System and method for intelligent data/frame compression in a system on a chip

Abstract

An exemplary method for intelligent compression defines a threshold value for a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor. Data blocks received into the compression module are compressed according to either a first mode or a second mode, the selection of which is determined based on a comparison of the active level for the temperature reading to the defined threshold value. The first compression mode may be associated with a lossless compression algorithm while the second compression mode is associated with a lossy compression algorithm. Or, both the first compression mode and the second compression mode may be associated with a lossless compression algorithm, however, for the first compression mode the received data blocks are produced at a default high quality level setting while for the second compression mode the received data blocks are produced at a reduced quality level setting.

1 . A method for intelligent data compression in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the method comprising:
 defining a threshold value for a key performance indicator within the PCD; 
 receiving a first data block into a compression module and compressing the first data block according to a lossless compression algorithm, wherein the compression module is operable to toggle between a lossless compression algorithm and a lossy compression algorithm; 
 monitoring an active level for the key performance indicator and comparing the active level to the defined threshold value; 
 based on the comparison of the active level for the key performance indicator to the defined threshold value, toggling the compression module to the lossy compression mode; and 
 receiving a second data block into the compression module and compressing the second data block according to the lossy compression algorithm. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the key performance indicator is selected from a group comprised of: a compression ratio for data blocks compressed by the compression module, a voltage level, an average voltage supply level, a frame rate, and a processing time for compressing a data block. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the key performance indicator is a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor within the PCD. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein toggling the compression module is further based on a hysteresis calculation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second data blocks are image frames. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second data blocks are units of an image frame. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the PCD is in the form of a wireless telephone. 
     
     
         8 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method for intelligent data compression in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the method comprising:
 defining a threshold value for a key performance indicator within the PCD; 
 receiving a first data block produced by a producer component at a default high quality level setting into a compression module and compressing the first data block according to a lossless compression algorithm; 
 monitoring an active level for the key performance indicator and comparing the active level to the defined threshold value; 
 based on the comparison of the active level for the key performance indicator to the defined threshold value, modifying quality level settings of the producer component to a reduced quality level setting; and 
 receiving a second data block produced by the producer component at the reduced quality level setting into the compression module and compressing the second data block according to the lossless compression algorithm. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the key performance indicator is selected from a group comprised of: a compression ratio for data blocks compressed by the compression module, a voltage level, an average voltage supply level, a frame rate, and a processing time for compressing a data block. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the key performance indicator is a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor within the PCD. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein modifying quality level settings of the producer component is further based on a hysteresis calculation. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second data blocks are image frames. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second data blocks are units of an image frame. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the PCD is in the form of a wireless telephone. 
     
     
         36 . A system for intelligent data compression in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the system comprising:
 an intelligent compression module, a monitor module, and an image CODEC module collectively configured to:
 define a threshold value for a key performance indicator within the PCD; 
 receive a first data block produced by a producer component at a default high quality level setting into a compression module and compressing the first data block according to a lossless compression algorithm; 
 monitor an active level for the key performance indicator and comparing the active level to the defined threshold value; 
 based on the comparison of the active level for the key performance indicator to the defined threshold value, modify quality level settings of the producer component to a reduced quality level setting; and 
 receive a second data block produced by the producer component at the reduced quality level setting into the compression module and compressing the second data block according to the lossless compression algorithm. 
 
 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the key performance indicator is selected from a group comprised of: a compression ratio for data blocks compressed by the compression module, a voltage level, an average voltage supply level, a frame rate, and a processing time for compressing a data block. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the key performance indicator is a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor within the PCD. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein modifying quality level settings of the producer component is further based on a hysteresis calculation. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second data blocks are image frames. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second data blocks are units of an image frame. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the PCD is in the form of a wireless telephone. 
     
     
         43 . A system for intelligent data compression in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the system comprising:
 means for defining a threshold value for a key performance indicator within the PCD; 
 means for receiving a first data block produced by a producer component at a default high quality level setting into a compression module and compressing the first data block according to a lossless compression algorithm; 
 means for monitoring an active level for the key performance indicator and comparing the active level to the defined threshold value; 
 means for, based on the comparison of the active level for the key performance indicator to the defined threshold value, modifying quality level settings of the producer component to a reduced quality level setting; and 
 means for receiving a second data block produced by the producer component at the reduced quality level setting into the compression module and compressing the second data block according to the lossless compression algorithm. 
 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the key performance indicator is selected from a group comprised of: a compression ratio for data blocks compressed by the compression module, a voltage level, an average voltage supply level, a frame rate, and a processing time for compressing a data block. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the key performance indicator is a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor within the PCD. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein modifying quality level settings of the producer component is further based on a hysteresis calculation. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first and second data blocks are image frames. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first and second data blocks are units of an image frame. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the PCD is in the form of a wireless telephone. 
     
     
         50 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for intelligent data compression in a portable computing device (“PCD”), said method comprising:
 defining a threshold value for a key performance indicator within the PCD; 
 receiving a first data block produced by a producer component at a default high quality level setting into a compression module and compressing the first data block according to a lossless compression algorithm; 
 monitoring an active level for the key performance indicator and comparing the active level to the defined threshold value; 
 based on the comparison of the active level for the key performance indicator to the defined threshold value, modifying quality level settings of the producer component to a reduced quality level setting; and 
 receiving a second data block produced by the producer component at the reduced quality level setting into the compression module and compressing the second data block according to the lossless compression algorithm. 
 
     
     
         51 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein the key performance indicator is selected from a group comprised of: a compression ratio for data blocks compressed by the compression module, a voltage level, an average voltage supply level, a frame rate, and a processing time for compressing a data block. 
     
     
         52 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein the key performance indicator is a temperature reading generated by a temperature sensor within the PCD. 
     
     
         53 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein modifying quality level settings of the producer component is further based on a hysteresis calculation. 
     
     
         54 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein the first and second data blocks are image frames. 
     
     
         55 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein the first and second data blocks are units of an image frame. 
     
     
         56 . The computer program product of  claim 50 , wherein the PCD is in the form of a wireless telephone.