Method and apparatus for simplifying the decoding of data

A digital storage medium having stored thereon data representing an image capable of being read and displayed by a data processing system, wherein the data representing the image includes a data file, comprising:

• a first data section of a plurality of data sections in the data file, the first data section having a first data value or a second data value;
• and
• a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the data file, the second data section to skip a data check if the first data section includes the first data value, the second data section to include a data check if the first data section includes the second data value.

A portable network graphics (PNG) data file, comprising:

• an image data chunk, included in a plurality of data chunks in the file;
• and
• a critical data chunk, included in the plurality of data chunks in the file, the critical data chunk to convey information to a decoder about skipping a verification operation during a decoding of data in the image data chunk.

A modified portable network graphics (PNG) data file, comprising:

• an image data chunk, included in a plurality of data chunks in the file, the image data chunk to include data encoded without a data check;
• and
• a critical data chunk, included in the plurality of data chunks in the file, the critical data chunk to indicate to a decoder that the image data chunk includes data encoded without the data check.

A digital storage medium having stored thereon a data file representing an image, wherein the data file includes data stored in a portable network graphics (PNG) file format, the PNG file format modified to include:

• an image data chunk, included in a plurality of data chunks in the file;
• a critical data chunk, included in the plurality of data chunks in the file, the critical data chunk to convey to a decoder information about simplifying the decoding of the image data chunk.

A method, comprising:

• encoding data into a first data section of a plurality of data sections in a file, the first data section including a first data value of a first type or a second type;
• and
• encoding data into a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the file, the second data section to include information to allow a decoder to perform a data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes the first data value of the first type, the second data section to include information to allow the decoder to skip the data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes a first data value of the second type.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for encoding data into a first data section of a plurality of data sections in a file, the first data section including a first data value of a first type or a second type;
• and
• means for encoding data into a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the file, the second data section to include information to allow a decoder to perform a data check on the data in the second data section if the first data section includes the first data value of the first type, the second data section to include information to allow the decoder to skip the data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes a first data value of the second type.

A machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

• encoding data into a first data section of a plurality of data sections in a file, the first data section including a first data value of a first type or a second type;
• and
• encoding data into a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the file, the second data section including information to allow a decoder to perform a data check on the data in the second data section if the first data section includes the first data value of the first type, the second data section including information to allow the decoder to skip the data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes a first data value of the second type.

A method, comprising:

• encoding data into a first data section of a plurality of data sections in a file, the first data section including a first data value of a first type or a second type;
• and
• encoding data into a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the file, the second data section to include information specifying a data check to be performed on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes the first data value of the first type, the second data section to include information specifying to skip the data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes a first data value of the second type.

A machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

• encoding data into a first data section of a plurality of data sections in a file, the first data section including a first data value of a first type or a second type;
• and
• encoding data into a second data section of the plurality of data sections in the file, the second data section to include information specifying a data check to be performed on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes the first data value of the first type, the second data section to include information specifying to skip the data check on the data of the second data section if the first data section includes a first data value of the second type.