Method of converting format of encoded video data and apparatus therefor

• US 20030001964A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Toshimitsu, Mita, Takeshi, Kodama, Tomoya, Yamaguchi, Noboru, Masuda, Tadaaki, Masukura, Koichi, Asano, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 6,989,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/441
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/042 Codec means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/20 Conversion of the manner in which the individual colour picture signal components are combined, e.g. conversion of colour television standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/156 Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder

Abstract

A format conversion method comprising decoding the bit stream of a first encoded video data format, converting decoded video data to the second encoded video data format, encoding the converted video data in a process for converting the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to the bit stream of the second encoded video data format, and controlling processing parameters of at least one of the decoding, the converting and the encoding.

Claims

1. A format conversion method for converting a bit stream of a first encoded video data format to a bit stream of a second encoded video data format, the method comprising:

decoding the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to generate video data;

converting the video data to the second encoded video data format to generate converted video data;

encoding the converted video data in a process for converting the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to the bit stream of the second encoded video data format, to generate the bit stream of the second encoded video data format; and

controlling processing parameters of at least one of the decoding, the converting and the encoding.

2. The format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the processing parameters includes controlling at least one of processing quantity and a degree of error resilience process in at least one of the decoding, the converting and the encoding.

3. The format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the processing parameters includes controlling the processing parameters in accordance with at least one of (a) designation from a user, (b) a monitor result of processing quantity in at least one of the decoding, the converting and the encoding, (c) information concerning a transmission channel through which the bit stream of the second encoded video data format is transmitted and (d) meta data added to the first video coded data.

4. A format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein converting the video data converts the video data to plural second encoded video data formats to generate plural converted video data, and encoding the converted video data encodes the plural converted video data to generate bit streams of the plural second encoded video data formats.

5. A format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein decoding the bit stream includes decoding bit streams of one or more first encoded video data formats, and controlling the processing parameters includes controlling a time position and a decoding order of parts of the bit streams to be decoded in the decoding, according to designation from a user or meta data added to the first video coded data.

6. A format conversion method for converting a bit stream of a first encoded video data format to a bit stream of a second encoded video data format, the method comprising:

decoding the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to generate video data;

converting the video data to a format suitable for the second encoded video data format to generate converted video data;

encoding the converted video data to generate the bit stream of the second encoded video data format; and

controlling processing parameters of at least one of the decoding, the converting and the encoding in a process of converting the first encoded video data format to the second encoded video data format, using meta data accompanying the bit stream of the first encoded video data format.

7. A format conversion method according to claim 6, wherein the meta data includes data concerning a quantity of picture characteristics.

8. A format conversion method according to claim 6, wherein the meta data includes data concerning a quantity of speech characteristics.

9. A format conversion method according to claim 6, wherein the meta data includes data concerning a quantity of semantic characteristics.

10. A format conversion method according to claim 6, wherein the meta data includes data concerning contents information.

11. A format conversion method according to claim 6, wherein the meta data includes data concerning user information.

13. A format conversion apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the converter is configured to convert the video data to plural second encoded video data formats and output converted video data, and the encoder is configured to encode the converted video data and output the bit streams of the plural second encoded video data formats.

14. A format conversion apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the decoder decodes the bit streams of one or more first encoded video data formats and output video data, the converter includes a plurality of converter units provided in correspondence with plural second encoded video data formats and configured to convert the converted video data to the second encoded video data formats and output converted video data, and the encoder includes a plurality of encoder units provided in correspondence with the plural second encoded video data formats and configured to encode the converted video data and output bit streams of the second encoded video data formats.

16. A format conversion apparatus according to claim 15, which includes a processing parameter controller which controls processing parameters of at least one of the decoder, the converter and the encoder in converting the video data to the second encoded video data format.

17. A format conversion apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the decoder outputs decoded video data used for viewing an original image of the bit stream of the first encoded video data format as well as the video data.

18. A format conversion apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the encoder outputs encoded video data used for a preview as well as the bit stream of the second encoded video data format.

20. A format conversion program according to claim 19, which includes means for instructing the computer to convert the video data to plural second encoded video data formats to generate plural converted video data, and means for instructing the computer to encode the plural converted video data to generate bit streams of the plural second encoded video data formats.

21. A format conversion program according to claim 19, which includes means for instructing the computer to decode bit streams of one or more first encoded video data formats to generate video data, means for instructing the computer to control a time position and a decoding order of parts of the bit streams to be decoded in the decoding by designation from a user or meta data added to the first video coded data.

12. A format conversion apparatus which converts a bit stream of a first encoded video data format to a bit stream of a second encoded video data format, the apparatus comprising:

a decoder configured to decode the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to output video data according to its processing parameters;

a converter which converts the video data to the second encoded video data format to output converted video data its processing parameters;

an encoder configured to encode the converted video data to output the bit stream of the second encoded video data format according to its processing parameters; and

a controller configured to control the processing parameters of at least one of the decoder, the converter and the encoder in converting the video data.

15. A format conversion apparatus which converts a bit stream of a first encoded video data format to a bit stream of a second encoded video data format, the apparatus comprising:

a decoder which decodes the bit stream of the first encoded video data format and outputs video data;

a controller which controls a time position and a decoding order of parts of the bit streams to be decoded by the decoder in accordance with designation of a user or meta data added to the first video coded data;

a converter which converts the video data to the second encoded video data format and outputs converted video data; and

an encoder which encodes the converted video data and outputs the bit stream of the second encoded video data format.

19. A format conversion program recorded on a computer readable medium and making a computer convert a bit stream of a first encoded video data format to a bit stream of a second encoded video data format, the program comprising:

means for instructing the computer to decode the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to generate video data;

means for instructing the computer to convert the video data to a format suitable for the second encoded video data format to generate converted video data;

means for instructing the computer to encode the converted video data to generate the bit stream of the second encoded video data format;

means for instructing the computer to convert the bit stream of the first encoded video data format to the bit stream of the second encoded video data format; and

means for instructing the computer to control processing parameters of at least one of decoding, converting and encoding.