8.2 Image Processing Systems

8.2 Image Processing Systems

a. Hardware
There are two types of image processing hardware.

(1) Image processing system with specific image processor
An image processor with frame buffer is connected with a host computer as shown in Figure 8.2.1. The image processor has the function of high speed image processing and image input / output. The hardware system depends on what type of host computer (personal computer, work station, mini-computer, general purpose computer etc.) is selected and what the computer is used for.

(2) General purpose computer
The host computer has only a frame buffer, as shown in Figure 8.2.2. Therefore the image processing is implemented by software developed or purchased by the users. Though the transportability of the system is flexible, the size of software naturally becomes very large. Usually a personal computer or a work station is selected as the host computer.

Recently network systems connecting server computers and front end computers, as shown in Figure 8.2.3 have become popular.

b. Peripherals
Image processing systems need various peripherals, such as image input devices, to enable A/D conversion, image output devices for image display, image recorder to produce hardcopy, and image recording equipment to establish data archives (see 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6).

c. Software
The software of image processing has the following basic subsystems.

(1) Data input/output (reading and writing CCT etc.)
(2) Image display and operation (color output, image operation, image enhancement etc.)
(3) Reconstruction and correction (geometric correction, radiometric correction etc.)
(4) Image analysis (image transformation, classification etc.)
(5) Image output (hard copy, film recording etc.)