Hardware Uncompressed Block Generation for Compression Error Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data compression systems face challenges in error recovery, leading to unusable data due to corruption, and require firmware-based verification and generation of uncompressed data blocks, which increases latency and memory storage needs.

Innovation Solution

Implementing hardware circuitry for compression error validation and generation of uncompressed data blocks, eliminating the need for firmware and allowing for real-time error detection and recovery, thereby reducing latency and memory requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If firmware-based verification and generation of uncompressed data blocks is used, then error recovery capability is provided, but latency increases and memory storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror recovery capabilityVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces firmware-based error verification and uncompressed data block generation with hardware circuitry. Specifically, an entropy calculation unit in hardware computes entropy values, and a determination unit in hardware decides whether to generate uncompressed blocks, eliminating firmware involvement and reducing latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs entropy calculation and error detection in advance using hardware circuitry before data transmission or compression operations. By pre-calculating entropy values and determining error conditions beforehand, the system avoids latency during critical operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If firmware-based verification and generation of uncompressed data blocks is used, then error recovery capability is provided, but memory storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror recovery capabilityVSAvoidmemory storage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces firmware-based operations with hardware circuitry for entropy calculation and uncompressed block generation. This substitution eliminates the need for firmware storage in memory, reducing memory requirements while maintaining error recovery functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the error verification and uncompressed block generation functions from firmware and implements them in dedicated hardware circuitry. By removing these functions from firmware, the system reduces memory storage requirements while preserving error recovery capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If hardware circuitry is used for compression error validation and generation of uncompressed data blocks, then latency is reduced and memory requirements are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidhardware circuitry complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the error detection and recovery function into separate hardware modules: an entropy calculation unit for computing entropy values, a determination unit for deciding whether errors occurred, and a generation unit for creating uncompressed blocks. This segmentation manages complexity by creating specialized, modular components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hardware circuitry is designed to handle multiple functions: entropy calculation, error detection, determination of recovery needs, and generation of uncompressed data blocks. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating operations into a single integrated hardware unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20230342206A1Hardware-based generation of uncompressed data blocks

Publication Date: 2023.10.26 INTEL CORP

AI summary

An accelerator or system including an accelerator can include an input interface to receive input data to be compressed and user application parameters for invocation of compression. The accelerator can include circuitry to identify a compression algorithm from configuration data provided with the input data. The user application parameters may not include parameters specifying entropy thresholds for compression of the input data. The circuitry can generate headers specific to the compression algorithm. The circuitry can generate uncompressed data blocks comprising blocks of the input data and corresponding headers. The circuitry can determine whether to provide the uncompressed data blocks or compressed data blocks based at least in part on entropy of the input data. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses are described.