Overview
ISO/IEC 12087-2:1994 defines the Programmer’s Imaging Kernel System (PIKS) - an application programming interface (API) for image processing within the Image Processing and Interchange (IPI) family. As Part 2 of the IPI functional specification, this standard specifies a portable, implementation-neutral imaging kernel API that provides both low‑level and high‑level services on image and image‑derived data objects. PIKS is designed as reusable building blocks for a broad range of imaging applications and supports implementations from personal computers to hardware accelerators and distributed systems.
Key topics and technical requirements
- PIKS imaging model: formalizes data flow and control flow between applications, the kernel, and the Image Interchange Facility (IIF).
- Data objects: defines image and non‑image objects (image arrays, LUTs, ROI objects, impulse response arrays, color conversion matrices, tuples, virtual registers).
- Operators, tools and utilities: catalogs functional elements (image→image, image→non‑image, non‑image→non‑image) for filtering, resampling, neighborhood processing, histogram and more.
- System mechanisms: specifies resource and execution control such as data object allocation, match point and ROI control, element chaining (chain construction/execution), asynchronous control, and error handling.
- Import/export and interface: describes how PIKS exchanges data with applications and the IIF; includes data type conversion and interchange utilities.
- Profiles and conformance: defines Foundation, Application, and Full profiles and IIF capability profiles to guide implementations and interoperability.
- Annexes and utilities: mathematical definitions, element templates, operator indices, resampling rules, error codes, and lists of elements by profile.
The standard lists capabilities provided by PIKS (e.g., image enhancement, restoration, basic classification, visualization primitives) and capabilities not provided by PIKS (e.g., image acquisition, compression/decompression, device control, window systems), noting that PIKS can serve as a pre‑processor or co‑processor for those technologies.
Applications and practical value
PIKS is intended for:
- Imaging library developers building a standards‑based API for image processing.
- Software engineers creating portable imaging applications (medical imaging, remote sensing, industrial inspection, scientific visualization).
- Hardware vendors implementing accelerated imaging kernels on DSPs, GPUs, or dedicated ASICs.
- Integrators needing predictable interfaces for image manipulation, ROI management, resampling, and color conversion.
Using ISO/IEC 12087-2 helps improve portability, interoperability, and reuse of image processing components across platforms and products.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO/IEC 12087-2, PIKS, image processing API, imaging kernel, IPI, Image Interchange Facility, image data objects, ROI, resampling, color conversion, image operators.