Efficient encoding of video frames using pre-encoded primitives

• US 20020191851A1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Integra5 Communications Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integra5 Communications Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keinan, Giora
• Application Number:
  US10/127,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00

Abstract

A method for efficient encoding of video frames by pre-encoding image primitives such as text, pictures, icons, symbols and the like, and storing the pre-encoded primitive data. When a video frame needs to be encoded, portions of it that correspond to pre-encoded primitives are identified, and the pre-encoded primitives data are sent to the output stream, thus saving the need to repeatedly re-encode the primitive portion.

Claims

1. A method for efficient encoding of computer generated video frames, comprising the steps of:

pre-encoding graphic primitives into a pre-encoded data store, said pre-encoded data store comprising a plurality of macro blocks representing one or more pre-encoded primitives;

generating a source video frame comprising a list of pre-encoded primitives and relative locations thereof within the source video frame;

encoding said source video frame or a portion thereof into an output video stream;

said step of encoding comprises;

mapping of blocks or references thereto, representing selected pre-encoded primitive data, into a macro block map;

merging a plurality of pre-encoded blocks data from said pre-encoded data store, into an output video stream, as dictated by said macro block map.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

encoding dynamic regions of said source video frame into encoded dynamic data; and

,

merging said encoded dynamic data and said pre-encoded blocks into said output stream.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of encoding dynamic regions and said step of mapping are performed simultaneously.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said graphic primitives comprises a text character.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said list is embedded within said source video frame.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said output video stream comprises an MPEG-2 stream.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said list comprises pointers embedded within the source video frame data.

8. A method for efficient encoding of video frames comprising the steps of:

pre-encoding graphic primitives into a pre-encoded data store;

using a computer, generating a list comprising indications of pre-encoded primitives and relative location of said primitive within a source video frame;

encoding said source video frame or a portion thereof into an output video stream;

wherein said step of encoding comprises the step of merging said pre-encoded primitive data into said output video stream, as dictated by said list.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said step of merging further comprises encoding and merging of dynamic regions into said output stream.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein said graphics primitive comprise text characters.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein said list or a portion thereof is generated prior to said step of encoding.

12. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of block mapping, in which every block, or a reference thereto, associate with a pre encoded primitive is placed in a macro block map.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said step of merging further comprises encoding and merging of dynamic regions into said output stream.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of encoding said dynamic region and the step of macro block mapping are carried on simultaneously.

15. The method according to claim 8 wherein said graphics primitive comprise text characters.

16. The method according to claim 8 wherein said source video frame is generated by a computer.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein said pre-encoded graphic primitives are readable by a computer and wherein said computer merges said primitives into said source video frame.

18. The method according to claim 8 wherein said output video stream comprises an MPEG-2 stream.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of merging further comprises the step of creating an MPEG 2 slice prior to merging a pre-encoded primitive.

20. A method for efficient encoding of video frames comprising the steps of:

pre-encoding graphic primitives into a pre-encoded data store;

determining portions of a source video frame which correspond to pre-encoded primitives;

encoding said source video frame or a portion thereof into an output video stream;

wherein said step of encoding comprises the step of merging said pre-encoded primitive data from said pre-encoded data store into said output video stream.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said step of encoding further comprises encoding and merging of dynamic regions into said output stream.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein said graphics primitive comprise text characters.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein said source video frame is generated by a computer.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein said pre-encoded graphic primitives are readable by a computer and wherein said computer merges said primitives into said source video frame.

25. The method according to claim 20 further comprising the step of, making a list of pre-encoded primitives and their location within the source video frame, and then utilizing the list during the encoding process to merge the primitives as indicated by the list.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said list comprises references to blocks comprising graphic primitive data.

27. The method according to claim 20 wherein said source video frame is generated by a computer.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein placeholders are located in the source video frame to indicate desired pre-encoded primitive replacement.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein said source video frame is a representation of a computer generated image containing text, and wherein said text, or portions thereof are replaced by pointers to said pre-encoded primitives.

30. The method according to claim 20 wherein said source video frame comprises a portion of an animation sequence.

31. The method according to claim 20 wherein at least one of said pre-encoded primitives represents a banner.

32. The method of claim 20 wherein said output video stream comprises an MPEG-2 stream.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of merging further comprises the step of creating an MPEG 2 slice prior to merging a pre-encoded primitive.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein said step of merging further comprises the step of creating an MPEG 2 slice prior to merging a pre-encoded primitive.

34. A method for efficient encoding of computer generated video frames into an output stream, the method comprises the steps of:

pre-encoding graphic primitives into a pre-encoded data store, said pre-encoded data store comprising a plurality of macro blocks representing one or more pre-encoded primitives;

generating a list of pre-encoded primitives and relative locations thereof within a source video frame;

encoding said source video frame or a portion into an MPEG 2 compatible output video stream;

said step of encoding comprises;

mapping of blocks or references thereto, representing selected pre-encoded primitive data, and dynamic regions data, in accordance with said list, into a macro block map;

merging a plurality of pre-encoded blocks data from said pre-encoded data store, into an output video stream, as dictated by said macro block map.