Patent · US Expired

Programmable variable length decoder circuit and method

US6674376B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
8References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 13, 2002
Grant dateJan 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 13, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M7/40
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for decoding a bit stream of variable-length and fixed-length codewords representing encoded digital content. A decoder includes a memory for storing microinstructions that control the decoder. The decoder further includes a first barrel shifter for extracting a first bit field from the bit stream, a position of the first bit field being specified by the microinstruction, and a second barrel shifter for extracting a second bit field from the bit stream, a position of the second bit field being specified by the microinstructions. A microprogram counter keeps an address of a currently-executing microinstruction of the microinstructions, where a next state of the microprogram counter is determined by the microinstructions and the first bit field. A data converter modifies a value of the second bit field according to the microinstructions. A data storage stores either data in the microinstructions or an output of the data converter as decoded data values.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.