Flexible software-based decoding system with decoupled decoding timing and output timing
US6246720A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 12, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N5/04
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A flexible software-based decoding system with decoupled decoding timing and output timing. In one embodiment, a computer software implemented method of decoding a data stream comprising encoded video data is provided. In this embodiment, the software method comprises the step of maintaining a number of already decoded and ready-for-output frames in a frame buffer. The method also comprises the step of decoding a first encoded frame of the data stream to generate an additional decoded frame. The method further comprises the step of outputting a first of the decoded frames before decoding of the first encoded frame is completed if the decoding step requires more time than a predefined frame output time to complete. Moreover, in this embodiment, the method comprises the step of adding the first additional decoded frame to the frame buffer. In this embodiment, real-time output is maintained irrespective of whether completion of the decoding step requires more time than the predefined frame output time for particular frames. In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of decoding a second encoded frame of the data stream substantially immediately upon completion of the dec…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.