Reduced buffer size for JPEG encoding

An image compression system configured to compress an image according to an image compression algorithm, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixels arranged into lines and columns, wherein each pixel has a pixel value associated therewith, wherein each line has L pixels, and wherein the image compression algorithm operates on blocks of pixels, each block having N lines and M columns, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to generate signals;
• a buffers bank configured to receive incoming pixel values in line-by-line order and store block-lines of pixel values in a buffer of the buffers bank based on the signals generated by the processor, each buffer of the buffers bank being configured to store a single block-line, wherein a block-line includes M consecutive pixels of a line;
• a pointer table configured to store pointers to buffers in which block-lines are stored based on the signals generated by the processor;
• logic configured to use the pointers to read block-lines from the buffers block to a compression engine based on the signals generated by the processor, wherein the logic is configured to read block-lines out of the buffers bank in an order that is different from the line-by-line order in which the pixel values were received into the buffers bank.

An image compression system configured to compress an image according to an image compression algorithm, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixels arranged into lines and columns, wherein each pixel has a pixel value associated therewith, wherein each line has L pixels, and wherein the image compression algorithm operates on blocks of pixels, each block having N lines and M columns, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to generate signals;
• a buffers bank configured to receive incoming pixel values in line-by-line order and store block-lines of pixel values in a buffer of the buffers bank based on the signals generated by the processor, each buffer of the buffers bank being configured to store a single block-line, wherein a block-line includes M consecutive pixels of a line;
• an allocation table configured to store a plurality of block and block-line pairs based on the signals generated by the processor, each block and block-line pair corresponding to a pointer to a storage location in the buffers bank, each block and block-line pair indicating a position of a block-line within the block;
• logic configured to use the block and block-line pairs to read block-lines from the buffers block to a compression engine based on the signals generated by the processor, wherein the logic is configured to read block-lines out of the buffers bank in an order that is different from the line-by-line order in which the pixel values were received into the buffers bank.