Audio and video processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention performs video and audio compression / decompression, video input and output scaling, video input and output processing for enhancement, and system layer functions on a single semiconductor chip. The media processor is compromised of video processor with a SIMD vector engine, audio processor, stream processor, system processor, and video scalers, LUTs and hardware blender. Unified memory architecture is used where these four processors use a shared memory for data and instructions. Data transfers between multiple processors use multiple packet-based unidirectional communication channels via hardware-assisted circular queues in unified memory. The video processor is a SIMD processor coupled to a regular RISC processor as a dual-issue processor. Such integrated and programmable functionality provides implementation of multiple video and audio for compression standards and programmable video enhancement. Important applications of this include Digital TV, IP Video Phone, and Digital Camcorder / Camera.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C 119(e) from co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 354,335 filed on Feb. 4, 2002 by Tibet Mimar entitled “Audio and Video Processing Apparatus”, and from co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 364,315 filed on Mar. 14, 2002 by Tibet Mimar entitled “Vision Processor”, the subject matter of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an integrated media processor chip, which performs video, audio, system, and network connectivity functions.[0004]2. Description of the Background Art[0005]Existing media processing devices take many different shapes, sizes, and costs. These computing devices range from single-fixed function chips to programmable processor chips. These devices are used in set-top boxes, DVD players, digital cameras / camcorders, as well as the emerging digital TV mar...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a semiconductor chip that integrates four programmable processors, including a video processor, an audio processor, a stream processor, and a system processor. These processors communicate with each other using multiple unidirectional communication channels, which allows for efficient data transfer without any contentions or stalls. The video processor is a 32- or 64-wide SIMD processor coupled with a regular RISC processor as a dual-issue processor. The audio processor handles audio functions, while the stream processor handles video and audio streams. The system processor handles host functions and network connectivity. The chip also includes hardware video scalers to off-load video scaling tasks and interfaces for various interfaces required for digital TV and set-top box. The technical effects of this invention include efficient and configurable data communication between multiple processors, improved performance and reliability, and reduced latency and complexity."

Problems solved by technology

This increases the cost and number of chips significantly.

Some of building blocks such as MPEG-2 decoder chip do not support the latest compression standards and algorithms.

This represents a problem because audio / video standards are evolving at a fast pace.

These have significant problems.

First, these processors do not provide the processing power to handle all video and audio functions.

As a result, significant compromises have been made in software implementation, which lowers the resultant quality of video and audio.

Second, combining these characteristically different tasks on a single processor core reduces the efficiency significantly.

The task switching between these multiple audio, video, and system tasks require several hundred-clock cycles, which further reduce the efficiency.

Furthermore, the developers' task of integrating audio, video, stream, and system functions into a single core unit's multiple tasking becomes formidable.

However, the shared memory contentions and the difficulty of programming made such an approach failure, and as a result this processor has been discontinued.

These devices also lack the direct interfaces to connect to external devices as required.

These devices also lack the high-quality video output scaler for converting internal resolution to match to resolution of the display device.

High quality video scaling, by itself, exceeds the processing capabilities of some of these processors.

Manufacturers of next generation TVs are unable to differentiate their picture quality from one another because today, all merchant video processing ICs for video enhancement are fixed function.

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