Neighbor management for use in entropy encoding and methods for use therewith

An entropy coding module for use in a video encoder that encodes a video input signal based on a plurality of macroblocks derived from the video input signal, the entropy coding module comprising:

• a neighbor management module that pre-stores neighbor data, comprising neighboring pixel values or other data from neighboring macroblocks or subblocks used to calculate results for a current macroblock, for one macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks in a plurality of data structures associated with each of a corresponding plurality of neighboring macroblocks;
• and
• an entropy coder, coupled to the neighbor management module, that generates entropy encoded data from quantized and transformed data for the plurality of macroblocks in accordance with context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding based on the neighbor data, wherein the entropy encoder retrieves the neighbor data for a selected macroblock directly from the neighbor management module from a single one of the plurality of data structures that corresponds to the selected macroblock.

A method for use in a video encoder that encodes a video input signal based on a plurality of macroblocks derived from the video input signal, the method comprising:

• generating entropy encoded data from discrete transformed coefficients for the plurality of macroblocks in accordance with context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding based on neighbor data for each of the plurality of macroblocks;
• and
• pre-storing the neighbor data, comprising neighboring pixel values or other data from neighboring macroblocks or subblocks used to calculate results for a current macroblock, for each of the plurality of macroblocks in a plurality of data structures associated with each of a corresponding plurality of neighboring macroblocks, the neighbor data for direct retrieval from a single one of the plurality of data structures that corresponds to a selected macroblock when generating entropy encoded data for the selected macroblock.