Video Memory Having Internal Programmable Scanning Element

Abstract

A data storage element, which includes an interface module configured to receive at least some image data, and includes video memory configured to store the image data, and also includes a scanning element configured to continuously scan the image data and to internally reorganize the image data stored in the video memory, wherein the image data is continuously scanned and internally reorganized prior to the image data being output from the video memory, and includes a processing unit configured to control the operation of the scanning element, and also includes a reorganizational buffer module configured to temporarily store the image data, and farther includes an output bus configured to output the image data after the image data has been internally reorganized by the scanning element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data storage element, comprising:
 an interface module configured to receive image data;   video memory, coupled to the interface module, configured to store the received image data;   a scanning element configured to scan the received image data, to select a reorganization technique from a plurality of reorganization techniques, and to reorganize the received image data according to the selected technique to create reorganized image data, when the image data is read out from the video memory by an image processing device; and   an output configured to output the reorganized image data to the image processing device.   
     
     
         2 . The data storage element of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processing unit configured to control the operation of the scanning element;   a buffer module configured to temporarily store the received image data; and   an input configured to receive the reorganized image data from the image processing device.   
     
     
         3 . The data storage element of  claim 2 , wherein the scanning element is configured to reorganize the image data by performing a data transformation. 
     
     
         4 . The data storage element of  claim 2 , wherein the scanning element is configured to reorganize the image data by encrypting the image data. 
     
     
         5 . The data storage element of  claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is external to the data storage element. 
     
     
         6 . The data storage element of  claim 1 , wherein the video memory is static memory. 
     
     
         7 . The data storage element of  claim 2 , wherein the video memory is further configured to store the reorganized image data received from the image processing device. 
     
     
         8 . The data storage element of  claim 1 , wherein the video memory is dynamic memory. 
     
     
         9 . A data storage element, comprising:
 an interface module configured to receive image data;   video memory, coupled to the interface module, configured to store reorganized image data;   a scanning element configured to scan the received image data, to select a reorganization technique from a plurality of reorganization techniques, and to reorganize the received image data according to the selected technique to create the reorganized image data, when the received image data is written to the video memory; and   an output configured to output the reorganized image data to an image processing device.   
     
     
         10 . The data storage element of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a processing unit configured to control the operation of the scanning element;   a buffer module configured to temporarily store the received image data; and   an input configured to receive the reorganized image data from the image processing device.   
     
     
         11 . The data storage element of  claim 10 , wherein the scanning element is configured to reorganize the image data by performing a data rotation. 
     
     
         12 . The data storage element of  claim 10 , wherein the scanning element is configured to reorganize the image data by compressing the image data. 
     
     
         13 . The data storage element of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is external to the data storage element. 
     
     
         14 . The data storage element of  claim 9 , wherein the video memory is dynamic memory. 
     
     
         15 . The data storage element of  claim 9 , wherein the video memory is further configured to store the reorganized image data received from the image processing device. 
     
     
         16 . A method of reorganizing image data in a data storage element, comprising:
 acquiring the image data at the data storage element;   reorganizing the image data, by a scanning element in the data storage element, according to a selected reorganization technique from a plurality of reorganization techniques to form reorganized image data; and   transmitting the reorganized image data, to an image processing device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the data storage element, at least some of the reorganized image data from the image processing device;   rearranging the at least some of the reorganized image data, by the scanning element in the data storage element, according to a predefined technique to form rearranged image data; and   writing the reorganized image data and the rearranged image data to video memory within the data storage element.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the acquiring includes receiving the image data at an interface module and storing the image data at the data storage element, and   wherein the transmitting includes outputting the reorganized image data from an output positioned at the data storage element.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 selecting, by a processing unit, the selected reorganization technique from the plurality of reorganization techniques.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of reorganizing and rearranging techniques include one or more data transformations.