Method and arrangement for refreshing a frame memory in an interframe encoding system
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorsMitsuo Nishiwaki, Shuzo Tsugane, Naoki Mukawa, Hideo Kuroda
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Abstract
A video signal frame memory is refreshed without requiring either a separate transmission line or the transmission of bursts of data. This is done by dividing the frame signals into blocks of data, which are further divided into lines and sub-blocks. During each frame, refreshing signals are sent on a sub-block basis, thereby distributing the refreshing control signals and preventing many signals from being sent in bursts.
Claims12
A method for refreshing a frame memory used in an encoding system for efficiently encoding video signals having cyclically recurring frames, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing a video signal stored in said frame memory into n number of blocks consisting of m number of lines;
- (b) dividing each of said blocks into l number of sub-blocks where l is an integer greater than one;
- (c) refreshing one of said sub-blocks once for every one frame;
- (d) repeating the step (c) for l number of times to complete a refreshing of one of said blocks;
- and
- (e) repeating the step (d) for n number of times to refresh said frame memory.
An arrangement for refreshing transmission and receiving frame memories used in a system for efficiently encoding video signals having cyclically recurring frames, each of said frame memories being divided into n blocks consisting of m lines, each of said blocks being divided into l sub-blocks, l being an integer greater than one, said arrangement comprising:
- first control means for generating a refreshing control signal to indicate a need for a refreshing of said transmission frame memory, a sub-block indication signal to designate a sub-block to be refreshed, and a first control signal to control said refreshing of said transmission frame memory;
- first refreshing means responsive to said first control signal for refreshing said sub-block designated by said sub-block indication signal with refreshing data;
- transmitting means for transmitting said refreshing data, said sub-block indication signal, and said refreshing control signal to a transmission line;
- means for separating said refreshing data, said subblock indication signal and said refreshing control signal from the transmitted signal which is received from said transmission line;
- second control means responsive to said sub-block indication signal and to said refreshing signal for generating a second control signal;
- and
- second refreshing means responsive to said second control signal for refreshing said receiving frame memory with said transmitted refreshing data.
A system for refreshing a frame memory means used for storing video signals having cyclically recurring frames, said system comprising means for dividing said video signals stored in said frame memory means into a plurality of sub-units of video signals, means for deriving control signals relative to each of said stored sub-units of video signals, said control signals indicating whether there is or is not a need for refreshing a corresponding sub-unit of said signals stored in said memory means, and means selectively responsive to said control signals and to a reading of each of said sub-units of said stored video signals for transmitting refreshing and updating video signal data whereby said refreshed data is transmitted in a manner which is distributed over time as distinguished from transmitting data in a burst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.