A pipeline video decoder and decompression system handles a plurality of separately encoded bit streams arranged as a single serial bit stream of digital bits and having separately encoded pairs of control codes and corresponding data carried in the serial bit stream. The pipeline system employs a plurality of interconnected stages to decode and decompress the single bit stream, including a start code detector. When in a search mode, the start code detector searches for a specific start code corresponding to one of multiple compression standards. The start code detector responding to the single serial bit stream generates control tokens and data tokens. A respective one of the tokens includes a plurality of data words. Each data word has an extension bit which indicates a presence of additional words therein. The data words are thereby unlimited in number. A token decode circuit positioned in certain of the stages recognizes certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and passes unrecognized control tokens to a succeeding stage. A reconfigurable decode and parser processing means positioned in certain of the stages is responsive to a recognized control token and reconfigures a particular stage to handle an identified data token. Methods relating to the decoder and decompression system include processing steps relating thereto.

Multistandard video decoder and decompression system for processing encoded bit streams including a video formatter and methods relating thereto

A system for coding of digital video images such as bi-directionally predicted video object planes (B-VOPs), in particular, where the B-VOP and/or a reference image used to code the B-VOP is interlaced coded. For a B-VOP macroblock which is co-sited with a field predicted macroblock of a future anchor picture, direct mode prediction is made by calculating four field motion vectors, then generating the prediction macroblock. The four field motion vectors and their reference fields are determined from (1) an offset term of the current macroblock's coding vector, (2) the two future anchor picture field motion vectors, (3) the reference field used by the two field motion vectors of the co-sited future anchor macroblock, and (4) the temporal spacing, in field periods, between the current B-VOP fields and the anchor fields. Additionally, a coding mode decision process for the current MB selects a forward, backward, or average field coding mode according to a minimum sum of absolute differences (SAD) error which is obtained over the top and bottom fields of the current MB.

Prediction and coding of bi-directionally predicted video object planes for interlaced digital video

A pipeline video decoder and decompression system handles a plurality of separately encoded bit streams arranged as a single serial bit stream of digital bits and having separately encoded pairs of control codes and corresponding data carried in the serial bit stream. The pipeline system employs a plurality of interconnected stages to decode and decompress the single bit stream, including a start code detector. When in a search mode, the start code detector searches for a specific start code corresponding to one of multiple compression standards. The start code detector responding to the single serial bit stream generates control tokens and data tokens. A respective one of the tokens includes a plurality of data words. Each data word has an extension bit which indicates a presence of additional words therein. The data words are thereby unlimited in number. A token decode circuit positioned in certain of the stages recognizes certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and passes unrecognized control tokens to a succeeding stage. A reconfigurable decode and parser processing means positioned in certain of the stages is responsive to a recognized control token and reconfigures a particular stage to handle an identified data token. Methods relating to the decoder and decompression system include processing steps relating thereto

Data pipeline system and data encoding method

A video and audio compression and decompression system includes a reconfigurable compact camera communicating with a computer system to permit the camera to execute one of several types of compression modules. The camera includes first and second types of memory. The first type of memory is made of smaller ROM-type memory cells and is used for storing computer-executable video-data-compression subprograms. The second type of memory is made of larger RAM-type memory cells and stores the compression program. A download circuit on the camera is configured to receive transmitted data representing the data compression program and to store the transmitted data in the second memory. A selection is made of the stored subprograms corresponding to the data representing the compression program. An image reader including a data generation circuit captures the external image and generates data representing the image. A processor executes the data representing the computer-executable program and the selected ones of the stored subprograms to generate compressed data, and the compressed data is transmitted from the camera.

Video compression and decompression arrangement having reconfigurable camera and low-bandwidth transmission capability

An MPEG video decompression method and apparatus utilizing a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system, including memory addressing, transforming data using a common processing block, time synchronization, asynchronous swing buffering, storing of video information, a parallel Huffman decoder, and the like.

Token-based adaptive video processing arrangement

A motion estimation coprocessor (20) for use in a video data system. The motion estimation coprocessor may be used with a video memory (175) that subdivides a P row x Q column image of pixels into several pages. The page structure enables efficient loading of video data into the coprocessor. The motion estimation coprocessor may perform several block matches simultaneously. The motion estimation coprocessor may perform exhaustive block matching or use a hierarchical search.

Motion estimation coprocessor

The present invention provides an image compression/decompression coprocessor (410) which is integrated on a single chip. The control bus has a control unit (418) which is connected by an internal, global bus (416) to a number of different, special purpose processing units (414, 420, 422, 424, 426 and 428). Each of the processing units is specifically designed to handle only certain steps in compression and decompression processes.

Gerry C. Lui Kuo

Papers

Motion estimation coprocessor

Image compression coprocessor with data flow control and multiple processing units