Hardware extensions for image and video processing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Circuitry for processing images and video, comprising:
- a processor for executing software instructions for processing images or video;
a random access memory;
a motion estimation hardware accelerator coupled to said random access memory and the processor for performing motion estimation functions, responsive to a request by the processor, on data from the random access memory and returning a result to the processor for further processing of the video or images in the processor based on the result from the motion estimation hardware accelerator; and
a transform coding hardware accelerator coupled to said random access memory and the processor for performing transform coding functions, responsive to a request by the processor, on data from the random access memory and returning a result to the processor for further processing of the video or images in the processor based on the result from the transform coding hardware accelerator.
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Abstract
A processing device (200) includes three hardware extensions: a motion estimation extension 202, a pixel interpolation extension 204 and a DCT/iDCT extension 206. The hardware extensions perform functions which would otherwise be highly processor intensive, resulting in high power consumption and/or low quality video/imaging processing. The processing device 200 could be used, for example, in a mobile videophone 150.
48 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Circuitry for processing images and video, comprising:
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a processor for executing software instructions for processing images or video;
a random access memory;
a motion estimation hardware accelerator coupled to said random access memory and the processor for performing motion estimation functions, responsive to a request by the processor, on data from the random access memory and returning a result to the processor for further processing of the video or images in the processor based on the result from the motion estimation hardware accelerator; and
a transform coding hardware accelerator coupled to said random access memory and the processor for performing transform coding functions, responsive to a request by the processor, on data from the random access memory and returning a result to the processor for further processing of the video or images in the processor based on the result from the transform coding hardware accelerator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of processing video information, comprising the steps of:
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executing a compression task in a programmable processing device coupled to a random access memory;
upon encountering a motion estimation instruction, initiating execution of an associated function in a motion estimation hardware accelerator, said motion estimation hardware accelerator coupled to said processing device and said random access memory, such that the motion estimation hardware accelerator retrieves image data from the random access memory, performs a motion estimation function on the data, and returns a result to the processor for further processing of the compression task in the processor based on the result from the motion estimation hardware accelerator; and
upon encountering a transform coding instruction, initiating execution of an associated function in a transform coding hardware accelerator, said transform coding hardware accelerator coupled to said processing device and said random access memory, such that the transform coding hardware accelerator retrieves image data from the random access memory, performs a transform coding function on the data, and returns a result to the processor for further processing of the compression task in the processor based on the result from the transform coding hardware accelerator. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Circuitry for processing images and video, comprising:
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a processor for executing a program of software instructions for processing images or video;
a random access memory coupled to said processor;
two or more hardware accelerators coupled to said processor, said hardware accelerators for performing certain video processing functions associated with ones of the software instructions; and
wherein certain software instructions can be processed by either the processor or by one of said hardware accelerators subsequent to said one of said hardware accelerators being enabled to process the certain software instructions where the decision to process the certain software instruction in the processor is made in real-time.
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Specification