Method and apparatus for content protection within an open architecture system
Granted: March 10, 2009
Patent Number:
7502470
In a class of embodiments, the invention is an open computing system (e.g., a PC) in which a protected, closed subsystem is embedded. The closed subsystem typically includes multiple parts that ensure that content protection keys and protected content are never revealed outside the closed subsystem. Content (e.g., high-definition digital video) that enters the closed subsystem (and is typically decrypted and re-encrypted within the closed subsystem) is afforded a similar level of…
Method and apparatus for detecting frequency in digital video images
Granted: March 3, 2009
Patent Number:
7499103
A digital image processor is provided. The digital image processor includes a deinterlacing processor that is implemented upon a digital processing unit. The deinterlacing processor is coupled to an input operable to receive an interlaced video stream, a digital memory for storing portions of the interlaced video signal, and an output operable to transmit a deinterlaced video stream. The deinterlacing processor is operable to perform frequency analysis upon the received interlaced video…
Cable with circuitry for asserting stored cable data or other information to an external device or user
Granted: March 3, 2009
Patent Number:
7500032
A cable including circuitry for asserting information to a user or external device and a system including such a cable. The cable can include conductors, a memory storing cable data, and circuitry configured to respond to a request received on at least one of the conductors by accessing at least some of the cable data and asserting the accessed data serially to at least one of the conductors (e.g., for transmission to an external device). Other aspects of the invention are methods for…
Method for multicast service in a crossbar switch
Granted: December 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7461167
A method efficiently multicasts data within a crossbar switch based structure. Multicasting is achieved with effective prioritization of multicast data with respect to unicast data and other multicast data, yet does not unnecessarily delay unicast traffic. The method for multicast service in a crossbar switch effectuates the transfer of data between a single input queue and a multiplicity of output ports and reconfigures the crossbar switch accordingly. A primacy is assigned to data…
Differential amplifiers using asymmetric transfer characteristics to suppress input noise in output logic signals
Granted: November 25, 2008
Patent Number:
7456648
An output amplifier is provided for use in a bidirectional communications interface, for example, connecting a transmitter and a receiver to a transmission line. The output amplifier includes a differential amplifier pair connected to output circuitry. The differential amplifier pair receives differential data signal pairs from each of a transmission line and a transmitter. The output circuitry receives signals from the differential amplifier pair and, in response, forms single-ended…
Determining oversampled data to be included in unit intervals
Granted: November 11, 2008
Patent Number:
7450038
In some embodiments, a chip includes sampling circuitry to produce oversampled data from a received signal, and logic to determine which of the oversampled data are to be part of different unit intervals, wherein some of the unit intervals have a number of oversampled data that is different than a number of oversampled data typically included in the unit intervals. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Method and apparatus for a two-wire serial command bus interface
Granted: October 21, 2008
Patent Number:
7441065
A method for bi-directional transmission of data between a source and a sink over a two-wire interface includes re-mapping a data signal and a clock signal from a first local bus on the source into a different protocol signal. Transmitting the different protocol signal from the source to the sink over the two-wire interface. Re-mapping the different protocol signal back into the data signal and the clock signal for use on a second local bus on the sink. Re-mapping the data signal and the…
Cryptographic device with stored key data and method for using stored key data to perform an authentication exchange or self test
Granted: August 12, 2008
Patent Number:
7412053
In preferred embodiments, a cryptographic device in which two key sets are stored: a normal key set (typically unique to the device) and a test key set (typically used by each of a relatively large number of devices). The device uses the normal key set in a normal operating mode and uses the test key set in at least one test mode which can be a built-in self test mode. Alternatively, the device stores test data (e.g., an intermediate result of an authentication exchange) in addition to…
Detection and repair of MPEG-2 chroma upconversion artifacts
Granted: August 5, 2008
Patent Number:
7408992
A method for removing MPEG-2 chroma upconversion artifacts in a video stream includes detecting a presence of artifacts in an incorrectly upsampled MPEG-2 video stream and removing the presence of artifacts resulting in an artifact free video stream.
Data sampling method and apparatus with alternating edge sampling phase detection for loop characteristic stabilization
Granted: August 5, 2008
Patent Number:
7409031
A method and apparatus for 2× oversampling of data having jitter. In some embodiments, the invention is a clock and data recovery device including an alternating edge sampling binary phase detector, and which is configured to stabilize loop characteristics in various jitter environments and can be implemented with small hardware overhead. A transceiver that embodies the invention can be implemented as a CMOS integrated circuit using a 0.18 ?m CMOS process, with the transceiver chip…
Interlace motion artifact detection using vertical frequency detection and analysis
Granted: June 24, 2008
Patent Number:
7391481
An interlace motion artifact detector which identifies video image spatial frequencies characteristic of motion artifacts. The detected frequency is the maximum which can be represented by the vertical sampling rate of the video format (i.e., the Nyquist frequency). This frequency is detected by a pair of partial Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT) which each calculate only the frequency component of interest. Additional vertical frequency components at one half and one quarter the…
Apparatus for removably securing storage components in an enclosure
Granted: May 20, 2008
Patent Number:
7375960
In some embodiments, an assembly in which storage components (e.g., at least two bare SATA disk drives) can be removably secured. The assembly can secure bare storage components in an enclosure without the need first to mount any of them in or to a carrier, and such that they can be conveniently removed from the enclosure and replaced (e.g., when they fail). Some embodiments include a flexible assembly for each storage component, including at least one flexible element and at least one…
Method of context adaptive binary arithmetic coding and coding apparatus using the same
Granted: April 29, 2008
Patent Number:
7365659
A method of context adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) of a sequence of data slices permits for quick initialization of context models. The data slices include a plurality of binarized symbols with context individual values having one or more bins of the binarized symbol. The method includes resetting an addressable status register for each new data slice where the status register includes status flag for one of a plurality of available context variable values. Context models are…
Encoding method and system for reducing inter-symbol interference effects in transmission over a serial link
Granted: April 15, 2008
Patent Number:
7359437
A communication system including a transmitter, a receiver, and a serial link, in which encoded data (e.g., encoded video data and encoded auxiliary data) are transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver. The serial link can but need not be a TMDS or TMDS-like link. In typical embodiments, alternating bursts of encoded video data and encoded auxiliary data are transmitted over each of one or more channels of the link. Other aspects of the invention are transmitters for use in…
Portable DVD player
Granted: April 15, 2008
Patent Number:
7359624
A portable DVD player includes a generally thin prismatic enclosure having a first major surface, a second major surface separated from the first major surface, and side surfaces connecting the first major surface to the second major surface. At least a portion of the first major surface includes a video display. The enclosure further includes a DVD entry port such that a DVD can be inserted into the enclosure. A digital processing system within the enclosure includes a decoder, a…
Content addressable merged queue architecture for switching data
Granted: April 1, 2008
Patent Number:
7352764
A content addressable merged queue (camQ) architecture for switching data. The camQ architecture comprises a first array of priority cells for indicating a priority of a plurality of cells and a second array of destination cells for indicating a destination of the plurality of cells. A priority selector is operable to select a portion of said plurality of cells according to a priority selection. A grant generator is operable to grant at least one connection request associated with cells…
Video/graphics text mode enhancement method for digitally processed data
Granted: March 25, 2008
Patent Number:
7348991
A text enhancement unit is introduced in order to alleviate the degradation of text characters on computer or television displays. The text enhancement unit uses an enhancement process to regain uniformity and intensity that may be lost during image processing. The text enhancer unit may be placed between an image processing unit such as a scaler, de-interlacer, or DSP, and a computer or television display to improve the quality of text characters that may have become degraded by image…
Multisection memory bank system
Granted: March 4, 2008
Patent Number:
7340558
A serial communications architecture for communicating between hosts and data store devices. The Storage Link architecture is specially adapted to support communications between multiple hosts and storage devices via a switching network, such as a storage area network. The Storage Link architecture specifies various communications techniques that can be combined to reduce the overall cost and increase the overall performance of communications. The Storage Link architecture may provide…
Data recovery using data eye tracking
Granted: January 1, 2008
Patent Number:
7315598
A data recovery system for a serial digital data link includes a data sampler, compare logic, a phase controller, and a phase shifter. The data sampler samples input data three times in a bit time which time is determined by clock pulses generated by the phase shifter, and recovers digital data according to a predetermined decision criterion. The compare logic compares the output of the data sampler according to a predetermined method. Phase controller uses the output of the compare…
Method and circuit for generating time stamp data from an embedded-clock audio data stream and a video clock
Granted: October 16, 2007
Patent Number:
7283566
In preferred embodiments, a system including a transmitter, a receiver, and a serial link, in which the transmitter is configured to transmit video data, embedded-clock auxiliary data (or auxiliary data derived from embedded-clock auxiliary data), and a video clock over the link to the receiver. The transmitter is configured to extract a sample clock from the auxiliary data without use of a phase-locked loop, and to generate time stamp data in response to the sample clock and the video…
