Guaranteed Data Compression
AssigneeImagination Technologies Limited
InventorSimon Fenney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of compressing data is described in which the compressed data is generated by either or both of a primary compression unit or a reserve compression unit in order that a target compression threshold is satisfied. If a compressed data block generated by the primary compression unit satisfies the compression threshold, that block is output. However, if the compressed data block generated by the primary compression unit is too large, such that the compression threshold is not satisfied, a compressed data block generated by the reserve compression unit using a lossy compression technique, is output.
Claims17
A method of compressing data comprising:
- compressing a data block using a lossless compression technique to generate a first compressed data block;
- assessing the first compressed data block against a target compression threshold;
- in response to determining that the first compressed data block satisfies the target compression threshold, outputting the first compressed data block;
- and
- in response to determining that the first compressed data block does not satisfy the target compression threshold, outputting, instead of the first compressed data block, a second compressed data block generated from the data block, wherein the second compressed data block is generated using a lossy compression technique, and wherein the lossy compression technique is arranged to ensure that the second compressed data block satisfies the target compression threshold.
A data compression system comprising:
- a primary compression unit arranged to compress a data block using a lossless compression technique to generate a first compressed data block;
- a reserve compression unit arranged to compress a data block using a lossy compression technique to generate a second compressed data block, wherein the lossy compression technique is arranged to ensure that the second compressed data block satisfies a target compression threshold;
- and
- a test unit arranged to assess the first compressed data block against the target compression threshold and in response to determining that the first compressed data block satisfies the target compression threshold, to output the first compressed data block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.