US Patent 7236106 Methods and systems for data manipulation

A method of and device for performing a data expansion operation on a plurality of input data objects to generate expanded output data objects is disclosed. The method comprises receiving and decoding a data manipulation instruction defining a data expansion operation, a portion of the data manipulation instruction indicating an expansion operation from a number of predetermined types of data manipulation operations. The method includes generating one or more expansion objects responsive to the indication of an expansion operation, said expansion objects being for use in extending an input data object. The input data objects are manipulated according to control information expansion objects programmed to produce a set of expanded output data objects.