Multi-core Video Decoder Shared Storage Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional single-core video decoders struggle to reconstruct ultra-high definition (UHD) videos in a timely manner, leading to degraded display quality due to the large data size of UHD pictures exceeding the decoding capability.
Innovation Solution
A multi-core video decoder system with multiple video decoder cores that decode different portions of a picture in parallel, utilizing a shared storage space to efficiently manage and access neighbor information, thereby relaxing storage size requirements and improving decoding performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional single-core video decoder is used, then the decoding process is simple and the device complexity is low, but the decoding speed is insufficient and cannot handle UHD video data sizes in time
Solution Approach 1:
The video decoder is divided into multiple independent decoder cores (first decoder core, second decoder core, etc.), each capable of independently decoding different portions of the video data. This segmentation allows parallel processing of UHD video streams, significantly increasing decoding speed while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-core sequential processing model to a multi-core parallel processing model, adding the dimension of concurrency. Multiple decoder cores operate simultaneously on different video streams or different portions of the same stream, effectively utilizing additional processing dimensions to overcome the speed limitations of single-core decoders.
2Productivity
If multiple video decoder cores are used to decode UHD videos in parallel, then the decoding capability and speed are improved, but the storage resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple decoder cores share a common buffer memory resource instead of each core having dedicated storage. The buffer memory is jointly accessed by all decoder cores through a standardized interface, allowing the system to support multiple high-definition video streams simultaneously while using a single shared storage resource, thus reducing total storage requirements compared to fully redundant configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer memory is designed as a universal resource that serves multiple decoder cores simultaneously. It can store and retrieve video data for any of the active decoder cores, making the storage system multi-functional rather than dedicated to a single core. This universality allows efficient utilization of storage space across multiple parallel decoding operations.
3Device complexity
If multiple decoder cores share a common buffer memory, then the storage efficiency is improved and device complexity is reduced, but the access coordination between cores becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer control unit is introduced as an intermediary between the multiple decoder cores and the shared buffer memory. This control unit manages all read and write operations to the buffer, coordinating access between different cores and preventing conflicts. By centralizing the control logic in a dedicated intermediary component, the system simplifies the access coordination problem while maintaining efficient shared resource utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-core video decoder system includes a plurality of video decoder cores and a storage device. The video decoder cores are used to decode a picture, wherein each of the video decoder cores decodes a portion of the picture. The storage device has at least one shared storage space accessed by different video decoder cores of the video decoder cores. In addition, an associated video decoding method includes: performing a plurality of video decoding operations to decode a picture, wherein each of the video decoding operations decodes a portion of the picture; and controlling different video decoding operations of the video decoding operations to access at least one shared storage space.