JPH0974556A - Image reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cope with the image data reproduced by a different algorithm by reconstituting the processing system of an image decoding part according to the program contents converted by a program conversion part. SOLUTION: The moving image reconstituted algorithm program described in a logical description language from a network 15 is received by a reception part 16. The received data is transmitted to a program conversion part 11 by controlling a switch means 17 by a control part 18. In the division part 19 of the program conversion part 11, the program is divided into the first program part where a hardware processing is performed for the program and the second program part where a software processing is performed for the program. After the part of the hardware processing is delivered to a first conversion part 20 and is converted into the form in which an FPGA can be rewritten, an inverse quantization part 22 and an inverse conversion part 23 are rewritten by the control part 18. After the part of the software processing is delivered to a second conversion part 21 and is converted into the form which can be processed by a processor, the part is delivered to the control part 18.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reproducing apparatus capable of receiving coded image data from a network, decoding the image and reproducing the image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ISDN (Integrated Services Di
The image communication service has been realized as a new communication service due to the spread of the digital network (gital Network). Examples are a videophone and a video conference system. Further, with the development of wireless transmission networks represented by PHS and FPCMTS, demands for further sophistication, diversification and portability of services are rapidly increasing.

Generally, in the case of transmitting image data like a video telephone or a video conference system, the amount of image information is enormous, but the line speed of the line used for transmission and the cost of the image to be transmitted. It becomes necessary to compress and encode the amount of information and reduce the amount of information before transmission.

As an encoding method for compressing image data, a still image encoding method such as JPEG (Joint Photogr
aphic Coding Experts Group), H.264 as a moving image coding method. 261, MPEG as a moving image encoding method for storage
1 (Moving Picture Coding Expert Group), MPEG
2 has already been internationally standardized. 64 kbps
MPEG as an encoding method at the following ultra-low bit rate
4 standardization activities are underway.

JPEG, H.264. 261, MPEG1, MP
If several types of algorithms are to be processed by a method of encoding with a certain algorithm such as EG2, hardware and software for realizing each algorithm are required.

In FIG. The block diagram of the encoding / decoding apparatus of 261 system is shown. This figure shows the case where it operates as an encoder. This coding / decoding apparatus includes a coding control unit 31 that performs coding control, a conversion unit 32 that performs DCT conversion, a quantization unit 33 that quantizes the coefficient converted by the conversion unit 32, and a quantized coefficient. The inverse quantization unit 34 performs the inverse quantization and the inverse transform unit 35 performs the inverse DCT transformation. In addition, a memory 36 having a variable delay function for motion compensation used in motion-compensated interframe prediction, o
It is an in-loop filter 37 capable of n / off.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a portion in which this encoding / decoding device operates as a decoder. The decoder is composed of an inverse quantization unit 34 that inversely quantizes the image data transmitted from the encoder, an inverse transformation unit 34 that performs inverse DCT transformation, a memory 36 having a variable delay function for motion compensation, and an in-loop filter 37. To be done. The encoded data is inversely quantized by the inverse quantizer 34, inversely DCT-transformed by the inverse transformer 35, and decoded. The memory 36 and the in-loop filter 37 are used when decoding the motion compensation predictive coded data. This image reproduction device decodes the image data from the encoder according to a dedicated reproduction algorithm.

In addition to the above, moving images are reproduced on a general-purpose electronic computer such as a personal computer. In this example, if a plurality of image reproduction software is prepared, a plurality of image data can be reproduced on one electronic computer, so that it can be regarded as a general-purpose image reproduction device.

[0009]

Although the conventional dedicated image reproducing apparatus has excellent image reproducing ability, in order to reproduce the image data reproduced by the different image reproducing algorithm, the image reproducing apparatus corresponding to the image data is reproduced. There is a problem that the device must be prepared separately.

Further, the general-purpose image reproducing apparatus is constructed by executing software of a specific image reproducing algorithm on general-purpose hardware. Therefore, if software is prepared for each different image reproduction algorithm, a plurality of image reproduction algorithms can be executed on one piece of hardware. In this case, there is a problem that the image reproducing ability is inferior to that of a dedicated image reproducing device.

In the present invention, in order to solve these problems at the same time, the hardware processing content and the software processing content are reconfigured according to the change of the image reproduction algorithm, and the optimum processing capacity is always available for the image reproduction algorithm. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reproducing device having a.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an image reproducing apparatus which decodes coded image data in an image decoding unit and reproduces an image, and a program in which an image reproducing algorithm is described in a logical description language, A program conversion unit for converting the configuration of the image decoding unit into a format that can be changed is provided, and the processing system of the image decoding unit is reconfigured according to the program content converted by the program conversion unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is an image reproducing apparatus which decodes coded image data by an image decoding unit and reproduces an image, which receives a program in which an image reproducing algorithm is described in a logical description language from a network. A receiver,
A program conversion unit that converts the program into a format that can change the configuration of the image decoding unit; and a control unit that controls the reception unit, the program conversion unit, and the image decoding unit,
The control unit converts the program received by the reception unit by the program conversion unit, and reconfigures the processing system of the image decoding unit according to the contents of the converted program.

Here, the program conversion unit converts a program describing an image reproduction algorithm in a logical description language into a format capable of changing the configuration of the image decoding unit, and a second program unit executed by the control unit during image reproduction. A division unit that divides the program unit into a program unit, a first conversion unit that converts the first program unit into a format capable of changing the configuration of the image decoding unit, and a control unit that decodes the second program unit and executes processing. And a second conversion unit that converts the data into a format that can be performed.

The image decoding unit dequantizes the quantized image data, and inversely transforms the converted image data and an inverse quantization unit capable of changing the contents of the dequantization process. , And an inverse transforming unit capable of changing the inverse transforming process content, and the control unit may change the inverse quantizing process content and the inverse transforming process content in accordance with the program content converted by the program converting unit. .

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. The image reproduction device is a device for reproducing a moving image, and includes a program conversion unit 11 and a moving image decoding unit 12. A program in which a moving image reproduction algorithm is described in a logical description language is input to the program conversion unit 11 and converted into a format in which the configuration of the moving image decoding unit 12 can be changed. The moving image decoding unit 12 reconfigures the processing system of hardware processing or software processing by the converted program, decodes the encoded moving image data,
Play back a moving image.

Thus, before reproducing the moving image data,
By receiving the moving image reproducing algorithm and reconfiguring the moving image decoding unit, it becomes possible to execute a plurality of moving image reproducing algorithms with one moving image reproducing device. Further, by reconfiguring the moving picture decoding unit according to the moving picture reproducing algorithm, the moving picture reproducing ability equivalent to that of the dedicated moving picture reproducing apparatus can be obtained.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. This image playback device
A program for reconstructing the moving picture decoding unit and a receiving unit 16 for downloading encoded moving picture data from the network 15, and a switching unit 17 for switching a transmission destination depending on whether the received data is a program or moving picture data. , A program conversion unit 11 that converts the program into a format that can be changed to the configuration of the moving image decoding unit, a moving image decoding unit 12 that can reconfigure the processing system, and a receiving unit 16.
And a switching unit 17, a program conversion unit 11, and a control unit 18 for controlling the moving image decoding unit 12.

The program conversion unit 11 converts the program into a format capable of changing the configuration of the moving picture decoding unit.
A division unit 19 that divides a program portion into a second program portion that is executed by the control unit when a moving image is reproduced, and a first conversion unit 20 that converts the first program portion into a format in which the configuration of the moving image decoding unit can be changed. And a second conversion unit 21 for converting the second program into a format in which the control unit can decode and execute processing. The video decoding unit 12
Inverse quantizer 22 that can dequantize quantized moving image data to change the inverse quantization processing content, and inverse conversion of the transformed moving image data to change the inverse conversion processing content And the inverse conversion unit 23. Since the inverse quantizing unit 22 and the inverse transforming unit 23 must be able to rewrite the processing content, they must be programmable elements such as FPGA.

This moving image reproducing apparatus inputs a program describing an image reproducing algorithm and encoded moving image data from a network, and automatically reconfigures the moving image decoding unit 12 according to the program, The moving image is reproduced by the program algorithm.

The procedure when the moving picture reproducing apparatus is reconfigured is as follows. From the network 15, the moving image reproducing program and the encoded moving image data are input to the moving image reproducing apparatus. First, the receiving unit 16 receives the program of the moving image reproducing algorithm described in the logical description language from the network 15. The control unit 18 controls the switching unit 17 to transmit the received data to the program conversion unit 11. First, the division unit 52 of the program conversion unit 11 divides the program into a first program portion that performs hardware processing and a second program portion that performs software processing. In this case, the software processing at the time of reproducing the moving image is performed by the processor in the control unit 18. The portion that performs hardware processing is passed to the first conversion unit 20, and after the FPGA is converted into a rewritable format, the inverse quantization unit 22 and the inverse conversion unit 23 are rewritten by the control unit 18. Further, the part that performs software processing is passed to the second converter 21, converted to a format that can be processed by the processor, and then passed to the controller 18.

Thus, the inverse quantizer 22 and the inverse transformer 23
Since a processing program such as FPGA is formed by a changeable element, the hardware processing of the moving image decoding unit 12 can be easily reconfigured. Moreover, since the moving picture decoding unit 12 in which the hardware is reconfigured so as to have the optimum processing capacity is used, the moving picture reproducing capacity equivalent to that of the dedicated moving picture decoding unit can be obtained.

At the time of reproducing the moving image, the receiving unit 16 receives the moving image data from the network 15. The moving image data is transmitted to the moving image decoding unit 12 by the control unit 18 controlling the switching unit 17. Video decoding unit 12
The data is output as decoded data after passing through the inverse quantization unit 22, the inverse conversion unit 23, and the like.

[0024]

According to the present invention, since the processing system of the image decoding section is reconfigured according to the program contents converted by the program converting section, it is possible to deal with image data reproduced by different algorithms, and It is possible to provide image reproduction capability equivalent to that of a dedicated image reproduction device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the program describing the image reproduction algorithm is input from the network together with the image data, and the control unit reconfigures the image decoding unit according to the program so as to have the optimum processing capability. ,
Image data reproduced by different algorithms can be automatically dealt with.

Further, by dividing the program describing the image reproduction algorithm into a format for changing the configuration of the image decoding section into a first program section and a second program section executed by the control section at the time of image reproduction, a moving image can be obtained. The reproducing apparatus can be reconfigured so as to have an optimum processing capacity, and the image reproducing capacity equivalent to that of the dedicated image reproducing apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of an image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an encoder of a conventional image reproducing device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a decoder of a conventional image reproducing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 program conversion unit 12 moving image decoding unit 16 reception unit 19 division unit 20 first conversion unit 21 second conversion unit 22 inverse quantization unit 23 inverse conversion unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In an image reproducing apparatus for decoding coded image data in an image decoding unit to reproduce an image, a program in which an image reproducing algorithm is described in a logical description language is converted into a format in which the configuration of the image decoding unit can be changed. An image reproducing apparatus comprising a program converting unit for converting, and reconfiguring a processing system of the image decoding unit according to the program content converted by the program converting unit. 2. An image reproducing apparatus which decodes encoded image data by an image decoding unit to reproduce an image, and a receiving unit for receiving a program describing an image reproducing algorithm in a logical description language from a network. A program conversion unit that converts the program into a format that can change the configuration of the image decoding unit; and a control unit that controls the reception unit, the program conversion unit, and the image decoding unit, and the control unit includes the reception unit. An image reproducing apparatus, wherein a program received by a unit is converted by the program converting unit, and a processing system of the image decoding unit is reconfigured according to the converted program content. 3. The program conversion unit includes a first program portion for converting a program describing an image reproduction algorithm in a logical description language into a format capable of changing the configuration of the image decoding unit, and a second program executed by the control unit during image reproduction. A division unit that divides the first program unit into a format that can change the configuration of the image decoding unit; and a control unit that decodes the second program unit and executes processing. The image reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a second conversion unit that converts the image into a format that can be performed. 4. The image decoding unit inversely quantizes the quantized image data, and an inverse quantization unit capable of changing the contents of the inverse quantization process, and inversely transforming the converted image data. , And an inverse conversion unit capable of changing the inverse conversion processing content, and the control unit converts the inverse quantization processing content and the inverse conversion processing content according to the program content converted by the program conversion unit. The image reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that.