Parallel decoding method and system for highly compressed data

摘要

Embodiments of a method and system for decoding video data are described herein. In various embodiments, a high-compression-ratio codec (such as H.264) is part of the encoding scheme for the video data. Embodiments pre-process control maps that were generated from encoded video data, and generating intermediate control maps comprising information regarding decoding the video data. The control maps include information regarding rearranging the video data to be processed in parallel on multiple pipelines of a graphics processing unit (GPU) so as to optimize the use of the multiple pipelines. In an embodiment, decoding is performed on a frame basis such that each of multiple, distinct decoding operations is performed on an entire frame at one time. In other embodiments, processing of different frames is interleaved. Embodiments increase the efficiency of the decoding such as to allow decoding of high-compression-ratio encoded video data on personal computers or comparable equipment without special, additional decoding hardware.

主权项

1. A video data decoding method comprising:
pre-processing control maps generated from encoded video data that was encoded according to a pre-defined format, wherein pre-processing comprises generating a plurality of intermediate control maps for a respective plurality of frame processing operations containing control information, the control information including an indication of which macro blocks or portions of macro blocks of a frame may be processed in parallel in respective frame processing operations; and decoding the encoded video data on a frame basis using an interprediction algorithm, intraprediction algorithm or both interprediction and intraprediction algorithms, wherein decoding comprises parallel processing of macro blocks or portions of macro blocks in respective frame processing operations using the intermediate control maps to improve the performance of a plurality of processing pipelines whereby one intermediate control map can control frame processing for an interprediction algorithm where one set of macro blocks of a frame are identified for parallel processing and another intermediate control map can control frame processing for an intraprediction algorithm where an entirely different set of macro blocks of the frame are identified for parallel processing, wherein the plurality of intermediate control maps and at least one buffer are generated by running a pre-shader on the control maps based on at least one predetermined value that is set to indicate whether particular macro blocks are interprediction, intraprediction or both interprediction and intraprediction, the at least on buffer containing a subset of control information indicating which of the macro blocks are interprediction, intraprediction or both interprediction and intraprediction.