Abstract: A method for protecting data between a circuit and a memory is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a particular address among a plurality of addresses for accessing a particular area among a plurality of areas in the memory, (B) determining a particular key among a plurality of keys associated with the particular area, (C) generating a cipher stream from both the particular address and the particular key and (D) modifying a data item with the cipher stream such that the data item is encrypted during a transfer between the circuit and the memory.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory and a coder/decoder circuit. The memory may have a first memory portion and a second memory portion. The coder/decoder circuit may be configured to (i) position a set of atoms across the memory, (ii) define a strip across a portion of the atoms, (iii) designate a first atom within the strip, (iv) locate one or more second atoms to be paired with the first atom, (v) determine whether the one or more second atoms when paired with the first atom forms a legitimate pair, and (vi) read the legitimate pair from the first memory portion and the second memory portion.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory and a coder/decoder circuit. The memory may have a first memory portion and a second memory portion. The coder/decoder circuit may be configured to (i) position a set of atoms across the memory, (ii) define a strip across a portion of the atoms, (iii) designate a first atom within the strip, (iv) locate one or more second atoms to be paired with the first atom, (v) determine whether the one or more second atoms when paired with the first atom forms a legitimate pair, and (vi) read the legitimate pair from the first memory portion and the second memory portion.

Abstract: A method for reading atoms positioned within a memory having a first memory portion and a second memory portions, comprising the steps of (a) positioning the atoms having memory addresses across the memory, (b) defining a strip across a portion of the atoms, (c) designating a first atom within the strip, (d) locating one or more second atoms to be paired with the first atom, (e) determining whether the one or more second atoms when paired with the first atom forms a legitimate pair, and (f) reading the legitimate pair from the first memory portion and the second memory portion.

Abstract: A method for reading atoms positioned within a memory having a first memory portion and a second memory portions, comprising the steps of (a) positioning the atoms having memory addresses across the memory, (b) defining a strip across a portion of the atoms, (c) designating a first atom within the strip, (d) locating one or more second atoms to be paired with the first atom, (e) determining whether the one or more second atoms when paired with the first atom forms a legitimate pair, and (f) reading the legitimate pair from the first memory portion and the second memory portion.

Abstract: A video decoder for decoding video pictures encoded according to the MPEG-2 standard, having reduced memory requirements, including a memory for storing means for storing a plurality of anchor frames, the decoder employing such anchor frames to generate B-frames, and including block-to-raster buffer means for holding B-frame data for display, the decoder being operable in first and second modes of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation a picture is encoded as a single frame and the video decoder decodes the entire frame twice wherein in a first decoding a set of lines of a first field are provided to the buffer for display, whereas in a second decoding lines from a second field are provided to the buffer for display; and wherein in a second mode of operation in which two consecutive field pictures of a frame are decoded, a first field picture is decoded and provided to the buffer means for display, and then a second field picture is decoded and provided to the buffer means for display.

Abstract: A processor or processor core has register file circuitry having a plurality of physical registers and a plurality of tag storing portions corresponding respectively to the physical registers. Each tag storing portion stores a tag representing a logical register ID allocated to the corresponding physical register. A register selection unit receives a logical register ID and selects one of the logical registers whose tag matches the received logical register ID. A tag changing unit changes the stored tags so as to change a mapping between at least one logical register ID and one of the physical registers. Such register circuitry permits a mapping between logical register IDs and physical registers to be changed quickly efficiently and can permit a desired physical register to be selected quickly.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: Register file circuitry, for use in a processor or processor core, comprises a plurality of physical registers (320-32D-1) and a plurality of tag storing portions (340-34D-1) corresponding respectively to the physical registers. Each tag storing portion stores a tag representing a logical register ID allocated to the corresponding physical registers.

Abstract: A method for converting frame data at a slower rate into field data at a faster rate in a video decoder comprises determining a basic field repetition rate such that a field is repeated an integer number of times in a frame period, calculating a ratio differential of the repetition rate by subtracting from the speed-up ratio of the faster to the slower rate, the ratio of the fields per frame period to the slower rate, comparing the ratio differential with the differential of the field repetition rate and adding or subtracting extra fields when the two are substantially at variance.

Abstract: A method for converting frame data at a slower rate into field data at a faster rate in a video decoder comprises determining a basic field repetition rate such that a field is repeated an integer number of times in a frame period, calculating a ratio differential of the repetition rate by subtracting from the speed-up ratio of the faster to the slower rate, the ratio of the fields per frame period to the slower rate, comparing the ratio differential with the differential of the field repetition rate and adding or subtracting extra fields when the two are substantially at variance.

Abstract: A pipeline structure processes data in a series of stages, each of which has a data input latch (LDIN) and passes it on to the next stage in the pipeline via a data output latch (LDOUT). The stages are preferably connected to two non-overlapping clock phases (PH0, PH1) Adjacent stages are also connected via a validation line (IN.sub.-- VALID, OUT.sub.-- VALID) and an acceptance line (IN.sub.-- ACCEPT, OUT.sub.-- ACCEPT), and in some embodiments also via an extension bit line (IN.sub.-- EXTN, OUT.sub.-- EXTN). Input data is transferred from any stage to the following device on every complete period of both clock signals only if both the validation and acceptance signals in the respective latch are in an affirmative state, whereby data is transferred between stages regardless of the state of the validation and acceptance signals in other stages. A two-wire interface is thus formed between the stages.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.

Abstract: A multi-standard video decompression apparatus has a plurality of stages interconnected by a two-wire interface arranged as a pipeline processing machine. Control tokens and DATA Tokens pass over the single two-wire interface for carrying both control and data in token format. A token decode circuit is positioned in certain of the stages for recognizing certain of the tokens as control tokens pertinent to that stage and for passing unrecognized control tokens along the pipeline. Reconfiguration processing circuits are positioned in selected stages and are responsive to a recognized control token for reconfiguring such stage to handle an identified DATA Token. A wide variety of unique supporting subsystem circuitry and processing techniques are disclosed for implementing the system.