Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for updating firmware. The method comprises reading at least a portion of the firmware from a first firmware storage device to a second firmware storage device. The firmware is updated by adding the firmware update to the portion of the firmware contained in the second firmware storage device so as to modify the firmware. The modified firmware is then written from the second firmware storage device back into the first storage device. Various embodiments are described.

Abstract: The compressed data of an auxiliary stream of data, defining an auxiliary image, is decoded on the fly during the display of each main image into which this auxiliary image is to be inset. The data is decoded to deliver luminance and chrominance values intended to be mixed with the luminance and chrominance values of the counterpart pixels of the main image being displayed, in succession during each decoding of the auxiliary image and for the successive pixels of this auxiliary image.

Abstract: A method and device decode a compressed image, and in particular, an image compressed according to the MPEG standards, especially a bidirectional image. To perform two successive decodings of a bidirectional image, the address of the data packet containing the start-of-image identifier of the bidirectional image is tagged, and the temporal reference of this image is stored. After the first decoding, the stored address of the memory is again pointed to and a second decoding is performed after a new detection of the temporal reference of the image.

Abstract: A device for decoding a data stream representing moving pictures encoded according to the MPEG standard in which a logical unit receives from an offset stage data containing the maximum number of bits in a variable length code returns the length of each decoded code to the offset stage, and produces a decoded value of each code. The logical unit includes a controller which controls at least two separate processing units, of which a first processing unit extracts the code length and addresses it to the offset stage, and a second processing unit decodes the codes.

Abstract: A method and device for synchronizing visual information encoded in accordance with the MPEG standard, when it is being decoded. A counter of the number of words transmitted to the picture decoder input is read at the time of the arrival of a picture time mark, and its value is stored in a stack in a microcontroller. When it is output from the picture decoder, each start code stops the microcontroller. At the same time a counter of the number of words transmitted from the picture decoder output is read and its value is compared with the value in the stack. When its value exceeds one of the counter values in the stack, the value of the corresponding time mark is assigned to it and can be used for synchronization with the audio signal.