Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system for encoding video data by accessing a picture to be encoded, wherein the picture comprises a plurality of macro-blocks. A plurality of programmable counters are associated with each macro-block to be encoded. A counter associated with a macro-block of the plurality of macro-blocks is accessed and a value of the counter is determined. The method further includes determining whether to encode the macro-block as an Intra or non-Intra based on the value of the counter. If the macro-block is encoded as Intra, its counter is reset. If the macro-block is encoded as non-Intra, its counter value is updated. The counter value may be reset with a random number. Counters can be programmed such that a region of interest is defined for updating associated macro-blocks with greater frequency.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method and system for encoding video data comprising accessing a picture to be encoded, wherein the picture comprises a plurality of macro-blocks. A plurality of programmable counters is associated with each macro-block to be encoded. A counter associated with a macro-block of the plurality of macro-blocks is accessed and a value of the counter is determined. The method further includes determining whether to encode the macro-block as an Intra or non-Intra based on the value of the counter. If the macro-block is encoded as Intra, its counter is reset. If the macro-block is encoded as non-Intra, its counter value is updated. The counter value may be reset with a random number. Counters can be programmed such that a region of interest is defined for updating associated macro-blocks with greater frequency.

Abstract: A hardware multi-stream multi-standard video decoder device. A command parser accesses a plurality of video streams, identifies a video encoding standard used for encoding video streams of the plurality of video streams, and interleaves portions of the plurality of video streams. A plurality of hardware decoding blocks perform operations associated with decoding the plurality of video streams, wherein different subsets of the plurality of hardware decoding blocks are for decoding video streams encoded using different video encoding standards, such that interleaved video streams are decoded by activating subsets of the plurality of hardware decoding blocks for use in decoding the plurality of video streams. A plurality of register sets store parameters associated with the plurality of video streams.

Abstract: A hardware multi-standard video decoder device. A command parser accesses a video stream and identifies a video encoding standard used for encoding the video stream. A plurality of hardware decoding blocks perform operations associated with decoding the video stream, wherein different subsets of the plurality of hardware decoding blocks are for decoding video streams encoded using different video encoding standards.

Abstract: A packetization method and packet structure improve the robustness of a bitstream generated when a still image is decomposed with a wavelet transform. The wavelet coefficients of one “texture unit” are scanned and coded in accordance with a chosen scanning method to produce a bitstream. The bitstreams for an integral number of texture units are assembled into a packet, each of which includes a packet header. Each packet header includes a resynchronization marker to enable a decoder to resynchronize with the bitstream if synchronization is lost, and an index number which absolutely identifies one of the texture units in the packet to enable a decoder to associate following packets with their correct position in the wavelet transform domain. The header information enables a channel error to be localized to a particular packet, preventing the effects of the error from propagating beyond packet boundaries. The invention is applicable to the pending MPEG-4 and JPEG-2000 image compression standards.