James Kirkpatrick

Title: The Innovations of James Kirkpatrick

Introduction

James Kirkpatrick is a notable inventor based in San Jose, California. He has made significant contributions to the field of digital video compression, holding a total of four patents. His work has had a profound impact on how video data is processed and transmitted.

Latest Patents

One of Kirkpatrick's latest patents is a system for compression and decompression of video data using discrete cosine transform (DCT). This digital video compression system converts matrices of pixels in the RGB signal format into YUV representation. The process includes selectively sampling the chrominance components and applying a discrete cosine transform. A unique circuitry implementing the DCT in a pipelined architecture is provided. The quantization step eliminates DCT coefficients with amplitudes below preset thresholds. The video signal is further compressed by coding the elements of the quantized matrices in a zig-zag manner, which is then compressed using Huffman codes. The decompression process is essentially the reverse of the compression steps, and the inverse discrete cosine transform may be implemented by the DCT circuit. The circuits for RGB to YUV conversion, DCT, quantization, coding, and their decompression counterparts can be implemented in the form of an integrated circuit chip.

Career Highlights

Kirkpatrick has worked at C-Cube Microsystems, Inc., where he has been instrumental in developing advanced video processing technologies. His expertise in digital video compression has positioned him as a key player in the industry.

Collaborations

Some of his notable coworkers include Alexandre Balkanski and Steve Purcell, who have collaborated with him on various projects within the company.

Conclusion

James Kirkpatrick's contributions to digital video compression technology have been significant and impactful. His innovative patents continue to influence the way video data is handled in modern applications.