Taxonomy of Vectorization Patterns of Programming for FIR Image Filters Using Kernel Subsampling and New One

Abstract

This study examines vectorized programming for finite impulse response image filtering. Finite impulse response image filtering occupies a fundamental place in image processing, and has several approximated acceleration algorithms. However, no sophisticated method of acceleration exists for parameter adaptive filters or any other complex filter. For this case, simple subsampling with code optimization is a unique solution. Under the current Moore’s law, increases in central processing unit frequency have stopped. Moreover, the usage of more and more transistors is becoming insuperably complex due to power and thermal constraints. Most central processing units have multi-core architectures, complicated cache memories, and short vector processing units. This change has complicated vectorized programming. Therefore, we first organize vectorization patterns of vectorized programming to highlight the computing performance of central processing units by revisiting the general finite impulse response filtering. Furthermore, we propose a new vectorization pattern of vectorized programming and term it as loop vectorization. Moreover, these vectorization patterns mesh well with the acceleration method of subsampling of kernels for general finite impulse response filters. Experimental results reveal that the vectorization patterns are appropriate for general finite impulse response filtering. A new vectorization pattern with kernel subsampling is found to be effective for various filters. These include Gaussian range filtering, bilateral filtering, adaptive Gaussian filtering, randomly-kernel-subsampled Gaussian range filtering, randomly-kernel-subsampled bilateral filtering, and randomly-kernel-subsampled adaptive Gaussian filtering.

Keywords

• FIR image filtering
• vectorization
• SIMD
• vectorization pattern
• acceleration
• kernel subsampling