Buffer management method and system with data displayed directly from buffers

• US 7,739,421 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Jian-Guo, Heintze, Nevin C., Arulambalam, Ambalavanar, Xu, Qian Gao, Zhao, Jun Chao
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin; Christopher B
• Application Number:
  US11/539,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 710 20- 22, 710 52- 57, 710308-310, 710 33- 36, 370412-421
• US Class Current: 710/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2205/064 Linked list, i.e. structure using pointers, e.g. allowing non-contiguous address segments in one logical buffer or dynamic buffer space allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/06 for changing the speed of data flow, i.e. speed regularising or timing, e.g. delay lines, FIFO buffers; over- or underrun control therefor G06F7/78 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10629 the buffer having a specific structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10638 First-in-first-out memories [FIFO] buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10731 wherein the buffer I/O can be temporarily suspended, e.g. by refusing to accept further data to be buffered
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10962 wherein both recording and playback take place simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9047 including multiple buffers, e.g. buffer pools

Abstract

A method includes storing video data in a disk by way of a first queue comprising a linked list of buffers. Video data are received into the first queue by way of a tail buffer. The tail buffer is at one end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue. Video data are copied from a head buffer to the disk. The head buffer is at another end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue. The video data are displayed in real-time directly from the buffers in the queue, without retrieving the displayed video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing step.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing video data in a disk by way of a first queue comprising a linked list of buffers, including;

receiving video data into the first queue by way of a tail buffer, the tail buffer being at one end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue, and

copying video data from a head buffer to the disk, the head buffer being at another end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue; and

displaying the video data in real-time directly from the buffers in the queue, without retrieving the displayed video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a rewind signal;

allocating a second queue comprising a second linked list of buffers;

interrupting the real-time video data displaying step;

playing back the video data from the disk by way of the second queue in response to the rewind signal, without interrupting the storing step.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a resumption signal;

resuming the real-time video data displaying step in response to the resumption signal; and

de-allocating the second queue.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the displaying step includes displaying video data in a buffer to which a play head buffer pointer points;

the step of playing back includes retrieving data from the disk into the second queue, and

the data in the buffer to which the play head buffer pointer points are the most recent data retrieved into the second queue.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a pause signal;

interrupting the real-time video data displaying step;

continuing to display a single frame that is being displayed at the time the pause signal is received, without interrupting the storing step.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a resumption signal;

resuming the real-time video data displaying step in response to the resumption signal, without interrupting the storing step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first queue is sized to contain a plurality of frames of video data, the method further comprising:

receiving a slow-rewind signal;

interrupting the real-time video data displaying step;

displaying the most recently displayed frames of video data from the first buffer queue in reverse in response to the slow-rewind signal, without retrieving the most recently displayed frames of video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing step.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a resumption signal;

resuming the real-time video data displaying step in response to the resumption signal, without interrupting the storing step.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the real-time video data displaying step includes displaying video data in a buffer to which a play head buffer pointer points; and

the most recently displayed frames are stored in a portion of the queue extending from the play head buffer pointer to the head buffer.

10. A system comprising:

means for storing video data in a disk by way of a first queue comprising a linked list of buffers, including;

means for receiving video data into the first queue by way of a tail buffer, the tail buffer being at one end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue, and

means for copying video data from a head buffer to the disk, the head buffer being at another end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue; and

means for providing the video data for display in real-time directly from the buffers in the queue, without retrieving the displayed video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing step.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means responsive to a rewind signal for allocating a second queue comprising a second linked list of buffers;

means for interrupting the provision of video data in real time; and

means for providing the video data for playback from the disk by way of the second queue in response to the rewind signal, without interrupting the storing step.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the means for providing the video data for display in real-time is responsive to a resumption signal, for resuming provision of the real-time video data displaying step in response to the resumption signal; and

the system further comprises means for de-allocating the second queue when the provision of the real time video data resumes.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the data are provided for display from a buffer to which a play head buffer pointer points;

the means for providing the video data for playback retrieves data from the disk into the second queue, and

the data in the buffer to which the play head buffer pointer points are the most recent data retrieved into the second queue.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means responsive to a pause signal for interrupting the providing of real-time video data for displaying, wherein,

the means for providing the video data for display in real-time continues to provide a single frame that is being displayed at the time the pause signal is received, without interrupting the storing step.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for providing the video data for display in real-time is responsive to a resumption signal for resuming provision of the real-time video data for display, without interrupting the storing step.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first queue is sized to contain a plurality of frames of video data, the system further comprising:

means responsive to a slow-rewind signal for interrupting the real-time video data displaying step; and

means for providing the most recently displayed frames of video data from the first buffer queue in reverse for display, without retrieving the most recently displayed frames of video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for providing the video data for display in real-time is responsive to a resumption signal for resuming provision of the real-time video data for display, without interrupting the storing step.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the means for providing real-time video data provides video data from a buffer to which a play head buffer pointer points; and

the most recently displayed frames are stored in a portion of the queue extending from the play head buffer pointer to the head buffer.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with pseudocode, wherein, when the pseudocode is processed by a processor, the processor generates GDSII data for fabricating an application specific integrated circuit that performs a method comprising the steps of:

storing video data in a disk by way of a first queue comprising a linked list of buffers, including;

receiving video data into the first queue by way of a tail buffer, the tail buffer being at one end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue, and

copying video data from a head buffer to the disk, the head buffer being at another end of the linked list of buffers in the first queue; and

displaying the video data in real-time directly from the buffers in the queue, without retrieving the displayed video data from the disk, and without interrupting the storing step.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a rewind signal;

allocating a second queue comprising a second linked list of buffers;

interrupting the real-time video data displaying step;

playing back the video data from the disk by way of the second queue in response to the rewind signal, without interrupting the storing step.