Data decompression with extra precision

A computer-readable storage unit having program instructions stored therein for causing a computer system to perform a method comprising:

• comparing the magnitude of a first value and the magnitude of a second value in a memory-resident compression block, wherein said first and second values are stored in a particular order relative to one another in said compression block, said first value and said second value representing respective endpoints of a range of values, said first value and said second value each having N bits;
• selecting one of said first and second values according to the result of said comparing, thereby yielding a selected value that is one of said first and second values and an unselected value that is the other of said first and second values;
• scaling said selected value to produce a third value representing a decompressed value of said selected value and having N+1 bits of precision;
• and
• using said particular order in which said first and second values are stored in said compression block to derive a specified single bit value, wherein said specified single bit value has one binary value if said first value is stored in a position in said compression block that is read before said second value and otherwise said single bit value has the other binary value, wherein said single bit value is appended to said unselected value as the least significant bit of said unselected value to produce a fourth value representing a decompressed value of said unselected value and having N+1 bits of precision.

A computer-implemented method for processing data, said method comprising:

• comparing the magnitude of a first value and the magnitude of a second value in a compression block resident in said memory unit, wherein said first and second values are stored in a particular order relative to one another in said compression block, said first value and said second value representing respective endpoints of a range of values, said first value and said second value each having N bits;
• selecting one of said first and second values according to the result of said comparing, thereby yielding a selected value that is one of said first and second values and an unselected value that is the other of said first and second values;
• scaling said selected value to produce a third value representing a decompressed value of said selected value and having N+1 bits of precision;
• using said particular order in which said first and second values are stored in said compression block to derive a specified one-bit value, wherein said specified one-bit value has one binary value if said first value is stored before said second value in said compression block and otherwise said specified one-bit value has the other binary value, wherein said specified one-bit value is appended to said unselected value as the least significant bit of said unselected value to produce a fourth value representing a decompressed value of said unselected value and having N+1 bits of precision;
• and
• interpolating values that have N+1 bits of precision using said third and fourth values.