Method of decoding a digital video sequence and related apparatus

1. A method performed by a video player for rendering an MPEG sequence, the method comprising:

decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

reducing, by a compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded first picture by vector quantizing at least one component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to a frame buffer memory of the video player;

reading from the frame buffer memory a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

inverse quantizing, by a decompressor of the video player, the selected component of the prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to restore the prediction block of the decoded first picture;

decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture;

reducing, by the compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player;

reading from the frame buffer memory the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture;

inverse quantizing, by another decompressor of the video player, the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture; and

displaying the restored second picture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein vector quantizing is performed by a full search vector quantization (FSVQ) process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein vector quantizing is performed by a classified vector quantization (CVQ) process.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CVQ process is firstly performed for classifying blocks in the pictures into shade blocks and edge blocks and secondly performed for performing vector quantization on the shade blocks and the edge blocks separately.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the data size of the decoded first picture further comprises downsampling at least one component of the first picture prior to the vector quantizing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component of the first picture that is vector quantized is the chrominance component of the first picture.

7. A method performed by a video player for rendering an MPEG sequence, the method comprising:

decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

adding a randomly generated value to at least one component of the decoded first picture;

reducing, by a compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded first picture by quantizing the at least one component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to a frame buffer memory of the video player;

inverse quantizing, by a decompressor of the video player, a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture; and

decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture;

reducing, by the compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player;

reading from the frame buffer memory the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture;

inverse quantizing, by another decompressor of the video player, the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture; and

displaying the restored second picture.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein quantizing is performed by a vector quantization process.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein quantizing is performed by a scalar quantization process.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein scalar quantizing is performed by a uniform quantization process.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein scalar quantizing is performed by a non-uniform quantization process.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein reducing the data size of the decoded first picture further comprises downsampling at least one component of the first picture.

13. A method performed by a video player for rendering an MPEG sequence, the method comprising:

decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

reducing, by a compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded first picture by downsampling at least one component of the first picture and then quantizing the at least one downsampled component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to frame buffer memory of the video player;

reading from the frame buffer memory a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

inverse quantizing, by a decompressor of the video player, the selected component of the prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to restore the prediction block of the decoded first

decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture;

reducing, by the compressor of the video player, a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture;

storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player;

reading from the frame buffer memory the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture;

inverse quantizing, by another decompressor of the video player, the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture; and

displaying the restored second picture.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein quantizing is performed by a full search vector quantization (FSVQ) process.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein quantizing is performed by a classified vector quantization (CVQ) process.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein quantizing is performed by a uniform scalar quantization process.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein quantizing is performed by a non-uniform scalar quantization process.

18. An apparatus for rendering an MPEG sequence, comprising:

a first decoding means for decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

a data size reducing means for reducing a data size of the decoded first picture by vector quantizing at least one component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

a memory for storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

a means for reading a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

a decompressor, for inverse quantizing the selected component of the prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to restore the prediction block of the decoded first picture;

a second decoding means for decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture; and

a displaying module;

wherein the data size reducing means further reduces a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture, the memory further stores the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player, the means for reading the prediction block further reads from the frame buffer memory the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture, the decompressor further inverse quantizes the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture, and the displaying module displays the restored second picture.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the vector quantizing is performed by a full search vector quantization (FSVQ) process.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein vector quantizing is performed by a classified vector quantization (CVQ) process.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the CVQ process is firstly performed for classifying blocks in the pictures into shade blocks and edge blocks and secondly performed for performing vector quantization on the shade blocks and the edge blocks separately.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the data size reducing means downsamples at least one component of the first picture prior to the vector quantizing.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one component of the first picture that is vector quantized is the chrominance component of the first picture.

24. An apparatus for rendering an MPEG sequence, comprising:

a first decoding means for decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

a data size reducing means for adding a randomly generated value to at least one component of the decoded first picture, and for reducing a data size of the decoded first picture by quantizing the at least one component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

a memory for storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

an inverse quantizer for inverse quantizing a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

a second decoding means for decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture; and

a displaying module;

wherein the data size reducing means further reduces a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture, the memory further stores the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player, the inverse quantizer further inverse quantizes the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture, and the displaying module displays the restored second picture.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein quantizing is performed by a vector quantization process.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein quantizing is performed by a scalar quantization process.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein scalar quantizing is performed by a uniform quantization process.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein scalar quantizing is performed by a non-uniform quantization process.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein reducing the data size of the decoded first picture further comprises downsampling at least one component of the first picture.

30. An apparatus for rendering an MPEG sequence, comprising:

a first decoding means for decoding a first picture in the MPEG sequence;

a data size reducing means for reducing a data size of the decoded first picture by downsampling at least one component of the first picture and then quantizing the at least one downsampled component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture;

a memory for storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

a means for reading a prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture;

a decompressor, for inverse quantizing the selected component of the prediction block of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to restore the prediction block of the decoded first picture;

a second decoding means for decoding a block of a second picture in the MPEG sequence according to the restored prediction block of the decoded first picture; and

a displaying module;

wherein the data size reducing means further reduces a data size of the decoded second picture by vector quantizing the selected component of the second picture, the memory further stores the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to the frame buffer memory of the video player, the means for reading the prediction block further reads from the frame buffer memory the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture, the decompressor further inverse quantizes the selected component of the reduced data size representation of the decoded second picture to restore the decoded second picture, and the displaying module displays the restored second picture.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein quantizing is performed by a full search vector quantization (FSVQ) process.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein quantizing is performed by a classified vector quantization (CVQ) process.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein quantizing is performed by a uniform scalar quantization process.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein quantizing is performed by a non-uniform scalar quantization process.