Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Mark Petrus Vos

Francois Agon

Anthony Philippe

Xavier Cauchy

Emmanuel Chiaruzzi

Didier Aladenise

Alastair Walker

Lydie Gillet

Bruno Thery

Michel Terrat

An image processing system includes a memory for storing data associated with pixels of images, with the pixels having spatial coordinates in an image coordinate system having first and second axes; a processing device including a processor which processes the associated data; and an interface device which accesses in memory addresses associated with pixels of a block of pixels. In the interface device, access information is received indicating a base memory address, information regarding the dimensions of the block along the axes of the image coordinate system, and a storage method. At least one access rule is selected from multiple rules as a function of the storage method. The memory is accessed at the addresses associated with the pixels in the block, by applying the selected rule starting from the base address and taking into account the dimensions of the block.

Data management for image processing

A device for processing video and graphics data includes a component and a main random access memory containing video and graphics data. The component includes a processing unit, and a two-dimensional acceleration unit cooperating with the processing unit and the main random access memory to compose in real time images. The images include at least one video plane and at least one graphics plane, and are stored in the main random access memory. An output interface extracts the image data thus composed from the main random access memory for delivery to an image display.

Device and method for processing video and graphics data

A method is provided for displaying an OSD on a video image. According to the method, values of pixels of the OSD are stored, and pixels of lines of the OSD that are to be displayed without processing are displayed by making direct use of a color look-up table. Additionally, pixels of lines of the OSD that are to be displayed after processing with a mathematical filter and/or that are required for computations associated with the mathematical filter are processed. In the processing step, the pixels of the lines to be processed are stored in the form of addresses that designate the memory lines of the color look-up table, the values of the pixels of the lines to be processed are obtained by an addressing of the color look-up table, and a mathematical filter is applied to the obtained values of the pixels to be processed. In a preferred embodiment, for the pixels of each line being processed, the addresses designating the memory lines of the color look-up table are distributed between a master unit and a slave unit. This provides a gain in memory space because the values conventionally used to define each pixel do not have to be stored. An increased processing speed is also obtained. A device for displaying an OSD on a video image is also provided.

Method and circuit for forming on-screen displays for overlay on a video image

A method is provided for forming an on-screen display (OSD) for overlay on a video image. According to the method, colors that are to be used to display the OSD are stored in a color look-up table, and a coefficient of transparency is assigned to each line of pixels of the OSD before overlaying the OSD on the video image. In a preferred method, the colors are stored in the color look-up table as three significant values representing chrominance and luminance for each pixel of the OSD, and the assigned coefficients of transparency are stored in a programmable register. This provides a substantial memory space gain in the color look-up table, and thus the range of available colors can be very wide. A device for forming an OSD for overlay on a video image is also provided. The device includes a color look-up table that stores a color for each pixel of the OSD, and a transparency programming register that assigns a transparency level to each line of pixels of the OSD.

Method and circuit for improving the chromatics of on-screen displays on a video image

A device and associated methods for the storage and retrieval of data elements in a buffer circuit include each data element being transmitted to the buffer circuit through a transmission bus and a bus interface. A data element is stored in a memory when a first register is not empty. Additionally, when the first register is not empty, a data element is also stored in an additional register directly accessible by a decoding interface. The time of access to the data elements in the buffer circuit may be reduced.

Fast access to buffer circuits

A microprocessor circuit having an external memory interface includes a transmission element for the transmission of binary data packets between the microprocessor and the interface. The interface includes a buffer with a determined capacity for storing the transmitted data elements. The circuit also includes a controller capable of computing the capacity of the buffer that is available or unavailable owing to the storage of the data elements and capable of reporting the status of availability of the buffer to receive an additional packet. A method is also provided for the control of the interface of such a circuit. The interface comprises a decoder for decoding format data of a packet. The format data of a packet being contained in the data packet and each format data decoding operation being given to the controller in order to optimize the use of the storage capacity of the buffer and the transmission between the microprocessor and the external memory.

Microprocessor with external memory interface optimized by an early decode system

A method is provided for correcting flicker and flutter of an OSD on a video image. According to the method, values of pixels of the OSD are stored, pixels of lines of the OSD that are to be displayed without processing are substituted for pixels of the video image, and pixels of lines of the OSD that are to be displayed after processing are subjected to a mathematical filter. In the subjecting step, the value of another pixel of the video image is assigned to each pixel of the video image that is required by the mathematical filter but presently unavailable, with the other pixel belonging to the same column as the required pixel. In a preferred embodiment, the required pixel is a pixel of the video image that is not covered by the OSD, and the other pixel belongs to the closest line of the video image that is covered by the OSD. This makes it possible to simplify the use of mathematical filters associated with a unique equation for all of the lines of the overlaid OSD. A device for overlaying an on-screen display (OSD) on a video image is also provided.

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Crolles, France

Mark Petrus Vos