Video Compression Encoder Without Frame Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of frame buffer chips in digital video compression systems is driving up the overall cost of video compressors, as existing technologies require storing entire frames of pixel information, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves eliminating the need for a frame buffer chip by storing check values for groups of pixels and using a 16-bit CRC calculation to enable 'copy old' commands, allowing for efficient compression and decoding without storing entire frames, thereby reducing memory requirements and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If frame buffer chips are used to store entire frames of pixel information, then video compression accuracy is improved, but system cost and memory requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frame buffer storage requirement by dividing the frame into multiple blocks and selectively storing only certain blocks in frame buffer memory while using line buffer memory for other blocks. This segmentation allows the system to maintain compression accuracy for important blocks while reducing overall memory requirements by not storing every block in high-cost frame buffer chips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different storage quality levels to different parts of the video data. Critical blocks that require high compression accuracy are stored in frame buffer memory, while less critical blocks are stored in line buffer memory. This local quality differentiation maintains necessary video compression accuracy while significantly reducing the total memory capacity required, thereby lowering system cost.
2Reliability
If frame buffer chips are used to store entire frames, then video decoding quality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the video data processing into different memory storage paths based on block characteristics. By dividing frames into multiple blocks and assigning them to different memory buffers based on their compression requirements, the system achieves reliable video decoding quality without requiring a single large frame buffer chip, thereby reducing device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the line buffer memory serve multiple functions: it acts as both a traditional line buffer for current frame processing and as a frame buffer replacement for storing previous frame blocks. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated large-capacity frame buffer chips, reducing device complexity while maintaining video decoding quality.
3Quantity of substance
If check values are stored instead of entire frames, then memory requirements are reduced, but information completeness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying information (check values such as CRC) from the complete frame data and stores these extracted values in the line buffer. This extraction approach allows the system to verify and reconstruct previous frame blocks without storing the entire frames, significantly reducing memory requirements while maintaining sufficient information completeness for accurate video compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces check values as an intermediary between the complete frame data and the compression decoding process. These check values serve as mediators that enable verification and reconstruction of previous frame blocks without requiring storage of the complete frame information, thus reducing memory requirements while preserving necessary information completeness for accurate compression.
Data Source
AI summary
A video compression encoder which does not require a video frame buffer is disclosed. Without a frame buffer, incoming pixels can not be compared to pixels previously sent to the decoder. Instead, the disclosed encoder only stores check values for groups of pixels sent. If a group's check value has not changed, the encoder sends a command to the decoder not to change that pixel group. Also, without a frame buffer, an incoming video frame can not be captured and later sent to the decoder as network throughput permits. Instead, if throughput is insufficient to send an encoded group of pixels, the encoder leaves the check value for that group unchanged and sends a command instructing the decoder not to change those pixels. This defers updating that group until the next screen update is sent to the decoder. Grouping of pixels can be done in any fashion, for example; a group can be a single video line, a portion of a line, multiple lines or screen rectangles containing portions of multiple lines.