Abstract: A system and method that enhance the performance of cochlear implant signal processing in an amplification device. The system utilizes a signal input device that picks up the sounds from the environment or other hearing or audio devices and feeds the incoming signal into a front-end signal processor. The front-end processor pre-processes the signals and feeds them into a cochlear implant signal processor. The system may also insert a front-end processor into multiple signal processing stages of a cochlear implant signal processor with the front-end processor “sandwiched” between the multiple signal processing stages of the cochlear implant signal processors. The system may also insert a front-end processor into multiple signal processing stages of a cochlear implant signal processor with the front-end processor being either an integrated part of the cochlear implant signal processor or a functionally distinctive part for bilateral cochlear implants.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) light with a corrugated reflective surface is disclosed. The corrugated reflective surface reflects and diffuses light beams emitting from a light source having at least one LED. The corrugated reflective surface can be concavely curved. The curvature and the corrugations of the reflective surface can be designed by an equation to achieve a specified beam spread.

Abstract: Motion estimation in video compressions systems. A programmable motion estimator may be used to estimate a motion vector for a macroblock in a current frame by searching for a matching macroblock in a previous frame. A controller may be used to program the motion estimator to perform a particular search.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining an up scale factor and a down scale factor according to a scale factor received from a graphics application program interface (API) to scale a graphics data in a graphics processing unit (GPU) are described. The up scale factor and the down scale factor may be precisely stored in the GPU based on a fixed number of bits. An actual scale factor which can be precisely stored in the GPU corresponding to the scale factor may differ from the scale factor with a difference. Graphics commands may be sent to the GPU to scale the graphics data according to the up scale factor and the down scale factor separately. A combined scale factor corresponding to a combination of the up scale factor and the down scale factor may differ from the scale factor less then the difference between the actual scale factor and the scale factor.

Abstract: A device has a single scaling filter to filter a video signal once to perform both sharpening and scaling. A memory stores original scaling filter coefficients for the scaling filter. An integrated circuit calculates new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients derived from the original scaling filter coefficients and one of sharpening filter coefficients for a sharpening filter and a sharpening strength and applies the new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients to the single scaling filter.

Abstract: This disclosure describes video encoding techniques capable of reducing the number of processing cycles and memory transfers necessary to encode a video sequence. In this manner, the disclosed video encoding techniques may increase video encoding speed and reduce power consumption. In general, the video encoding techniques make use of a candidate memory that stores video blocks in columns corresponding to a search space for a motion estimation routine. A memory control unit addresses the candidate memory to retrieve multiple pixels in parallel for simultaneous comparison to pixels in a video block to be encoded, e.g., using Sum of Absolute Difference (SAD) or Sum of Squared Difference (SSD) techniques. A difference processor performs the parallel calculations. In addition, for subsequent video blocks to be encoded, the candidate memory can be incrementally updated by loading a new column of video blocks, rather than reloading the entire search space.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining an up scale factor and a down scale factor according to a scale factor received from a graphics application program interface (API) to scale a graphics data in a graphics processing unit (GPU) are described. The up scale factor and the down scale factor may be precisely stored in the GPU based on a fixed number of bits. An actual scale factor which can be precisely stored in the GPU corresponding to the scale factor may differ from the scale factor with a difference. Graphics commands may be sent to the GPU to scale the graphics data according to the up scale factor and the down scale factor separately. A combined scale factor corresponding to a combination of the up scale factor and the down scale factor may differ from the scale factor less then the difference between the actual scale factor and the scale factor.

Abstract: This disclosure describes video encoding techniques capable of reducing the number of processing cycles and memory transfers necessary to encode a video sequence. In this manner, the disclosed video encoding techniques may increase video encoding speed and reduce power consumption. In general, the video encoding techniques make use of a candidate memory that stores video blocks in columns corresponding to a search space for a motion estimation routine. A memory control unit addresses the candidate memory to retrieve multiple pixels in parallel for simultaneous comparison to pixels in a video block to be encoded, e.g., using Sum of Absolute Difference (SAD) or Sum of Squared Difference (SSD) techniques. A difference processor performs the parallel calculations. In addition, for subsequent video blocks to be encoded, the candidate memory can be incrementally updated by loading a new column of video blocks, rather than reloading the entire search space.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining an up scale factor and a down scale factor according to a scale factor received from a graphics application program interface (API) to scale a graphics data in a graphics processing unit (GPU) are described. The up scale factor and the down scale factor may be precisely stored in the GPU based on a fixed number of bits. An actual scale factor which can be precisely stored in the GPU corresponding to the scale factor may differ from the scale factor with a difference. Graphics commands may be sent to the GPU to scale the graphics data according to the up scale factor and the down scale factor separately.

Abstract: An LED street lamp including a PLC modem and a control circuit is disclosed. The LED street lamp is able to receive control commands from remote controller. It is also capable of doing self-control based on status information gathered by diagnostic circuit. A system for LED street lamp monitoring and control is also disclosed which includes a central controller, a distribution network and a plurality of LED street lamps. Based on the PLC technology, each LED street lamp can be centrally controlled by the central controller.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) light with a corrugated reflective surface is disclosed. The corrugated reflective surface reflects and diffuses light beams emitting from a light source having at least one LED. The corrugated reflective surface can be concavely curved. The curvature and the corrugations of the reflective surface can be designed by an equation to achieve a specified beam spread.

Abstract: In general, the disclosure describes various techniques for providing edge-directed scaling filters that may be used to scale image data. An example device includes a storage medium configured to store a first lookup table and a second lookup table, and one or more processors configured to obtain one or more gradient values that each indicates a gradient between values of at least two pixels in a source image. The one or more processors are also configured to generate one or more inverse gradient values from a first lookup table based on the gradient values, and to generate one or more edge-directed scaling filter coefficients from a second lookup table based on the inverse gradient values. The one or more processors may be further configured to generate an edge-directed filter based on the coefficients, and to apply the filter to the at least two pixels to generate an interpolated pixel.

Abstract: A color interpolation method uses a first interpolation function (F1) to obtain a first missing color sub-pixel value for a pixel of interest and uses a second interpolation function (F2) to obtain a second missing color sub-pixel value for the pixel of interest. First metric (V) indicative of an edge extending in a first direction (D1) is obtained. Second metric (H) indicative of an edge extending in a second direction (D2) is obtained. The two metrics are used to generate first and second weighting factors (k1, k2). A confidence factor value can be used to place more emphasis on one metric versus the other metric in the determination of the weighting factors. In one embodiment, the sub-pixel value being interpolated is the weighted sum of the first weighting factor multiplied by the first missing color sub-pixel value plus the second weighting factor multiplied by the second missing color sub-pixel value.

Abstract: A device has a single scaling filter to filter a video signal once to perform both sharpening and scaling. A memory stores original scaling filter coefficients for the scaling filter. An integrated circuit calculates new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients derived from the original scaling filter coefficients and one of sharpening filter coefficients for a sharpening filter and a sharpening strength and applies the new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients to the single scaling filter.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining an up scale factor and a down scale factor according to a scale factor received from a graphics application program interface (API) to scale a graphics data in a graphics processing unit (GPU) are described. The up scale factor and the down scale factor may be precisely stored in the GPU based on a fixed number of bits. An actual scale factor which can be precisely stored in the GPU corresponding to the scale factor may differ from the scale factor with a difference. Graphics commands may be sent to the GPU to scale the graphics data according to the up scale factor and the down scale factor separately.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to encoding techniques that can be used to improve encoding of digital video data. The techniques can be implemented by an encoder of a digital video device in order to reduce the number of computations and possibly reduce power consumption during video encoding. More specifically, video encoding techniques are described which utilize one or more programmable thresholds in order to terminate the execution of various computations when the computations would be unlikely to improve the encoding. By terminating computations prematurely, the amount of processing required for video encoding can be reduced, and power can be conserved.

Abstract: This disclosure describes adaptive spatial variant interpolation (SVI) techniques for image upscaling. In various embodiments, the interpolation techniques described in this disclosure may support low complexity upscaling of image while promoting high image quality, including enhanced sharpness, higher contrast and more accurate interpolation. The interpolation techniques may be applied using generalized finite impulse response (FIR) filters. In some embodiments, the interpolation techniques may be content-adaptive to provide more accurate interpolation while suppressing significant artifacts associated with sharp edges. In addition, the interpolation techniques may be readily applicable to upscaling of color imagery and video, e.g., in both YCbCr (luminance, blue chrominance, red chrominance) and RGB (red, green, blue) formats.

Abstract: A color interpolation method uses a first interpolation function (F1) to obtain a first missing color sub-pixel value for a pixel of interest and uses a second interpolation function (F2) to obtain a second missing color sub-pixel value for the pixel of interest. First metric (V) indicative of an edge extending in a first direction (D1) is obtained. Second metric (H) indicative of an edge extending in a second direction (D2) is obtained. The two metrics are used to generate first and second weighting factors (k1, k2). A confidence factor value can be used to place more emphasis on one metric versus the other metric in the determination of the weighting factors. In one embodiment, the sub-pixel value being interpolated is the weighted sum of the first weighting factor multiplied by the first missing color sub-pixel value plus the second weighting factor multiplied by the second missing color sub-pixel value.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to encoding techniques that can be used to improve encoding of digital video data. The techniques can be implemented by an encoder of a digital video device in order to reduce the number of computations and possibly reduce power consumption during video encoding. More specifically, video encoding techniques are described which utilize one or more programmable thresholds in order to terminate the execution of various computations when the computations would be unlikely to improve the encoding. By terminating computations prematurely, the amount of processing required for video encoding can be reduced, and power can be conserved.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to encoding techniques that can be used to improve encoding of digital video data. The techniques can be implemented by an encoder of a digital video device in order to reduce the number of computations and possibly reduce power consumption during video encoding. More specifically, video encoding techniques are describe which utilize one or more programmable thresholds in order to terminate the execution of various computations when the computations would be unlikely to improve the encoding. By terminating computations prematurely, the amount of processing required for video encoding can be reduced, and power can be conserved.