RAM Index Buffering for Decoder Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decoding systems consume excessive power when retrieving and decoding content streams from secondary storage, particularly in portable devices where battery life is a concern, due to frequent access and processing requirements.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a central processing unit to retrieve and store frames from secondary storage in RAM, creating an index table that allows an auxiliary processor to decode the frames with reduced secondary storage access, enabling the CPU to be turned off for longer durations and minimizing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the CPU frequently accesses and processes content streams from secondary storage, then decoding functionality is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and buffering content stream data into RAM before actual decoding is needed. The CPU retrieves data from secondary storage and stores it in volatile memory in advance, creating a ready-to-use buffer that eliminates the need for frequent secondary storage accesses during playback, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining decoding functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces RAM as an intermediary between secondary storage and the decoding processor. Instead of direct access to secondary storage during decoding operations, the system uses volatile memory as a buffer layer, reducing the frequency and power cost of accesses to energy-intensive secondary storage devices while ensuring data availability for continuous decoding.
2Productivity
If the CPU remains active to handle decoding operations, then content stream processing is continuous, but battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares content data in advance by buffering it in RAM before playback begins. This preliminary action allows the CPU to enter low-power states during playback since the data is already readily available in volatile memory, reducing overall CPU active time and extending battery life while maintaining continuous content stream processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The CPU operates in periodic cycles, actively processing data during brief intervals when needed and transitioning to low-power states during periods when buffered data is being consumed. This periodic operation pattern, enabled by the buffer, allows continuous content playback while significantly reducing average power consumption and extending battery duration.
3Reliability
If secondary storage is accessed frequently for frame retrieval, then decoding accuracy is maintained, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data retrieval by fetching content frames from secondary storage and storing them in RAM buffer before decoding operations commence. This advance preparation ensures that all necessary data is readily available in high-speed memory, eliminating the need for repeated secondary storage accesses during decoding and thereby maintaining decoding accuracy while minimizing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Volatile memory serves as an intermediary buffer between secondary storage and the decoding processor. By placing frequently accessed frame data in this intermediate high-speed memory layer, the system maintains decoding accuracy through rapid data access while dramatically reducing the energy cost associated with frequent secondary storage I/O operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Decoding a content of interest with optimal power usage. In an embodiment, a central processing unit (CPU) retrieves the frames of a data stream of interest from a secondary storage and stores them in a random access memory (RAM). The CPU forms an index table indicating the locations at which each of the frames is stored. The index table is provided to a decoder, which processes the frames in sequence to recover the original data from the encoded data. By using the index information, the power usage is reduced at least in an embodiment when the decoding is performed by an auxiliary processor.