Circuit and method for compressing 10-bit video streams for display through an 8-bit video port

A non-linear digital video compression circuit comprising:

• a source of digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• a compression lookup table having an M-bit input coupled to the source of digital video data and an N-bit compressed digital video data output, where N is less than M, wherein the compression lookup table includes a non-linear compression transformation for at least one of Y, U and V that provides a different conversion for Y than for U or that provides a different conversion for Y than for V;
• and
• a state circuit coupled to the compression lookup table that controls which one of the conversions for Y and U and V is performed.

A digital video compression circuit comprising:

• a source of digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• a compression lookup table having an M-bit address input coupled to the source of digital video data, and an N-bit compressed digital video data output, where N is less than M, wherein the compressions lookup table includes a compression transformation that provides three different conversions for Y and U and V;
• and
• a state circuit coupled to the compression lookup table that controls which one of the three different conversions for Y and U and V is performed.

A method for compressing digital video comprising the steps of:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M, wherein the compression transformation further includes a conversion for blanking portions of the digital video data signal.

A method for compressing digital video comprising the steps of:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M;
• and
• determining a state of at least Y, U, or V, wherein the state controls which one of the conversions for Y and U and V is performed.

A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed system to compress digital video by performing the following steps when such program is executed on the system:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M, wherein the storage medium further has a data structure stored thereon, wherein the data structure includes values for a lookup table that provides a non-linear compression transformation.

A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed system to compress digital video by performing the following steps when such program is executed on the system:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M, wherein the computer program comprises programming for further causing the system, when such program is executed on the system, to perform the following additional step:
• determining a state of at least Y, U, or V, wherein the state controls which one of the conversions for Y and U and V and blanking is performed.

An information-processing system comprising:

• a digital video compression circuit including:
• a source of digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for a blanking portion of the signal, and M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• and
• a compression lookup table having an M-bit input coupled to the source of digital video data, and an N-bit compressed digital video data output, where N is less than M, wherein the compression lookup table provides a non-linear compression of at least one of the Y, U, V and blanking portions of the digital video data signal.

An information-processing system comprising:

• a digital video compression circuit including:
• a source of digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• a compression lookup table having an M-bit address input coupled to the source of digital video data, and an N-bit compressed digital video data output, where N is less than M, wherein the compression lookup table includes a compression transformation that provides three different conversions of Y and U and V;
• and
• a state circuit coupled to the compression lookup table that controls which one of the three different conversions for Y and U and V is performed.

A method for compressing digital video comprising:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for a each of a Y portion, a U portion, a V portion, and a blanking portion of the signal, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of the Y, U, V, and blanking portions;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, V, and blanking portion, where N is less than M.

A method for compressing digital video comprising:

• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component.
• determining a state of at least Y, U, and V;
• performing an M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V, wherein the state controls which one of the conversions for Y and U and V is performed;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M.

A storage medium comprising:

• a computer program stored on the storage medium for causing a suitably programmed system to compress digital video by performing the following method when such program is executed on the system:
• providing a digital video data signal, the digital video data having M-bits of information for each of a Y, U, and V value per pixel, where Y represents a luminance component, and U and V each represent portions of a two-dimensional chromaticity component;
• performing a M-bit to N-bit compression transformation that is non-linear for at least one of Y, U and V;
• and
• outputting N-bit compressed digital video data output having N-bits of information for each of a compressed Y, U, and V value per pixel, where N is less than M;
• and
• a data structure stored thereon, wherein the data structure includes values for a lookup table that provides a non-linear compression transformation, and wherein the digital video data also includes M-bits of information for a blanking portion of the signal, wherein the method further comprises determining a state of at least Y, U, V or blanking, and wherein the compression transformation is performed based on the state.