Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Broadcom Corporation

Geo Semiconductor Inc.

Xilinx, Inc.

Intuit, Inc.

Conexant Systems, Inc.

Maxim Integrated Gmbh

José Roberto Alvarez

Guy Cote

Sheng Zhong

Lulin Chen

Alexander Garland MacInnis

Gabor Szedo

Ilie Garbacea

Alexandros Michael Tourapis

Xiaodong Xie

Vivian T Hsiun

Jiangtao Wen

Simon Wolfenden Butler

Huipin Zhang

Udit Budhia

Jeffrey Stroomer

Kyle Greene Kilat

Joseph W Lasee

Alexander G Maclnnis

Brian H Vatcher

Ilie Carbacea

Jiangtao (Gene) Wen

Steven P Elzinga

A system and method for decoding a digital video data stream. In one aspect, a plurality of hardware acceleration modules are used together with a core processor. The accelerators operate in a decoding pipeline wherein, in any given stage, each accelerator operates on a particular macroblock of video data. In the subsequent pipeline stage, each accelerator works on the next macroblock in the data stream, which was worked on by another one of the accelerators in the previous stage. The core processor polls all of the accelerators during each stage. When all accelerators finish their tasks for a given stage, the core processor initiates the next stage. In another aspect, two variable-length decoders are employed to simultaneously decode two macroblock rows of a video frame. Each variable-length decoder works to decode an assigned row and the rows are variable-length decoded in parallel. The variable-length decoders operate as part of a pipeline wherein the variable-length decoders alternate, stage-by-stage, decoding macroblocks.

Method of operating a video decoding system

A method, system and device are provided for pre-filtering device for filtering a video signal prior to digitally encoding. The method includes receiving at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process and performing an in-loop temporal filtering process using at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process to output a pre-filtered video signal for use in an encoding process. The result is enabling an encoding process to produce an output with increased temporal correlation between adjacent pictures regardless of the coding type, since the artifacts introduced by the encoding process are also considered by the process.

Method, system and device for improving video quality through in-loop temporal pre-filtering

A method of generating a digital image is described. The method comprises detecting light from a scene to form an image; identifying an aberration in the image; and implementing a color filter array interpolator based upon the detected aberration in the image. A device for generating a digital image is also described.

Method and device for generating a digital image based upon a selected set of chrominance groups

An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate (i) a first series of sequential frames, (ii) a plurality of local motion vectors for each of the frames, (iii) one or more global motion vectors for each of the frames, (iv) a second series of stabilized sequential frames, (v) a plurality of rough motion vectors and (vi) a digital bitstream in response to (i) a video input signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate a single motion vector in response to a plurality of motion vectors. The second circuit may be further configured to eliminate outlier vectors from the plurality of motion vectors.

Method and/or apparatus for multiple pass digital image stabilization

In some embodiments, macroblock-level encoding parameters are assigned to weighted linear combinations of corresponding content-category-level encoding parameters. For example, a macroblock quantization parameter (QP) modulation is set to a weighted linear combination of content category QP modulations. Content categories may identify potentially overlapping content types such as sky, water, grass, skin, and red content. The combination weights may be similarity measures describing macroblock similarities to content categories. A macroblock may be associated with multiple content categories, with different similarity levels for different content categories. A similarity measure for a given macroblock with respect to a content category may be defined as a number (between 0 and 8) of neighboring macroblocks that meet a similarity condition, provided the macroblock meets a qualification condition. The similarity condition may be computationally simpler than the qualification condition. Content-category-level statistics are generated by combining block-level statistics. Content-category-level statistics may be used in encoding subsequent frames.

Video encoding control using non-exclusive content categories

An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to perform image signal processing using encoding related information. The second circuit may be configured to encode image data using image signal processing related information, wherein said first circuit is further configured to pass said image signal processing related information to said second circuit and said second circuit is further configured to pass said encoding related information to said first circuit.

Integrated camera image signal processor and video encoder

Circuits, systems, and methods for processing outlier pixels include a spatial filter and a temporal filter. The spatial filter is configured to compute a pixel difference for each pixel as a function of a pixel value of the pixel and pixel values of nearby pixels within each frame. The spatial filter is configured to dynamically add the pixel to a candidate list when the pixel difference exceeds a threshold value. The temporal filter dynamically removes a pixel from the candidate list when there is a divergence of a pixel value of the pixel in successive frames. The temporal filter determines a pixel in the candidate list is an outlier pixel when there is no such divergence in the successive frames.

Determining outlier pixels of successive frames

An apparatus includes a first preprocessor circuit and a second preprocessor circuit. The first preprocessor circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal for each of a plurality of macroblocks of an input image based upon a plurality of statistics for each of the plurality of macroblocks. The second preprocessor circuit may be configured to generate a second control signal based upon a combination of the first control signals of a number of macroblocks of the plurality of macroblocks.

Method and apparatus for frame, field and macroblock adaptive progressive/interlace coding selection

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining a phase alignment of a Bayer color filter array is provided. A quincunx lattice of the color filter array corresponding to a first color component is determined from an input frame of image data. Elements of the color filter array corresponding to first and second rectangular lattices of the color filter array are selected. Second and third color components corresponding to elements of the first and second rectangular lattices are determined from the sample values in an input frame of image data.

Color filter array alignment detection

A method of reducing aberrations in a digital image comprises capturing input samples associated with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, wherein each pixel is associated with a color defining the digital image; establishing vertical chrominance groups associated with columns of the matrix and horizontal chrominance groups associated with rows of the matrix; determining chrominance values for the chrominance groups; determining, for each chrominance group, a mean value and, a sum of absolute differences between the chrominance values and the mean value for the chrominance values of the chrominance group; calculating, by a signal processing device, a plurality of weights comprising vertical weights associated with the vertical chrominance groups and horizontal weights associated with the horizontal chrominance groups based upon the sums of absolute differences; and determining a missing color component for a predetermined pixel of the plurality of pixels using the plurality of weights.

Methods of reducing aberrations in a digital image

A method for encoding video, comprising the steps of (A) encoding a number of macroblocks of a video signal with a non-residual mode disabled, (B) checking each of the macroblocks for a null information pattern, and (C) re-encoding each of the macroblocks having the null information pattern with the non-residual mode enabled.

High quality low bitrate video coding by enabling and disabling a non-residual mode

An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal, a second control signal and a third control signal in response to a first interlaced video signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate a second interlaced video signal in response to the first interlaced video signal, the first control signal, the second control signal and the third control signal. The second circuit may be further configured to vertically scale the first interlaced video signal in an extended vertical domain.

Method and/or architecture for interlaced video resampling and color format conversion using combined vertical-temporal resolution extensions

A dynamic financial caricature graphic whereby financial data associated with a user is obtained from one or more sources. The financial data associated with a user obtained from one or more sources is then aggregated and/or categorized/re-categorized to generate a personalized financial caricature graphic that is a visual representation of the user and the user's financial situation. The visual characteristics of the dynamic financial caricature graphic, such as size, weight, height, clothing, color, accessories, etc., are chosen based on the financial data associated with a user obtained from one or more sources and/or one or more criteria provided. The user's financial data is then monitored and the visual characteristics of the dynamic financial caricature graphic are changed and/or updated in accordance with changes in the financial data associated with the user obtained from the one or more sources.

Method and system for providing a personalized and dynamic financial caricature graphic

System and method for decoding digital video data. The decoding system employs hardware accelerators that assist a core processor in performing selected decoding tasks. The hardware accelerators are configurable to support a plurality of existing and future encoding/decoding formats. The accelerators are configurable to support substantially any existing or future encoding/decoding formats that fall into the general class of DCT-based, entropy decoded, block-motion-compensated compression algorithms. The hardware accelerators illustratively comprise a programmable entropy decoder, an inverse quantization module, a inverse discrete cosine transform module, a pixel filter, a motion compensation module and a de-blocking filter. The hardware accelerators function in a decoding pipeline wherein at any given stage in the pipeline, while a given function is being performed on a given macroblock, the next macroblock in the data stream is being worked on by the previous function in the pipeline.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

José Roberto Alvarez