Abstract: A streaming memory controller has a time-division multiplexed interface to sources and destinations of data and a streaming interface to a memory. A unified address generator with look-aside registers is used to provide addresses for the memory. Each source and destination is identified by a context code that is used to index into a table of parameters. A processor loads initial values for the parameters that are then used by the unified address generator to access the appropriate area of memory for the context. Buffers hold data for read and write contexts. An arbiter specifies the context having the greatest requirement for memory access based on the context's buffer status. A sequencer sends streams of data for a specified context to memory until the interrupted by the arbiter.

Abstract: A modular image processing system comprises a sensor interface, an image capture and processing subsystem, software to adapt the components to a task and a host computer to monitor and control the process as well as process data. The sensor interface is co-located with cameras or other sensors focused on a target. It encodes the image data and transmits it serially to the image capture and processing subsystem. The subsystem reformats the received image data and stores it in an image memory. The subsystem also passes on the serial data for use by other instances of the subsystem. The subsystem processes the data according to programmed algorithms and passes the results to the host computer. The host processor collaborates with embedded processors within the subsystem to programmably configure the sensor interface, the serial data format and the algorithms executed by the image capture and processing subsystem.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for performing image data compression. Initially, a two-dimensional block of image data in a spatial domain is transformed by a transform coder, resulting in a two-dimensional array of activity coefficients in a frequency domain. The array is then serialized and quantized, yielding a one-dimensional array of coefficients with a leading coefficient and an original trailing coefficient. Next, a portion of the array is selected by choosing a new trailing coefficient based on a setable ratio of the energy of the new short array to the energy of the original array. Lastly, an end-of-block symbol is appended after the new trailing coefficient, and the selected portion of the array is encoded using an entropy coder. The invention allows image data to enjoy enhanced compression with good image fidelity, and allows image fidelity to degrade gracefully in trade for higher degrees of image compression.