Patent ID: 7675523

Claim:
An image processing method comprising: inputting image data; storing the inputted image data in a first memory; reading out one of a plurality of units of image data in a unit of a rectangular area from the first memory, wherein the rectangular area contains an effective pixel area into which the image data is divided, and an overlap area located in one or more adjacent effective pixel areas which is necessary for processing of the image data in the effective pixel area; transferring the image data read out from the first memory to a second memory; setting one image processing mode to be executed from among a plurality of different types of image processing modes for processing the image data in the effective pixel area; selecting two or more image processing portions from among a plurality of image processing portions which respectively execute a plurality of image processes, in accordance with the set image processing mode, and executing two or more types of image processes sequentially on the image data stored in the second memory wherein the second memory is used as a shared buffer memory for the selected image processing portions to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory, wherein the selected image processing portions need different sizes of image data to execute the respective image processes, wherein a size of the rectangular area read out from the first memory is defined based on a size of the effective pixel area and a maximum size of an overlap area from among all of the overlap areas necessary for each of the selected image processing portions to execute its respective image process, wherein a first portion of the selected image processing portions executes a first image process in the image data stored in the second memory, and the image data on which the first image process has been executed is transferred to a second portion of the selected image processing portions without transferring the image data on which the first image process has been executed back to the first memory, wherein the second portion executes a second image process on the image data on which the first image process has been executed, and wherein the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed is transferred from the second memory to the first memory.