Image processing for tracking

Abstract

A method for image processing includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) of a mobile device obtaining source image data generated by an image sensor of the mobile device and having a source image size and a source color format, the GPU resampling the source image data to generate resampled image data having a target image size suitable to be processed by a central processing unit (CPU) of the mobile device to conduct a target process, and the GPU or the CPU reformatting the resampled image data to generate target image data having a target color format suitable to be processed by the CPU to conduct the target process. The reformatting includes removing at least one color channel for one or more pixels of the resampled image data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for image processing, comprising:
 obtaining, by a graphics processing unit (GPU) of a mobile device, source image data generated by an image sensor of the mobile device, the source image data having a source image size and a source color format;   resampling, by the GPU, the source image data to generate resampled image data, the resampled image data having a target image size suitable to be processed by a central processing unit (CPU) of the mobile device to conduct a target process; and   reformatting, by the GPU or the CPU, the resampled image data to generate target image data, the target image data having a target color format suitable to be processed by the CPU to conduct the target process, wherein the reformatting includes removing at least one color channel for one or more pixels of the resampled image data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resampled image data has the source color format corresponding to an ordered set of color channels, and the reformatting of the resampled image data comprises at least one of:
 rearranging an order of the ordered set of color channels corresponding to the source color format to an order corresponding to the target color format; or   changing values of the ordered set of color channels corresponding to the source color format to values corresponding to the target color format using a transformation matrix.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reformatting of the resampled image data comprises:
 determining color information for each pixel of the target image data based on color information of a corresponding pixel of the resampled image data.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one color channel is conducted by the GPU or a vector processor of the CPU, wherein the GPU or the vector processor is configured to execute parallel operations to remove the at least one color channel for a plurality of pixels of the resampled image data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target process is a tracking process configured for tracking an object by the mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the target image data is processed by the CPU to identify the object to be tracked. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the target image data is processed by the CPU to generate control signals for controlling the image sensor or a carrier of the mobile device to track the object. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein tracking of the object is based at least in part on initial target information received from a user interface provided by the mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source color format is an RGBA format, a BGRA format, or a YUVA format. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target color format is an RGB format, a BGR format, or a YUV format. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile device, comprising:
 an image sensor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a central processing unit (CPU);   wherein the image sensor is configured to: generate source image data, the source image data having a source image size and a source color format;   wherein the GPU is configured to: resample the source image data to generate resampled image data, the resampled image data having a target image size suitable to be processed by the CPU to conduct a target process; and   wherein the GPU or the CPU is configured to: reformat the resampled image data to generate target image data, the target image data having a target color format suitable to be processed by the CPU to conduct the target process, wherein the reformatting includes removing at least one color channel for one or more pixels of the resampled image data.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 11 , wherein the target process is a tracking process configured for tracking an object by the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 12 , wherein the CPU is further configured to process the target image data to identify the object to be tracked. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile device of  claim 12 , wherein the CPU is further configured to process the target image data to generate control signals for controlling the image sensor or a carrier of the mobile device to track the object. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device of  claim 12 , wherein tracking of the object is based at least in part on initial target information received from a user interface provided by the mobile device. 
     
     
         16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system of a mobile device, configure the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining, by a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the mobile device, source image data generated by an image sensor of the mobile device, the source image data having a source image size and a source color format;   resampling, by the GPU, the source image data to generate resampled image data, the resampled image data having a target image size suitable to be processed by a central processing unit (CPU) of the mobile device to conduct a target process; and   reformatting, by the GPU or the CPU, the resampled image data to generate target image data, the target image data having a target color format suitable to be processed by the CPU to conduct the target process, wherein the reformatting includes removing at least one color channel for one or more pixels of the resampled image data.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the target process is a tracking process configured for tracking an object by the mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the target image data is processed by the CPU to identify the object to be tracked. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the target image data is processed by the CPU to generate control signals for controlling the image sensor or a carrier of the mobile device to track the object. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein tracking of the object is based at least in part on initial target information received from a user interface provided by the mobile device.