Methods and apparatus for decoding and displaying different resolution video signals
AssigneeHitachi America, Ltd.
InventorsJill Boyce, Larry Pearlstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for implementing a reduced cost HDTV/SDTV video decoder are disclosed. The described joint video decoder is capable of decoding HDTV pictures at approximately the resolution of standard definition television pictures and can be used to decode HDTV and/or SDTV pictures. The described video decoder may be used as part of a picture-in-picture decoder circuit for providing picture-in-picture capability without providing multiple full resolution video decoders. The reduction in decoder circuit complexity is achieved through the use of a plurality of data reduction techniques including the use of a preparser, downsampling, and truncating pixel values.
Claims24
A video signal decoder module for processing video signals of different resolutions, said different resolutions including a first resolution and a second resolution, the first resolution being a higher resolution than said second resolution, the video signal decoder module comprising:
- mode control means for controlling said decoder module to operate in one of a plurality of different modes of operation, said plurality of different modes of operation including a first mode of operation during which a particular data reduction operation is performed and a second mode of operation during which decoding is performed without performing said particular data reduction operation which is performed during said first mode of operation, said mode control means controlling said decoder module to operate in said first data reduction mode of operation when processing video signals of the first resolution and operating in the second mode of operation when processing video signals of the second resolution;
- controllable data reduction means for performing said particular data reduction operation when said mode control means indicates that operation in said first mode of operation but not when said mode control means indicates that operation is in said second mode of operation;
- and
- means for storing decoded video signals produced when operating in either of said first and second modes of operation.
A video signal processing apparatus for processing video signals of different resolutions, said different resolutions including at least a first resolution and a second resolutions the first resolution being a higher resolution than said second resolution, the processing apparatus comprising:
- decoder means for performing at least one image decoding operation;
- mode control means for generating a mode control signal, said mode control means controlling said mode control signal to indicate a first mode of operation when video signals of the first resolution are being processed and to indicate a second mode of operation when video signals of the second resolution are being processed;
- controllable data reduction means coupled to said mode control means for performing a data reduction operation under control of the mode control signal used to indicate if video signal processing is to be performed in a first mode of operation or in a second mode of operation, said controllable data reduction means performing at least one data reduction operation when said first mode of operation is indicated by the mode control signal which is not performed when said second mode of operation is indicated by said mode control signal;
- and
- memory means for storing decoded image data produced when operating in at least one of said first and second modes of operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.