unit for sequentially transferring to the temporary storage unit the divided pixel data of the input image; a pixel processing unit for performing image processing on a single or plural pixels basis with respect to the divided pixel data of the input image transferred to the temporary storage unit; an image coupling unit for controlling transfer of the pixel data of the pixel processing unit so that the pixel data is coupled with each other, for generating an output image; an output data transfer unit for transferring output pixel data from the pixel processing unit to an output image storage area, wherein the image dividing unit divides pixel data of the input image to be divided so that each of the divided pixel data includes overlapped pixel data located on the pixel data of the input image to be divided if the number of horizontal pixels of the pixel data of the input image to be divided is odd, and wherein the image dividing unit divides pixel data of the input image to be divided so that each of the pixel data of the input image to be divided does not include overlapped pixel data if the number of horizontal pixels of the pixel data of the input image to be divided is even.