Apparatus for dynamically adjusting video decoding complexity, and associated method

Abstract

An apparatus for dynamically adjusting video decoding complexity includes a decoding resolution control circuit and an adaptive spatial resolution decoder. The decoding resolution control circuit is arranged to dynamically determine whether at least one portion of a plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with a specific resolution differing from an original resolution of the plurality of frames. In addition, the adaptive spatial resolution decoder is arranged to decode the plurality of frames according to whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution. In particular, the apparatus further includes a system capability analyzing circuit arranged to analyze system capability of at least a portion of the apparatus, in order to generate analyzing results for being sent to the decoding resolution control circuit. An associated method is also provided.

1 . An apparatus for dynamically adjusting video decoding complexity, the apparatus comprising:
 a decoding resolution control circuit arranged to dynamically determine whether at least one portion of a plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with a specific resolution differing from an original resolution of the plurality of frames; and   an adaptive spatial resolution decoder arranged to decode the plurality of frames according to whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptive spatial resolution decoder decodes at least one frame of the plurality of frames by controlling the adaptive spatial resolution decoder to operate in accordance with the specific resolution. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a system capability analyzing circuit arranged to analyze system capability of at least a portion of the apparatus, in order to generate analyzing results for being sent to the decoding resolution control circuit.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein based on the analyzing results, the decoding resolution control circuit dynamically determines whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the analyzing results correspond to one or a combination of a portion/all of power consumption, a number of frames in a display buffer, system loading, and a decoding time. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the decoding resolution control circuit adaptively controls decoding resolution(s) based on one or a combination of a portion/all of a display resolution of a display module, system capability, an input bit stream carrying the frames, a target frame rate of the frames, frame type(s) of the frames, and structure of group of picture (GOP). 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one portion of the plurality of frames comprises a non-reference frame. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the non-reference frame is a bi-directional predicted frame (B-frame). 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one portion of the plurality of frames comprises a reference frame. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the reference frame is an intra frame (I-frame), a predicted frame (P-frame), or a reference bi-directional predicted frame (B-frame). 
     
     
         11 . A method for dynamically adjusting video decoding complexity, the method comprising:
 dynamically determining whether at least one portion of a plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with a specific resolution differing from an original resolution of the plurality of frames; and   decoding the plurality of frames according to whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of decoding the plurality of frames further comprises:
 decoding at least one frame of the plurality of frames by controlling an adaptive spatial resolution decoder to operate in accordance with the specific resolution.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 analyzing system capability, in order to generate analyzing results, wherein the analyzing results are utilized for performing decoding resolution control.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of dynamically determining whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution further comprises:
 based on the analyzing results, dynamically determining whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the analyzing results correspond to one or a combination of a portion/all of power consumption, a number of frames in a display buffer, system loading, and a decoding time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of dynamically determining whether the at least one portion of the plurality of frames should be decoded in accordance with the specific resolution further comprises:
 adaptively controlling decoding resolution(s) based on one or a combination of a portion/all of a display resolution of a display module, system capability, an input bit stream carrying the frames, a target frame rate of the frames, frame type(s) of the frames, and structure of group of picture (GOP).   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one portion of the plurality of frames comprises a non-reference frame. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-reference frame is a bi-directional predicted frame (B-frame). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one portion of the plurality of frames comprises a reference frame. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the reference frame is an intra frame (I-frame), a predicted frame (P-frame), or a reference bi-directional predicted frame (B-frame).