Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing a macroblock from a video data stream is disclosed. A macroblock is received, the macroblock having a plurality of blocks corresponding to a plurality of color space components and having a width defined by a plurality of pixels. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the macroblock is stored in a vertical strip format. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the contents of the plurality of blocks are interleaved. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the contents of the plurality of blocks are interleaved and the macroblock is then stored in a vertical strip format.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for compressing image data while at the same time, the speed of compression, the compression ratio (that is, reduced memory requirements) and the perceptibility of the decompressed image, even when the image data is compressed without segregation into its scanned and non-scanned components. Exemplary embodiments achieve such improved perceptibility regardless of whether the images are monochrome (having varying grey scale values) or color. In addition, improved perceptibility is realized in a manner which permits image data including scanned and/or unscanned images to be compressed in real-time.

Abstract: A system for accelerated data recompression in which uncompressed data need not be swapped in and out of memory at each iterative data recompression step. The data recompression system includes a main memory for storing image data, and a decompression device which receives compressed data from the main memory and decompresses it to produce discrete blocks of uncompressed data. An intermediate compression buffer, separate from the main memory and connected to the decompression device, is used by the decompression device to store one block of uncompressed data at a time. The blocks of data are received one at a time by a data compression device taking input directly from the intermediate compression buffer. There the uncompressed data blocks are compressed and stored back to the main memory one block at a time. Thus, an entire compressed image stored in main memory is decompressed and recompressed one block at a time, and uncompressed data need not be swapped in and out of main memory.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for compressing image data while at the same time, improving both the compression ratio and the perceptibility of the decompressed image, even when the image data is compressed without segregation into its scanned and non-scanned components. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, color data is encoded in a manner which optimizes the color fidelity of a decompressed image obtained from the encoded color data. As a result, improved perceptibility of decompressed images is achieved regardless of whether scanned images, non-scanned images or any combination thereof are collectively compressed. Exemplary embodiments achieve such improved perceptibility regardless of whether the images are monochrome (having varying grey scale values) or color. In addition, improved perceptibility is realized in a manner which permits image data including scanned and/or unscanned images to be compressed in real-time.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for compressing image data without segregating the image data into scanned and non-scanned components, while at the same time, improving both the compression ratio and the perceptabilty of the decompressed image. Improved perceptibility is realized regardless of whether the image data includes scanned images, non-scanned images or any combination thereof. Further, improved perceptibility is realized regardless of whether the images are monochrome or color.