System and method for communicating media signals

• US 20040045030A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interact Devices (Mad Catz Interactive Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Interact Devices (Mad Catz Interactive Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Jodie Lynn, Ingraham, Robert Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 : Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 : directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate

Abstract

A media streaming system for streaming media signals is provided. The media streaming system takes a library of separate and distinct CODECs that are provided as a searchable CODEC library and used in determining specific characteristics in the media signal to identify similar sections of the signal. The media streaming system uses a computer implemented intelligence system, such as an artificial intelligence mechanism to learn and capture the unique characteristics of a sinal as the signal is being streamed. The media streaming system also compresses and decompresses the media signal as the signals are streamed from a source media to a destination device.

Claims

1. A system for processing a media signal, comprising:

a searchable CODEC library that is adapted to store a plurality of separate and unique CODECS and also to be accessed by and searched by at least one of an artificial intelligence (AI) system and an operating system, such that each CODEC stored in the CODEC library may be individually located and accessed for use by at least one of the AI system and operating system in order to compress the media signal for transmission from a source to a destination device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the CODEC library comprises at least one CODEC that is of at least one of the following three types of CODECS:

block CODECS;

fractal CODECS; and

wavelet CODECS.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the CODEC library comprises:

a first CODEC of a first type on the three types, and

a second CODEC of a second type of the three types.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the CODEC library comprises:

a first CODEC of a first type of the three types,

a second CODEC of a second type of the three types; and

a third CODEC of a third type of the three types.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the CODEC library comprises:

a first CODEC that is a motion predictive CODEC; and

a second CODEC that is a still CODEC.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the CODEC library comprises:

a first CODEC that is a lossy CODEC; and

a second CODEC that is a lossless CODEC.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a registry associated with the CODEC library and that is searchable in order to search and locate particular CODEC within the CODEC library.

8. A system for communicating a media signal from a source to a destination device over a transmission channel, comprising:

a destination agent that is adapted to be used by the destination device to communicate with the source and to receive a compressed representation of the media signal from the source and to decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation of the media signal such that the decompressed representation may be stored or used by the destination device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the destination agent comprises:

a diagnostic agent that is adapted to provide diagnostic information for transmission to a neural network associated with the source, which diagnostic information represents an ability of the destination device to receive, store, process, or display the media signal; and

a decompression agent that is adapted to decompress the compressed representation of the media signal into the decompressed representation of the signal to be stored or played by the destination device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the destination agent further comprises:

a decompression agent that is adapted to receive a compressed representation of the media signal and also to receive a CODEC decompressor associated with the compressed representation of the signal from the delivery system, and that is adapted to use the CODEC decompressor to decompress the compressed representation of the signal into a decompressed representation of the signal to be stored or played by the destination device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the destination agent is adapted to be stored and operated for decompressing and playing a media signal on a plurality of different destination devices each having different capabilities for decompressing, storing, or playing the media signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the destination agent is adapted to decompress a plurality of different compressed representations of the media signal by using different CODEC decompressors that are each associated with a corresponding different CODEC compressor used to compress the signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the destination agent is adapted to decompress the compressed representation of the media using a CODEC that is provided based upon at least one of the following parameters:

a computer implemented previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a reference media signal, a computer implemented previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of the CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of the transmission channel, and a learned constraint of the destination device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the destination agent is adapted to interchangeably use a block CODEC, a fractal CODEC, or a wavelet CODEC.

15. A system for communicating a media signal from a source to a destination device over a transmission channel, comprising:

a CODEC that is adapted to compress the media signal for optimized transmission along the communications channel and decompression by the destination device, wherein the compression is done by the CODEC based upon at least one of the following parameters;

a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to another reference signal, a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of the CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of the transmission channel, and a learned constraint of the destination device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the CODEC is adapted to compress the media signal into n different compressed representations of the media signal that are adapted to be transmitted to the destination device at n unique bit rates, respectively.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a searchable quality of service (QoS) library associated with the CODEC and that is adapted to be used by at least one of an artificial intelligence system or an operating system in order to determine an appropriate use of the CODEC with respect to the media signal based upon at least one QoS standard stored in the QoS standards library.

18. A system for processing a media signal, comprising:

a CODEC operating system that is adapted to interface with a CODEC library and also with an artificial intelligence (AI) system in order to use the AI system to identify an appropriate CODEC from the library and to process the media signal with the CODEC.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one CODEC associated with the CODEC operating system for use in processing the media signal based at least in part upon an operation by the CODEC operating system.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a searchable CODEC library that is associated with the CODEC operating system and that is adapted to store a plurality of separate and unique CODECS, wherein the CODEC operating system is adapted to cooperate with the searchable CODEC library and also with the AI system in order to determine an appropriate CODEC stored in the CODEC library for use in processing the media signal.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a searchable network transport standards library associated with the CODEC operating system and that is adapted to be used by at least one of an AI system or the CODEC operating system in order to determine an appropriate use of a CODEC with respect to the media signal based upon at least one network transport standard stored in the network transport standards library.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a searchable quality of standard (QoS) library associated with the CODEC operating system and that is adapted to be used by at least one of an AI system or the operating system in order to determine an appropriate use of a CODEC with respect to the media signal based upon at least one QoS standard stored in the QoS standards library.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a destination agent that is associated with the CODEC operating system and is adapted to be used by a destination device to communicate with a source also associated with the CODEC operating system to receive a compressed representation of the media signal from the source and to decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation of the media signal such that the decompressed representation may be stored or used by the destination device.

24. A system for processing a media signal, comprising:

a destination device that is adapted to communicate with a source and to receive a compressed representation of the media signal from the source, and that includes a CODEC that is adapted to decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation based upon at least one of the following parameters;

a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to another reference signal, a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of the CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of the transmission channel, and a learned constraint of the destination device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the media signal is adapted to be used according to an original format according to an original set of parameters, and the destination device is adapted to process and display the decompressed representation of the media signal in another format according to another set of parameters that are different than the original set of parameters, such that the destination device is incapable of processing and displaying the media signal in the original format according to the original set of parameters.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the CODEC is adapted to compress the media signal into n different compressed representations of the media signal that are adapted to be transmitted to the destination device at n unique bit rates, respectively.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the n different compressed representations are adapted to be transmitted at least at n substantially different transmission rates that are distinguished based upon at least one of the following parameters:

different transmission system standards;

different destination device standards; and

different media type standards.

28. A system for processing a media signal, comprising:

a CODEC that is adapted to perform at least one of compression or decompression on the media signal; and

an artificial intelligence (AI) system that is adapted to operate in conjunction with the CODEC in order to tune the operation of the CODEC with respect to the media signal, wherein the AI system is adapted to learn a behavior of the CODEC with respect to at least one parameter affecting the CODEC'"'"'s operation, and also to modify the operation of at least one of the AI system itself or the CODEC based upon the learned behavior in order to increase the ability to provide the CODEC in an appropriate form for optimally compressing or decompressing the media signal.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the CODEC comprises a discrete cosine transform CODEC.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the CODEC comprises a fractal CODEC.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the CODEC comprises a wavelet CODEC.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the CODEC comprises a lossy CODEC.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the CODEC comprises a substantially lossless CODEC.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a searchable CODEC library that is adapted to store a plurality of separate and unique CODECS,

wherein the CODEC is adapted to be stored in the searchable CODEC library, and the AI system is adapted to cooperate with the CODEC library in order to locate and access the CODEC so that the AI system may perform at least one operation with respect to the CODEC.

35. A system for processing a media signal, comprising:

a CODEC library that is adapted to store a plurality of separate and unique CODECS;

an artificial intelligence (AI) system associated with the CODEC library and that is adapted to perform an operation with respect to the CODEC library in order to determine an appropriate CODEC from the plurality of CODECS for use in processing the media signal;

a CODEC operating system associated with the CODEC library and also the AI system and that is adapted to control the operation of the AI system with respect to the CODEC library;

a source system that is adapted to compress the media signal based upon a CODEC from the CODEC library and based upon an operation of the AI system;

a destination system that is adapted to communicate with the source system and to receive a compressed representation of the media signal from the source system and decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation for use by the destination system; and

a communications system associated with the source system and also with the destination system so that the source system is adapted to transmit the compressed representation of the media signal to the destination system, and the destination system is adapted to receive the compressed representation and also to appropriately decompress the compressed representation into the decompressed representation for storage or use by the destination system.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

a searchable network transport standards library associated with the AI system and also with the CODEC operating system and that is adapted to be used by the AI system in order to determine an appropriate CODEC from the CODEC library for processing the media signal based upon at least one network transport standard stored in the network transport standards library.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

a searchable QoS standards library associated with the AI system and also with the CODEC operating system that is adapted to be used by the AI system in order to determine an appropriate CODEC from the CODEC library for processing the media signal based upon at least one QoS standard stored in the QoS standards library.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the AI system is adapted to determine an appropriate use of a CODEC from the CODEC library for processing the media signal based upon at least one of the following parameters:

a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to another reference signal, a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of the CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of the transmission channel, and a learned constraint of the destination device.

39. A system for communicating a media signal between a source and n unique destination devices each having a unique ability to process the media signal, wherein n is an integer that is equal to or greater than one, comprising:

a compression system associated with the source and which is adapted to compress the media signal into n uniquely compressed representations of the media signal,

wherein each of the n uniquely compressed representations is adapted to be transmitted from the source to a unique one of the n destination devices, and is adapted to be decompressed by the respective destination device into a unique one of n decompressed representations of the media signal to be played by the respective destination device.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the compression system further comprises:

a searchable CODEC library that is associated with the compression system and that is adapted to store a plurality of separate and unique CODECS, wherein the compression system is adapted to compress the media signal into each of the n uniquely compressed representations based at least in part upon at least one CODEC stored by the CODEC library.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the compression system further comprises:

a searchable network transport standards library associated with the compression system and that is adapted to be used by the compression system in order to determine at least one appropriate CODEC for compressing the media signal into the n uniquely compressed representations based upon at least one network transport standard stored in the network transport standards library.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the compression system further comprises:

a searchable QoS standards library associated with the compression system and that is adapted to be used by the compression system in order to determine at least one appropriate CODEC from the CODEC library for compressing the media signal into the n uniquely compressed representations based upon at least one QoS standard stored in the QoS standards library.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

a destination agent that is associated with the compression system and is adapted to be used by each of the n unique destination devices to communicate with the source, so that each of the n destination devices may receive a unique one of the n compressed representation of the media signal from the source system and to use an appropriate CODEC at least in part based upon a CODEC used by the compression system to create the respective compressed representation so that the respective destination device may appropriately decompress the respective compressed representation into an appropriate one of the decompressed representations of the media signal that may be stored or used by the respective destination device.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the compression system is adapted to compress the media signal into each of the n different compressed representations based at least in part upon at least one of the following parameters:

a previously learned behavior of at least one CODEC with respect to another reference signal, a previously learned behavior of at least one CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of at least one CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of at least one transmission channel, and a learned constraint of at least one destination device.

45. A system for communicating n uniquely compressed representations of a media signal from at least one source to a common receiver, comprising:

a destination device that is adapted to communicate with the at least one source and to receive each of the n uniquely compressed representations from the at least one source, wherein the destination device is further adapted to decompress each of the n uniquely compressed representations into n decompressed representations of the media signal and to play each of the n decompressed representations.

46. A system for communicating a media signal from a source to a destination device over a transmission channel, comprising:

a compression system that is adapted to receive information about a parameter of the transmission channel and to compress the media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal by using a compression technique that is based at least in part upon the parameter information.

47. A system for communicating n unique media signals between a source and a destination, comprising:

a compression system that is adapted to receive information about a parameter of the media signal and to compress the media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal by using a compression technique that is based at least in part upon the parameter information.

48. A system for compressing a media signal from a source for transmission to a destination device, comprising:

a compression system that is adapted to compress the media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal based upon at least one of a transmission channel constraint, a destination channel constraint, or a comparison of a parameter of the media signal against a prior compression operation of the compression system.

49. A system for decompressing a compressed media signal received from a source at a destination device, wherein the destination device is adapted to receive a compressed representation of the media signal from the source and also a decompression instruction from the source such that the destination device is adapted to decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation of the media signal based at least in part on the instruction.

50. A method for constructing a neural network for use in compressing media signals, comprising:

providing a plurality of CODECS; and

pre-learning at least one parameter associated with each CODEC'"'"'s compression performance with respect to a predetermined type of media signal in a manner . . . ; and

remembering each pre-learned parameter in a manner such that at least a particular one of the CODECs may be chosen in the future to compress a particular new media signal based upon the pre-learned parameter of the particular CODEC.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

forming a CODEC library with the plurality of CODECS;

compressing at least one predetermined type of a test media signal with each CODEC in the CODEC library;

automatically learning at least one parameter related to each CODEC'"'"'s performance in compressing the at least one predetermined type of test media signal;

automatically remembering each such learned parameter in a manner such that a particular media signal to be compressed.

52. A system for communicating a media signal between a source and a destination at least in part over a wireless transmission channel, wherein a compressed representation is

a compression system that is adapted to compress the media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal that is further adapted to be transmitted to a wireless destination device over a wireless carrier;

and

a neural network that uses artificial intelligence to optimize the compression of the media signal by the compression system by learning at least one of the following parameters;

a constraint of the wireless destination device, a constraint of the wireless transmission carrier, and a comparison of a parameter of the media signal against a prior compression operation of the compression system.

53. A system for compressing a media signal for transmission from a wireless source to a destination device.

54. A system for compressing a media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal for transmission to a wireless destination device.

55. A system for decompressing a compressed representation of a media signal into a decompressed representation of the media signal at a destination device, wherein the compressed representation is received from a source over a wireless carrier at the destination device.

56. A system for communicating a media signal over an IP network between a source and a destination device, wherein a compressed representation of the media signal is transmitted from the source to the destination device over the IP network.

57. A system for compressing a media signal into a compressed representation of the media signal, such that the compressed representation of the media signal may be transmitted from a source to a destination device over an IP network.

58. A system for decompressing a compressed representation of a media signal into a decompressed representation of the media signal, wherein the compressed representation is received at a destination device from a source over an IP network.

59. A method for communicating a media signal over an IP network, comprising:

using artificial intelligence to determine the most appropriate CODEC from a plurality of available CODECS for compressing and decompressing the media signal, wherein the appropriate CODEC is determined based upon at least one of the following parameters;

a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to another reference signal, a previously learned behavior of the CODEC with respect to a prior attempt at compressing or decompressing the same media signal, a comparison of the CODEC'"'"'s operation with respect to the media signal against a reference algorithm compression of the media signal, a learned constraint of the transmission channel, and a learned constraint of the destination device.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the system is adapted to communicate a streaming media signal over the IP network.

61. A system for communicating an audio signal between a source and a destination over a transmission channel, wherein the audio signal is compressed to form a compressed representation of the audio signal that may be transmitted over the transmission channel to the destination device so that the destination device may decompress the compressed representation into a decompressed representation for storage or use by the destination device.

62. The system of claim 62, wherein the system is adapted to communicate a streaming audio signal.

63. A system for compressing an audio signal into a compressed representation of the audio signal for transmission from a source to a destination device over a transmission channel.

64. A system for decompressing a compressed representation of an audio signal at a destination device for storage or use by the destination device, wherein the compressed representation is received by the destination device from a source over a transmission channel.

65. A method for communicating a streaming audio signal from a source to a destination device over a transmission channel, comprising:

delivering CD-quality music from the source to the destination device over the transmission channel at a transmission rate that is as low as about 25 Kbps.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the CD-quality music is delivered by compressing a source audio signal into a compressed representation and delivering the compressed representation over the transmission channel to the destination device at the transmission rate, wherein the compressed representation may be decompressed by the destination device into a decompressed representation that is substantially CD-quality representation of the original audio signal that may be stored or played by the destination device.

67. A system for communicating a video signal between a source and a destination over a transmission channel, wherein the streaming video signal is compressed into a compressed representation that may be transmitted from the source to the destination device over the transmission channel and decompressed into a decompressed representation by the destination device for storage or playing by the destination device.

68. A system for communicating a streaming video signal between a source and a destination, comprising:

a media processing module;

a dynamic player module;

an image processor;

a baseline snapshot module;

a signal classifier;

a plurality of CODECS dependent neural networks processors;

a CODECS library;

a network layer input module;

a network layer output module; and

a timer.

69. The system of claim 68, further comprising a dynamic client request processing module.

70. The system of claim 69, further comprising a device and network parameters measurement module.