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

• US 7,230,986 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Discovision Associates (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Robbins, William P, Wise, Adrian P, Sotheran, Martin W, Finch, Helen R, Jones, Anthony M, Clayton, Anthony Peter J, Boyd, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/974,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.26, 375/240.27, 375/240.28, 375/240.02, 348/390.1, 348/426.1, 348/401.1, 348/466, 348/403, 348/405
• US Class Current: 375/240.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0207 with multidimensional access, e.g. row/column, matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/04 Addressing variable-length words or parts of words
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0607 Interleaved addressing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/16 for access to memory bus G06F13/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1673 using buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1689 Synchronisation and timing concerns synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3867 using instruction pipelines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4494 data driven
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method of processing video data, the method comprising:

receiving video data having portions encoded in accordance with respective different video standards, which includes a user data and an extension data associated with the respective different standards, the plurality of video standards defining corresponding start codes;

identifying a start code included in the received video data; and

processing the received video data in accordance with the video standard corresponding to the identified start code, the user data and the extension data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the start code comprises an H.261 picture start code, and said extension data comprises an extra information bit in said video data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the start code comprises an MPEG (Motion Pictures Experts Group) start code.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the start code comprises a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) start of scan marker.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the start code comprises a start code used by a video format that encodes spatial and temporal video data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein processing comprises decoding the received video data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing comprises constructing one or more images for display based on the received video data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing comprises rearranging one of the portions of received video data into an arrangement that complies with a different video standard.

9. A method of processing video data, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of video data encoded in accordance with a first video standard, which includes a user data and an extension data associated with the first video standard, and having a first start code defined by the first video standard;

determining the first video standard of the first set of video data by identifying the first start code included in the first set of video data;

processing the first set of video data in accordance with the first video standard, the extension data and the user data;

receiving a second set of video data encoded in accordance with a second video standard, which includes a second user data and a second extension data associated with the second video standard and having a second start code defined by the second video standard;

determining the second video standard of the second set of video data by identifying the second start code included in the second set of video data; and

processing the second set of video data in accordance with the second video standard, the second user data and the second extension data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein processing comprises decoding.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein one of the first or second video standards comprises one of the following:

an MPEG (Motion Pictures Experts Group) standard, a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) standard, or an H.261 standard.

12. A method of processing video data, the method comprising:

receiving video data, including marker codes and a user data and an extension data;

determining a video standard associated with the video data using the marker codes and said user data end said extension data;

generating one or more tokens for controlling decoding of the received video data by a decoding pipeline; and

decoding the received video data in the decoding pipeline.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining a video standard comprises identifying a start code or marker in the received video data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the video standard comprises at least one of the following:

MPEG, JPEG, and H.261.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein generating one or more tokens comprises generating one or more tokens that configure the decoding pipeline for processing of the determined video standard.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein generating one or more tokens comprises generating one or more tokens demarcating the received video data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein demarcating comprises identifying one or more of the following:

a picture start, a picture end, a sequence start, and a group start.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the pipeline comprises a Huffman decoder.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the pipeline comprises instructions for an inverse discrete cosine transform upon a portion of the received video data.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the one or more tokens comprises a picture start token that identifies the start of a picture in the received video data.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the one or more tokens comprises a picture end token that identifies the end of a picture in the received video data.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the one or more tokens comprises a coding standard token that identifies the video standard of the received video data.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the one or more tokens comprises a flush token that resets stages in the decoding pipeline.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein clearing the pipeline comprises resetting pipeline elements for reception of subsequent video data.