Abstract: Method, system and computer program product are provided for selectively separately updating multiple system time clocks or synchronously updating the multiple system time clocks (STCs). Separate or simultaneous updating of the system time clocks is attained by selectively adjusting the addresses to the system time clocks in updatable address register fields. A first address value is provided to a first address register associated with a first STC register and a second address value is provided to a second address register associated with a second STC register. Independent updating of the first STC register and the second STC register is performed when the first address value and the second address value are different, while synchronous updating is performed when the first address value and the second address value comprise a common address value. The technique can be extrapolated to any number of clocks to be updated.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product are provided for adaptively encoding in hardware, software or a combination thereof a sequence of video frames in real-time. Pre-encode perceptual activity measurement processing is employed to derive statistics on each frame of the sequence of video frames to be encoded. The statistics are used by variable bit rate logic to obtain a number of bits to be used in encoding each frame. The number of bits to be used is provided to a single encoding engine, which encodes the sequence of video frames and produces a constant quality, variable bit rate bitstream output. The pre-encode processing employs a regulator as the global data flow control and synchronization for the encoder. Perceptual activity analysis on each frame of the sequence of video frames can derive information on, for example, shading, scene change, fade, color, motion and/or edge presence within the frame. Voting gives greater weight to the presence of certain characteristics within the frame.

Abstract: An assist processor operates in conjunction with a data path of individual hardware functional units to decode an MPEG-2 compliant data stream. The assist processor has the capacity to assist in processing specific blocks of data, assist in processing every block of data, or assist in processing only blocks of data with an indicator or flag or specific bit or byte set. The assist processor, when notified, modifies the operation of the functional unit or the data that it is operating on, and if necessary, returns the data to the datapath of the hardware functional units. The hardware functional units may operate as an MPEG-2 transport demultiplexor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for encoding digital motion video where a motion vector is formed to describe the translation of a set of picture elements from one picture to another. This is accomplished by calculating a difference or prediction error between a current luminance macroblock and a best match reference luminance macroblock, and between a current chrominance macroblock and a best match reference chrominance macroblock. This is done by selecting a chrominance prediction mode from among a set of chrominance prediction modes. Using the selected chrominance prediction mode, a full or half pel interpolation is calculated and from this a difference or prediction error is calculated between a current chrominance macroblock and a best match reference chrominance macroblock. The required reference chrominance data is fetched, and a chrominance difference or prediction error is calculated. The output is the chrominance difference or prediction error data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for processing a data stream. Errors are concealed in the data stream by detecting loss or interruption of data delivery and signalling decoders to invoke error concealment.