Method and apparatus for arranging pixels of picture in storage units each having storage size not divisible by pixel size

1. A data arrangement method, comprising:

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of first N-bit pixels of a picture; and

storing, by a buffer controller, the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels in a plurality of M-bit storage units of a first buffer based on a raster-scan order of the picture, wherein at least one of the M-bit storage units is filled with part of the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels, M and N are positive integers, M is not divisible by N, and the first N-bit pixels include at least one pixel divided into a first part stored in one of the M-bit storage units in the first buffer and a second part stored in another of the M-bit storage units in the first buffer;

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.

2. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the storing step comprises:

based on the raster-scan order of the picture, continuously storing the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels in the M-bit storage units of the first buffer one by one, until all of the obtained pixel data are stored in the first buffer.

3. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pixel is not a leftmost N-bit pixel in each pixel row of the picture.

4. The data arrangement method of claim 3 , wherein the storing step comprises:

after storing pixel data of a rightmost N-bit pixel in a current pixel row of the picture in a first M-bit storage unit of the first buffer, storing pixel data of a leftmost N-bit pixel in a next pixel row of the picture in a second M-bit storage unit of the first buffer no matter whether the first M-bit storage unit has unused bit(s).

5. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the first N-bit pixels are the luma pixels of the picture.

6. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the first N-bit pixels are the chroma pixels of different chrominance components of the picture.

7. The data arrangement method of claim 6 , wherein chroma pixels of a first chrominance component of the picture and chroma pixels of a second chrominance component of the picture are stored in an interleaved arrangement.

8. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of second N-bit pixels of the picture; and

storing the obtained pixel data of the second pixels in a plurality of M-bit storage units of a second buffer based on the raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein the first N-bit pixels are chroma pixels of a first chrominance component of the picture, the second N-bit pixels are chroma pixels of a second chrominance component of the picture, and the second N-bit pixels include at least one pixel divided into a first part stored in one of the M-bit storage units in the second buffer and a second part stored in another of the M-bit storage units in the second buffer.

9. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the picture has a 4:4:4 color format, a 4:2:2 color format, or a 4:2:0 color format.

10. The data arrangement method of claim 1 , wherein the first buffer is a memory, and each of the M-bit storage units is one word of the memory.

11. A data arrangement method, comprising:

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of first N-bit pixels of a picture; and

storing, by a buffer controller, at least the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels in a plurality of M-bit storage units of a first buffer based on a raster-scan order of the picture, wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the first buffer stores an integer number of first N-bit pixels without any fractional first N-bit pixel, M and N are positive integers, and M is not divisible by N;

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.

12. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein the storing step comprises:

continuously storing pixel data of first N-bit pixels into one M-bit storage unit of the first buffer, until the M-bit storage unit does not have enough unused bits for fully storing one more first N-bit pixel.

13. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein the first N-bit pixels are the luma pixels of the picture.

14. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein the first N-bit pixels are the chroma pixels of different chrominance components of the picture.

15. The data arrangement method of claim 14 , wherein chroma pixels of a first chrominance component of the picture and chroma pixels of a second chrominance component of the picture are stored in an interleaved arrangement.

16. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , further comprising:

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of second N-bit pixels of the picture; and

storing the obtained pixel data of the second pixels in a plurality of M-bit storage units of a second buffer based on the raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the second buffer stores an integer number of second N-bit pixels with any fractional second N-bit pixel, the first N-bit pixels are chroma pixels of a first chrominance component of the picture, and the second N-bit pixels are chroma pixels of a second chrominance component of the picture.

17. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the first buffer is evenly divided into a plurality of grid units, and each of the grid units is addressed by a single address, and has only one first N-bit pixel stored therein.

18. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein the picture has a 4:4:4 color format, a 4:2:2 color format, or a 4:2:0 color format.

19. The data arrangement method of claim 11 , wherein the first buffer is a memory, and each of the M-bit storage units is one word of the memory.

20. A data arrangement method, comprising:

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of first N-bit pixels of a picture;

obtaining pixel data of a plurality of second N-bit pixels of the picture; and

storing, by a buffer controller, the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels and the obtained pixel data of the second N-bit pixels in a plurality of M-bit storage units of a buffer based on the raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the buffer stores an integer number of first N-bit pixels without any fractional first N-bit pixel, and further stores an integer number of second N-bit pixels without any fractional second N-bit pixel; the first N-bit pixels are luma pixels; the second N-bit pixels are chroma pixels; M and N are positive integers; and M is not divisible by N; and

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.

21. The data arrangement method of claim 20 , wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the buffer is evenly divided into a plurality of grid units each having at least one first N-bit pixel and at least one second N-bit pixel stored therein.

22. A data storage apparatus, comprising:

a buffer, having a plurality of M-bit storage units; and

a buffer controller, arranged to obtain pixel data of a plurality of N-bit pixels of a picture, and store the obtained pixel data of the N-bit pixels in the M-bit storage units of the buffer based on a raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein at least one of the M-bit storage units is filled with part of the obtained pixel data of the N-bit pixels, M and N are positive integers, M is not divisible by N, and the N-bit pixels include at least one pixel divided into a first part stored in one of the M-bit storage units in the buffer and a second part stored in another of the M-bit storage units in the buffer; and

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.

23. A data storage apparatus, comprising:

a buffer, having a plurality of M-bit storage units; and

a buffer controller, arranged to obtain pixel data of a plurality of N-bit pixels of a picture, and store at least the obtained pixel data of the N-bit pixels in the M-bit storage units of the buffer based on a raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the buffer stores an integer number of N-bit pixels without any fractional N-bit pixel, M and N are positive integers, and M is not divisible by N; and

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.

24. A data storage apparatus, comprising:

a buffer, having a plurality of M-bit storage units; and

a buffer controller, arranged to obtain pixel data of a plurality of first N-bit pixels of a picture, obtaining pixel data of a plurality of second N-bit pixels of the picture, and store the obtained pixel data of the first N-bit pixels and the obtained pixel data of the second N-bit pixels in the M-bit storage units of the buffer based on a raster-scan order of the picture;

wherein each of the M-bit storage units of the buffer stores an integer number of first N-bit pixels without any fractional first N-bit pixel, and further stores an integer number of second N-bit pixels without any fractional second N-bit pixel, the first N-bit pixels are luma pixels, the second N-bit pixels are chroma pixels, M and N are positive integers, and M is not divisible by N; and

wherein the first N-bit pixels correspond to one of luma pixels and chroma pixels of the picture.