ISO/IEC 12087-1:1995

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 12087-1
First edition
1995-04-15
Information technology - Computer
graphics and image processing - Image
Processing and Interchange (IPI) -
Functional specification -
Part 1:
Common architecture for imaging
Technologies de I’information - Infographie et traitemen t de I’image -
Traitemen t de I’image et khange (/PI) - Spkification fonctionnelle -
Partie 1: Architecture commune pour I’image
Reference number
ISO/IEC 12087-1:1995(E)

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ISOAEC 120874 :1995 (E)
Contents
1 Scope. 1
3
2 NormativeReferences . . . . . . . . . . . . .,OO.ee.ee . . . . . . . . . o . .*.
4
....................................
3 Definitions and abbreviations
4
........................................................
Definitions
3.1
...................................................... 5
Abbreviations
3.2
............................................. 5
3.3 Diagrammatic Conventions
7
.........................................
4 The IPI architecture
7
................................................
4.1 IPI imaging architecture
7
..............................................
4.1.1 IPI imaging model
...................................... 8
4.1.2 IPI Operator processing model
9
...................................................
4.2 IPI basic data types
......................................... 10
4.2.1 IPI elementary data types
.......................................... 10
4.2.2 IPI compound data types
.................................................. 11
4.3 IPI imagedata types
............................... 11
4.3.1 IPI derived elementary image data types
................................
11
4.3.2 IPI derived compound image data types
........................................
13
4.3.3 IPI derived image attributes
......................................... 14
4.4 IPI derived non-image data types.
................................ 14
IPI derived image annotation data types
4.4.1
.......................... 14
IPI derived image-related non-image data types
4.4.2
........................................ 16
5 IPI-PIKS architecture
............................................... 16
IPI-PIKS imaging model
5.1
.................................... 16
5.1.1 IPI-PIKS neighbourhood control
.......................................... 17
5.1.2 IPI-PIKS image control
............................................... 17
5.2 IPI-PIKS System control
.......................................... 17
5.2.1 Data Object management
......................................... 18
5.2.2 Operational synchronicity
............................................... 18
5.2.3 Element chaining
.............................................. 18
5.2.4 Error management
............................................... 18
5.3 IPI-PIKS basic data types
..................................... 18
5.3.1 IPI-PIKS elementary data types
..................................... 19
5.3.2 IPI-PIKS compound data types
.................................... 22
5.4 IPI-PIKS derived image data descriptions
....................................... 22
5.4.1 IPI-PIKS derived data types.
................................. 22
5.4.2 IPI-PIKS compound image data types
.............................................. 23
5.4.3 Composite images
24
....................................
5.4.4 IPI-PIKS image Object attributes
.................................. 26
5.5 IPI-PIKS derived non-image data structures
................................................ 34
5.6 IPI-PIKS data pragmata
o ISO/IEC 1995
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronie or mechanical, including
photocopying and microfilm, without Permission in writing from the publisher.
ISO/IEC Copyright Office l Case postale 56 l CH-121 1 Geneve 20 l Switzerland
Printed in Switzerland
ii

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@ ISO/IEC ISOAEC 1208791:1995 (E)
35
6 IPI-IIF-specific architecture
.....................................
35
6.1 IPI-IIF imaging model
.................................................
35
6.2 IPI-IIF basic data types .
36
6.3 IPI-IIF derived data types .
36
...................................
6.3.1 IPI-IIFderivedimagedatatypes.
36
IPI-IIF image attributes
6.3.2 .
37
IPI-IIF derived non-image data types
6.3.3 .
37
IPI-IIF image annotation data types .
6.3.3.1
37
6.3.3.2 IPI-IIF image-related non-image data types .
7 Relationship between IPI-PIKS and IPI-IIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
42
8 Conformance .
42
8.1 Conformance of functionality .
42
8.2 Conformance of accuracy and precision .
42
8.3 Extensions
.........................................................
43
8.4 Conformance profiles
.................................................
43
8.4.1 Types of Profile
................................................
44
8.4.2 Application Profile registration .
44
8.4.3 Profiles defined by IPI .
Annexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
A Structured image data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
B Structurecodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
C The representation of colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
56
D Language-Independent Data Types .
.............................................................. 56
D.l Bit
56
D.2 Boolean .
57
D.3 Character .
58
D.4 Complex .
58
D.5 Enumerated
........................................................
59
D.6 Null .
59
D.7 Integer .
60
D.8 Real .
61
D.9 State .
61
D.lOArray .
62
D.llChoice .
63
D.12List .
......................................................... 64
D.13Pointer.
65
D.14Range .
65
D.15Record .
.............................................................. 66
D.16Set
67
D.17 Character String
.....................................................
68
............................................................
D.18Table
E Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
. . .
111

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ISOAEC 12087~kl995 (E)
@ ISO/IEC
List of figures
Relationship of the Parts of ISO/IEC 12087 .
2
Diagrammaticconventions.~.~
....................... 6
Interfaces between application program, IPI-PIKS, and IPI-IIF . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Fundamental Operator processing model . 9
The Operator model used by IPI-PIKS .
16
Relationship Between a Physical Volume and IPI-PIKS Horizontal, Vertical, and Depth
Coordinates .
23
7 Aggregation of Image References into a List .
24
8 Colour Systems and Representations Used by IPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . e e . 0 + n n . + . o + . . . 50

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@ ISO/IEC ISOAEC 12087~1:1995 (E)
List of tables
Codes for the externally-visible representations of IPI-PIKS-specific data types 21
..........
Dimensions of an IPI-PIKS Data Object
..................................... 22
IPI-IIF profiles that correspond to IPI-PIKS profiles
............................ 44
IPI-PIKS profiles that correspond to IPI-IIF profiles 45
............................
XY 2 tristimulus values for the white Points of common illuminance 5 1
.................
Supported types of colour representation, and their attributes
....................... 53
............
Standardizedparameterisationsofcolours.~.*.~.~ 53
Parameter values for the standardized colour representations (non-normative) . 54
Mappings Between Colours and Image Channels 55
..............................

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ISOAEC 12087~1:1995 (E) @ ISO/IEC
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the Inter-
national Electrotechnical Commission) form the specialized System for worldwide
standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the
development of International Standards through technical committees established
by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with
ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint
technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1. Draft International Standards adopted by the
joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication
as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national
bodies casting a vote.
International Standard ISO/IEC 12087-1 was prepared by Joint Technical
Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information techn&gy, Subcommittee SC 24,
Computer graphics and image processing.
ISO/IEC 12087 consists of the following Parts, under the general title Information
technology - Computer graphics and image processing - Image processing and
interchange (IPI) - Functional specification:
- Part 1: Common architecture for imaging
- Part 2: Programmerk imaging kerne1 System application Programme
interface
- Part 3: Image Interchange Facility (HF}
Annexes A to D form an integral part of this part of ISO/IEC 12087. Annex E is
for information only.

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@ ISO/IEC
ISO/IEC 1208701:1995 (E)
Introduction
The processing of images is a requirement of many application areas of information processing. Early work
in these areas led to the development of many application program interfaces and a large number of image
representations for interchange. The purpose of ISO/IEC 12087 is to provide an application program interface
and an image interchange representation in Order to increase the portability of application Software.
ISO/IEC 12087 provides an architectural model for the representation and manipulation of images in a digital
form. Based on this model, it defines an application program interface and an image interchange format. It is
applicable to all application areas that involve the processing, manipulation, or transfer of image data.
ISO/IEC 12087 includes notes and exemplary material. Such material is non-normative: it is included solely
to aid understanding and does not form part of ISO/IEC 12087.
ISO/IEC 12087 initially comprises three Parts:
1 Common axchitecture for imaging, which describes the common architectural material on which the
entire Standard is based;
2 Programmeris imaging kerne1 System application program in terface, which defines processing opera-
tions to be carried out on image data;
3 Image In terchange Facili ty (IIF), which defines how images may be interchanged between application
programs.
Information may be interchanged between the application program, Programmer’s Imaging Kerne1 System
(IPI-PIKS), and Image Interchange Facility (IPI-IIF) (see figure ). Data paths between all three components
are standardized in ISO/IEC 12087, as indicated by the solid lines; however, it is also permitted that imple-
mentations may use private, implementation-dependent data paths, shown by dashed lines; such data paths
are outside the scope of ISO/IEC 12087.
There are a great many types of application that involve the use of images. The Computer Graphits Reference
Model [ISO 110721 identifies six main function classes (see figure 0.1):
image analysis - transformation of digital images to image and non-image data; this encompasses basic func-
tions such as histogram generation, mean value determination, image classification, etc., but does not
include image understanding using artificial intelligente techniques.
image interpretation -
the process of inferring symbolic Scene descriptions from image data.
image presentation - transformati .on of image data to a form suitable for an observ ‘er; e.g., via Video monitors,
Printers, film recorders, etc.
image processing - transformation of digital images to digital images; e.g., grey value contrast enhancement,
edge detection, etc.
image sensing - transformation of real-world information to digital images; e.g., via cameras, Optical scan-
ners, etc.
image Synthesis - transformation of non-image data to image data; this encompasses functions such as the
rendering of lines, creation of test images, Simulation of Sensor functions, letters of graphical text and
Symbols, etc.
vii

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ISO/1 EC 120874 : 1995 (E) @ ISO/IEC
Application Program
-----m-w--------
IIF
PIKS
standardized data flow
----B-m
implementation-dependent data flow
Figure O.l- Data flow between the application program, IPI-PIKS, and IPI-IIF
As figure indicates, all these function classes involve the manipulation of a digital image; some function
classes also require information that is related to the data contained in the digital image but is itself non-image
in nature. This image-related information is essential to many of the common operations performed on digital
images and is therefore also described by ISO/IEC 12087.
ISO/IEC 12087 is also concerned with image interchange, the interchange of digital images among imaging
applications; this serves for the communication of image data and related non-image data among imaging
applications.
The term ‘digital image’ used in [ISO 110721 is synonymous with the term ‘image’ as used in ISO/IEC 12087.
It is important to realize the distinction between ‘image’ (or ‘digital image’) as used in ISO/IEC 12087 and
the term ‘image’ as it may be used colloquially: in ISO/IEC 12087, ‘image’ (or ‘digital image’) refers to a
particular representation of image data within a Computer System. An image may not be viewed directly. To
view an image, an explicit presentation step is involved, as figure indicates. Image data that are in a form
suitable for viewing by an observer are termed ‘presentable’ image data in ISO/IEC 12087.
NOTE 1 Some application areas, which might loosely be termed “image understanding,” utilize data derived from an
image by means of some analysis; such applications are therefore omitted from this ISO/IEC 12087. However,
ISO/IEC 12087 may be used by such applications.
This part of ISO/IEC 12087 fulfills the following purposes:
a) It provides an overview of ISO/IEC 12087;
b) It defines a Common Architecture for Imaging, an abstract architectural model for the representation
. . .
Vlll

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ISOAEC 12087913995 (E)
@ ISOLIEC
Interpretation
Andvciq
Digital
Digital
Real
Cencino
World
-l
Presentation
_i
observer
Classes of operations on images
Figure 0.2 -
ix

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ISOIIEC 120874 3995 (E) @ ISOAEC
and processing of image data. The purpose of this model is to define a common set of data types and a
common image representation for use with all other parts of ISO/IEC 12087 and to provide a standard-
ized framework upon which future imaging Standards may be built, allowing simplified conversion of
existing applications to the new Standard.
It defines rules to which conforming implernentations shall adhere and the mechanism by which con-
C>
formante is achieved.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD @ISO/IEC ISO/IEC 12087~1:1995 (E)
Information technology - Computer graphics
and image processing - Image Processing and
Interchange (IPI) - Functional specification -
Part 1:
Common architecture for imaging
1 Scope
ISO/IEC 12087 is concerned with the manipulation, processing, and interchange of all types of digital images.
The main purpose of this part is to define a generic, unifying imaging architecture to which other Parts of
ISO/IEC 12087 conform. This part of ISO/IEC 12087 also defines those “specializations” or “delineations”
of the generic imaging architecture that are required to support IPI-PIKS and IPI-IIF.
The relationship of the different Parts of ISO/IEC 12087 is shown in figure 1. This part of ISO/IEC 12087
describes material that applies throughout ISO/IEC 12087, including topics such as data types available for
use in image data and image-related data, and a model for the processing of digital images by Operators. These
topics are presented in a general form, since it is intended that subsequent imaging Standards will conform to
the same architectural model.
Derived from this general description are more constrained descriptions of the Same topics. The principal
reason for this process of delineation is to restritt the range of data representations for IPI-PIKS and IPI-IIF,
while simultaneously ensuring that IPI-IIF is capable of interchanging both IPI-PIKS data objects and objects
that cannot be represented or manipulated within IPI-PIKS.
ISO/IEC 12087 permits multiple Application Program Interface (API)s to be developed, each of which must be
1

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ISOAEC 120870kl995 (E)
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Generic Architecture (Part 1)
IPI-PIKS-Specific IPI-IIF-Specific
Architecture Architecture
L
1 r-----
Figure l- Relationship of the Parts of ISO/IEC 12087
based on specific delineations of the imaging model described herein. Esch API will be specified in a separate
part of ISO/IEC 12087. Any subsequent APIS developed as part of ISO/IEC 12087 must conform to the com-
mon architecture described in this document, and must be extensions of the APIS described in ISO/IEC 12087-
2 and ISO/IEC 12087-3.
ISO/IEC 12087 is intended for use in a wide variety of environments where digital images are handled.
NOTE 2 Application areas that are addressed by Image Processing and Interchange (IPI) include: image manipulation;
image enhancement; image analysis; and image transport. Application areas that are not addressed by IPI include:
Computer graphics; image understanding; multimedia; device control; and window Systems.
ISO/IEC 12087 is intended to conform with other International Standards developed to handle digital
Such Standards include the JPEG [ISO/IEC 10918-1:1994], and MPEG [ISO/IEC 11172-1:1993]
images.
compression Standards, Open Systems Interconnect [ISOLIEC 8824: 19901, and Office Document Architec-
ture [ISO/IEC 86131. Those aspects of ISO/IEC 12087 that are concerned with the acquisition and display of
digital images conform with the Computer Graphits Reference Model [ISO 110721. Furthermore, annex B of
[ISO 110721 describes how imaging fits within the general framework of that model. ISO/IEC 12087-3 uses
Abstract Syntax Notation 1 [ISO/IEC 8824: 19901 in the definition of the image interchange format.
ISO/IEC 12087 camplies directly with all Standards listed in clause 2.

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@ ISOAEC ISO/IEC 12087~1:1995 (E)
2 Normative References
The following Standards contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this
part of the IPI Standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All Standards are subject
to revision, and Parties to agreements based on ISO/IEC 12087 are encouraged to investigate the possibility of
applying the most recent editions of the Standards listed below. Members of IEC and ISO maintain registers
of currently valid International Standards.
ISOIIEC 646: 199 1, Information technology, ISO 7-bit coded Character set for information interchange.
ISOIIEC 8613: 1989, Information processing - Text and ofJice Systems - Oflce Document Architecture
(ODA) and interchange format.
ISO/IEC 8824: 1990, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Specjfication of Abstract
Syntax Notation One ASN. 1.
ISOIIEC 8825: 1990, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Specification of Basic
Encoding Rules for Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1).
ISO/IEC 9973: 1994, Information technology, Computer graphics and image processing - Procedures for
registration of graphical items.
ISOIIEC 109 18- 1: 1994, Information technology - Digital compression and coding of continuous-tone still
images: Requirements and guidelines.
ISOIIEC 11072: 1992, Information technology - Computer graphics - Computer Graphits Reference
Model.
ISO/IEC 11172- 1: 1993, Information technology - Coding of moving pictures and associated audr’o for
digital storage media up to about 1,5 Mbit/s - Part 1: Systems.
CIE: 193 1, Proceedings of the eighth Session, Cambridge, England, 1931. Bureau Centrale de la CIE, Paris.
CIE: 1970, International Lighting Vocabulary. CIE publication no. 17, third edition, Bureau Centrale de la
CIE.
CIE: 1976, CIE recommendations on uniform colour space, colour differente equations, psychomatic colour
terms. Supplement no. 2 to CIE publication 15, Bureau Centrale de la CIE, Paris.
CCIR: 1990a, Report 476-1, Colorimetrjc Standards in colour television. Recommendations of the CCIR
1990, Annex to Volume XI - Part 1 - Broadcasting Service (Television), CCIR, Geneva.
Recommendation of the CCIR 1990,
CCIR: 1990b, Report 624-4, Characterization of television Systems.
Annex to Volume XI - Part 1 - Broadcasting Service (Television), CCIR, Geneva.
CCIR: 199Oc, Recommendation 709, Basic Parameter values of the HDTV Standard for the Studio and for
international Programme exchange. Recommendations of the CCIR 1990, Volume XI - Part 1 - Broadcasting
Service (Television), CCIR, Geneva.
EBU: 1975, EBU Standard for chromaticity tolerantes for Studio monitors. Tech. 3213-E, Brussels.
DeMarsh: 1974, Colotimetric Standards in U. S. color television. A report by the subcommittee on Systems
colorimetry of the SMPTE television committee. L. E. DeMarsh, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture
and Television Engineers, vol. 83.
NTSC: 1954, NTSC Signal specifications. Proceedings of the IRE, January 1954.
3

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@ ISOIIEC
ISOAEC 120870IA995 (E)
3 Definitions and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
For the purpose of ISO/IEC 12087, the following definitions apply.
3.1.1 digital image: Synonymous with image.
3.1.2 element: A collective noun used to describe mechanism, Operator, tool, and Utility.
3.1.3 image: A data structure that contains Pixels and image-related data.
3.1.4 image data: Digital values corresponding to Pixels.
3.1.5 image-related data: Information that provides context for the interpretation of an image.
3.1.6 mechanism: A Software element that performs control and management tasks.
3.1.7 Operator: A softwar-e element that performs manipulation of an image or set of images. Permitted
Operator types are image-to-image, image-to-non-image, and non-image-to-non-image.
- in which case they are said to be high-level Operators - or may
NOTE 3 Operators may be based upon other Operators
not, in which case they are said to be primitive. All classes of IPI-PIKS Operators, tools, and Utilities may be invoked
from an application program, but only Operators and Utilities interface directly to the underlying System.
3.1.8 primitive Operator: One of a small set of low-level Operators that is fundamental to image processing.
3.1.9 Pixel: An abbreviation for the term ‘picture element.’
NOTE 4 In some application areas, the term ‘Pixel’ commonly refers to 2D images only, with separate terms (e.g., ‘voxel’)
being used to describe an element of a higher-dimensional image. In this Standard, the Single term ‘Pixel’ is used to
refer an element of an image of any dimensionality.
3.1.10 picture element: A digital representation of one or more quantities at a particular location within an
Image. A picture element may have an associated physical metric, size, or interval.
3.1.11 tool: A softwar-e element that creates
data objects to be used Operators. Examples of tools are test
bY
generation and the generation of math
image .ematical functions
3.1.12 Utility: A Software element performs
that basic image manipulation operations (e.g., image import,
access, and memory management).
4

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ISOAEC 12087~1:1995 (E)
@ ISO/IEC
3.2 Abbreviations
API Application Program Interface
CA1 Common Architecture for Imaging
CCIR Comite Consultatif International des Radiocommunications
CG1 Computer Graphits Interface
CGM Computer Graphits Metafile
CIE Commission Internationale d’Eclairage
CMY Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (colour model)
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (colour model)
CMYK
EBU European Broadcasting Union
GKS Graphical Kerne1 System
JPEG Joint Photographit Experts Group
IHS Intensity, Hue, Saturation (colour representation)
Image Interchange Facility
IIF
Motion Picture Experts Group
MPEG
Nuclear Magnetit Resonance
NMR
NTSC National Television Standards Committee
ODA Office Document Architecture
ODIF Office Document Interchange Format
PET Positron Emission Tomography
PHIGS Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphits System
PIKS Programmer’s Imaging Kerne1 System
RGB Red, Green, Blue (colour representation)
ROI region of interest (defined in clause 4.4.2)
SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
3.3 Diagrammatic Conventions
Diagrams are used throughout ISO/IEC 12087 to support textual descriptions. The graphical items that com-
Prise these diagrams have a consistent meaning, as shown in figure 2, unless indicated to the contrary.

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ISOAEC 12087~1:1995 (E)
@ ISO/IEC
API
function
data flow
---------e-w
->
control flow
data structure
file
B
Figure 2 -
Diagrammatic conventions

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@ ISOKIEC ISOAEC 12087~IA995 (E)
4 The IPI architecture
4.1 IPI imaging architecture
with several types of data falling in the general categories of
In general, imaging Systems deal image data . and
non-Image data, all of which are normally related to physical phenomena. Examples of these are:
categories
grey-scale images, bi-tonal images, colour images,
image data - multichannel satellite data, image
sequences, sequences of stereo pair images, etc.;
non-image data - look-up tables, histograms, text, graphics, regions of interest, etc.;
real world information - continuous physical variables such as light intensity and wavelength, pressure, tem-
perature, continuous Chemical variables, etc.
For the purpose of ISO/IEC 12087, three categories of data types are defined:
basic data types - these are the data types that must be supported by the System upon which ISO/IEC 12087 is
implemented; the category includes both ‘elementary’ data types (e.g., Boolean, integer) and ‘derived’
(structured) data types (e.g., array, record).
these are derived data types that represent image data for the purposes of processing and
image data types -
interchange.
non-image data types - these are derived data types that represent image-related, but non-image, data
(e.g., region of interest).
if
These data are defined i n general terms in this clause . Note that ; data types are regarded as identical
types
they are of identi cal structure with respect to the categories defined in this clause.
4.1.1 IPI imaging model
Figure 3 Shows the relationship between the parts of an IPI implementation. In particular,
- IPI-PIKS and IPI-IIF are self-contained Parts of ISO/IEC 12087, and may be used either independently
or in conjunction by an application program;
- an application program may apply imaging functions via IPI-PIKS;
- an application program may import and export images directly via IPI-IIF;
- any interpretation of data types other than those of the three abovementioned categories must be per-
formed by the application program;
- an application program controls how and to what extent IPI-PIKS and IPI-IIF are used;
- an application program may use other Standards for information processing (e.g., GKS, CGI, PHIGS)
or for data interchange (e.g., CGM, ODA/ODIF);
7

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APPLICATION
DOMAIN
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