Abstract: The invention comprises a method an apparatus for allocating processing resources in an information stream decoder in response to format indicia included within a compressed information stream. Specifically, the invention comprises an apparatus and method for decoding a video stream having an associated source video format to produce a decoded video stream having the same format or a different format, in which a computational resource is allocated in response to a change in format between the associated video format and the resultant video format.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method an apparatus for allocating processing resources in an information stream decoder in response to format indicia included within a compressed information stream. Specifically, the invention comprises an apparatus and method for decoding a video stream having an associated source video format to produce a decoded video stream having the same format or a different format, in which a computational resource is allocated in response to a change in format between the associated video format and the resultant video format.

Abstract: Method of storing pixel data in a memory of a predictive video decoder that stores pixel data in words that contain blocks of pixel information. Each word or a sequence of words contains pixel data from a rectangular block of pixels, e.g., a 2×2 pixel block is stored in a 4 byte word or a 2×4 pixel block is stored in two successive 4 byte words. These words are stored in memory pages where a page or successive pages contain a series of words of data representing a row of pixel blocks. Consequently, the words representing groups (blocks) of pixels are stored from left to right in the order that the pixels appear in the frame. A pair of memory banks is used to store the words and each successive row of pixel blocks is stored in a different one of the two memory banks.

Abstract: A method of storing pixel data in a memory of a predictive video decoder that stores pixel data in data words that contain blocks of pixel information. Each data word or a sequence of data words contains pixel data from, for example, a rectangular block of pixels, e.g., a 2×2 pixel block is stored in a 4 byte word or a 2×4 pixel block is stored in two successive 4 byte words. These data words are stored in memory pages where a page or successive pages contain a series of words of data representing a row of pixel blocks. Consequently, the data words representing groups (blocks) of pixels are stored from left to right in the order that the pixels appear in the frame. A pair of memory banks is used to store the data words and each successive row of pixel blocks is stored in a different one of the two memory banks. Any remaining storage space is used for other purposes other than storing video data.

Abstract: A digital logic circuit is broken into functional blocks, each having a path from its output port to a chip level output port. No two input patterns to that path produce the same output pattern on that path and for every path input pattern there is a one-to-one relation with the path output pattern regardless of the transformation of that pattern by the path. All other path inputs are independent of the path test patterns such that a block test output pattern applied to that path is not fault affected by those other path inputs. The circuit is partitioned into testable blocks whose outputs are coupled by such paths to observable chip output ports. The chip level tests for all block test patterns are screened to eliminate redundant block tests to produce a practical set of test vectors.

Abstract: A video scrambling device requires that a key signal be periodically inserted into a subscribers box, e.g. once a month. The key signal is a function of both the box number and the time, and thus once received must be inserted relatively quickly, e.g. an hour or two. If it is not inserted quickly, a new key signal must be obtained. This makes it extremely difficult for a pirate to distribute a key signal to his customers in time for it to be effective. The scrambling method can be pseudorandom line inversion and also audio scrambling.