Abstract: An image compression method includes at least the following steps: receiving a plurality of pixels of a frame, wherein pixel data of each pixel has a plurality of color channel data corresponding to a plurality of different color channels, respectively; encoding the pixel data of each pixel and generating bit-streams corresponding to the plurality of color channel data of the pixel, wherein the bit-streams corresponding to the plurality of color channel data of the pixel are separated; packing bit-streams of a same color channel data of different pixels into color channel bit-stream segments, wherein each of the bit-stream segments has a same predetermined size; and concatenating color channel bit-stream segments of the different color channels into a final bit-stream. Alternatively, color channel bit-stream segments of the same pixel are concatenated into a concatenated bit-stream portion, and concatenated bit-stream portions of different pixels are concatenated into a final bit-stream.

Abstract: An image compression method has at least the following steps: receiving source pixel data of a plurality of blocks of a frame; when a lossless compression mode is enabled for the frame, bypassing a source quantization operation and applying a lossless compression kernel to source pixel data of each of the blocks; and when a lossy compression mode is enabled for the frame, applying the source quantization operation to the source pixel data of each of the blocks to generate input pixel data of each of the blocks, and applying the lossless compression kernel to the input pixel data of each of the blocks. For example, the source quantization operation employs an adaptive quantization parameter for each of the blocks such that a size of compressed data of the frame generated under the lossy compression mode does not exceed a bit budget.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of image data compression and decompression are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the compression method partitions the image data into access units and encodes each access unit into a bitstream according to a target bit budget. Each access unit is encoded using first data compression to generate a first bitstream and the residual data is further encoded using second data compression to generate a second bitstream if the first bitstream is smaller than the target bit budget. In one example, the second data compression comprises bit plane coding applied to bit plane-ordered data, wherein the bit plane-ordered data is generated by scanning from a most significant bit to a least significant bit of the residual data in a bit plane-wise order. The decompression method comprises steps to recover reconstructed data from the first and second bitstreams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of data reduction of search range buffer for motion estimation or motion compensation are disclosed. The method and apparatus use local memory to store reference data associated with search region to reduce system bandwidth requirement and use data reduction to reduce required local memory. The data reduction technique is also applied to intermediate data in a video coding system to reduce storage requirement associated with intermediate data. The data reduction technique is further applied to reference frames to reduce storage requirement for coding system incorporating picture enhancement processing to the reconstructed video.

Abstract: Electronic devices for de-quantization are disclosed. In one configuration, the electronic device includes a local storage storing a plurality of first user-defined sub-factors and a plurality of second sub-factors and a plurality of default de-quantization scales; a first multiplier connected to the local storage and generating a plurality of user-defined de-quantization scales by multiplying the first user-defined sub-factors and the second sub-factors; a multiplexer connected to the local storage and the first multiplier and selectively outputting one of the generated user-defined de-quantization scales and the stored default de-quantization scales for a block of a macro-block (MB) of a bitstream to be decoded; and a second multiplier connected to the multiplexer and generating a plurality of inverse quantized coefficients by multiplying the output de-quantization scales from the multiplexer by the quantized coefficients.

Abstract: A method for storing decoded moving pictures with a reduced memory requirement includes: decoding header information in a bitstream; storing a decoded moving picture as a buffered picture; determining a less important portion of the buffered picture; and performing a post-processing operation on the less important portion of the buffered picture according to the header information. An associated apparatus for storing decoded moving pictures with a reduced memory requirement is further provided.

Abstract: A video decoding apparatus includes a bitstream parser, a calculator and a memory. The bitstream parser is provided to receive a video bitstream and extracting a set of constraints associated with the video bitstream, wherein the set of constraints has information associated with a direct_8×8_inference flag for a macroblock of a picture, wherein the macroblock has N sub-macroblock partitions. The calculator is provided to calculate first motion vector information associated with the macroblock and obtain second motion vector information associated with K of the N sub-macroblock partitions from the first motion vector information according to the information associated with the direct_8×8_inference flag, wherein K is less than N. The memory is provided to store the second motion vector information.

Abstract: A video decoding apparatus includes a bitstream parser, a calculator and a memory. The bitstream parser is provided to receive a video bitstream and extracting a set of constraints associated with the video bitstream, wherein the set of constraints has information associated with a direct_8×8_inference flag for a macroblock of a picture, wherein the macroblock has N sub-macroblock partitions. The calculator is provided to calculate first motion vector information associated with the macroblock and obtain second motion vector information associated with K of the N sub-macroblock partitions from the first motion vector information according to the information associated with the direct_8×8_inference flag, wherein K is less than N. The memory is provided to store the second motion vector information.

Abstract: Electronic devices for de-quantization are disclosed. An electronic device includes at least a multiplier. The multiplier generates a de-quantization scale by multiplying a first sub-factor by a second sub-factor after acquiring a macro-block (MB) from a bitstream. The generated de-quantization scale enables de-quantization of a block of the MB. Another electronic device includes at least a multiplier. The multiplier generates a quantization scale by multiplying the inverse of a first sub-factor by the inverse of a second sub-factor after acquiring an MB from a video sequence. The generated quantization scale enables quantization of a block of the MB.

Abstract: A method for performing scenario driven voltage scaling of a system includes: monitoring at least one condition of the system, wherein the at least one condition includes user scenario switching of the system; and based upon at least one predetermined table, determining at least one level of at least one voltage for driving the system according to the at least one condition, where the predetermined table includes a plurality of sets of frequency/voltage information respectively corresponding to a plurality of scenarios. An associated apparatus for performing scenario driven voltage scaling of the system is also provided. The apparatus includes at least one tracking module capable of monitoring the at least one condition of the system, and further includes at least one voltage control module capable of determining the at least one level of the at least one voltage.

Abstract: A flat panel display device includes a display module, a protection window member and a layer disposed in an area between the protection window member and a display area of the display module. The protection window member includes a stepped portion within which the layer is disposed. The stepped portion may include a recess or a plurality of layers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding of video data incorporating loop filtering are disclosed. The method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention determines an initial loop filter level for a frame of the video data according to quality setting of the frame. The information associated with the initial loop filter level is incorporated in the bitstream corresponding to compressed video data. The loop filtering is applied to a macroblock without the need to wait for the whole frame reconstruction to complete. In another embodiment according to the present invention, the initial loop filter level may be refined according to stability associated with the frame. In yet another embodiment according to the present invention, the method may include determining whether segment mode is on or off and determining a frame-level or segment-level initial loop filter level accordingly.

Abstract: An information display method implemented in a display system is provided, comprising an electric appliance and a remote controller. First, when receiving message input, the electric appliance determines whether to display the message on the main display in accordance with the specific mode. If the specific mode is in a first mode, the received message is displayed on the display of the remote controller and is kept from displaying on the main display. If the electric appliance is not in a first mode, the received message is displayed on the main display.

Abstract: A method of storing and accessing pictures in a multi-field video operation includes storing a first portion of a first field in first page of a first bank of a DRAM; storing a first portion of a second field in the first page of the first bank; reading the first page of the first bank; and performing the multi-field video operation according to the first portions of the first field and the second field. Another method includes storing a first field in a first bank of a DRAM; storing a second field in a second bank of the DRAM; reading a first portion of the first field from the first bank of the DRAM and reading a first portion of the second field from the second bank of the DRAM; and performing the multi-field video operation according to the first portions of the first field and the second field.

Abstract: A progressively encoded image file, e.g. a JPEG bit stream, is decoded in multiple rounds. In first round, variable length encoded data in multiple scan segments of a first region are decoded. Meanwhile, position indicators for locating the next region are stored. In next round, the second region is decoded by reference to the position indicators for locating where the variable length encoded data of the second region are stored. The procedures are repeated until all regions are decoded to save memory usage during decoding.

Abstract: A method for decoding compressed multimedia data is disclosed. At least one performance parameter corresponding to a system environment or a display requirement of the compressed multimedia data is first acquired. A rendering flow for the compressed multimedia data according to the at least one performance parameter is then determined dynamically, wherein the rendering flow comprises a specific arrangement of rendering procedures indicating the execution order of the rendering procedures. Then, the compressed multimedia data is decoded with the determined rendering flow so as to display the decoded data as an image data.

Abstract: A method for encoding digital media data includes deriving a portion of prediction information and a portion of prediction error information of the digital media data, and encoding the digital media data into a bit stream. The bit stream comprises a first bit stream section and a second bit stream section that respectively carry the portion of prediction information and the portion of prediction error information. In addition, within the bit stream, the portion of prediction information and the portion of prediction error information are not carried in the same macroblock (MB) or the same sub-unit of an MB. A method for decoding encoded digital media data and a method for coding digital media data and a method for processing bit stream of digital media data are also provided.

Abstract: A video decoding apparatus includes a bitstream parser, a calculator and a memory. The bitstream parser is provided to receive a video bitstream and extracting a set of constraints associated with the video bitstream, wherein the set of constraints has information associated with a direct_8×8_inference flag for a macroblock of a picture, wherein the macroblock has N sub-macroblock partitions. The calculator is provided to calculate first motion vector information associated with the macroblock and obtain second motion vector information associated with K of the N sub-macroblock partitions from the first motion vector information according to the information associated with the direct_8×8_inference flag, wherein K is less than N. The memory is provided to store the second motion vector information.

Abstract: A method of performing image processing includes storing a reference picture into a frame buffer starting at a first starting address; overwriting at least a subset of the reference picture by storing at least a portion of a current picture into the frame buffer starting at a second starting address; protecting a plurality of blocks of the reference picture from being lost while storing each block of the current picture in the frame buffer; and performing a motion compensation procedure for a particular block of the current picture in the plurality of blocks of the reference picture that are being protected.

Abstract: A touch panel includes a first supporting substrate, a second supporting substrate that faces the first supporting substrate, a first transparent electrode formed on the first supporting substrate, a second transparent electrode formed on the second supporting substrate, a third transparent electrode formed between the first and second transparent electrodes, a medium layer formed between the first and third transparent electrodes, and a piezoelectric layer formed between the second and third transparent electrodes.