Video game system using pre-encoded macro-blocks in an I-frame

• US 20070009042A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sigmund, Ulrich, Craig, Robert, Mercer, Clifford
• Application Number:
  US11/178,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20070009042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.240
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/174 the region being a slice, e.g. a line of blocks or a group of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received. For instance, the request may initiate a video game. A first plurality of macro-blocks are transmitted. The first plurality of macro-blocks may correspond to a first frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard. At least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks may be pre-encoded prior to the request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request; and

transmitting a first plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the first plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a first frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting a second plurality of macro-blocks corresponding to a second video frame, wherein ac coefficients in a subset of the second plurality of macro-blocks are substantially unchanged with respect to ac coefficients in a corresponding subset of the pre-encoded macro-blocks in the first plurality of macro-blocks.

3. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting a second plurality of macro-blocks corresponding to a second video frame, wherein quantization factors for a subset of the second plurality of macro-blocks are substantially unchanged with respect to quantization factors for a corresponding subset of the pre-encoded macro-blocks in the first plurality of macro-blocks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a command,

transmitting a second plurality of macro-blocks corresponding to a second video frame, the second plurality of macro-blocks including a plurality of dynamically encoded macro-blocks are encoded after the command, and a plurality of post-request-encoded macro-blocks encoded after the request and prior to the command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request initiates a video game.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeatedly transmitting additional pluralities of macro-blocks, wherein each set of macro-blocks in the additional pluralities of macro-blocks correspond to updates to the frame of video and constitute a P-frame compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the macro-blocks in the additional pluralities of macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein subsets of macro-blocks in the additional pluralities of macro-blocks correspond to slices, and wherein at least a subset of the slices includes one or more skipped predictive macro-blocks corresponding to regions of the frame of video that remain substantially unchanged.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein subsets of macro-blocks in the additional pluralities of macro-blocks correspond to slices, and wherein at least a subset of the slices includes one or more empty predictive macro-blocks corresponding to regions of the frame of video that remain substantially unchanged.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting, after a time interval, one or more intra-frame slices in a respective set of macro-blocks in the additional pluralities of macro-blocks, wherein a respective intra-frame slice includes a plurality of intra macro-blocks.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the one or more intra-frame slices occurs even if the frame of video remains substantially unchanged.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory means;

a processor means; and

a program mechanism, wherein the program mechanism is stored in the memory means and configured to be executed by the processor means, the program mechanism including;

instructions for receiving a request; and

instructions for transmitting a first plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the first plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.

12. A method, comprising:

transmitting a request; and

receiving a first plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the first plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory means;

a processor means; and

a program mechanism, wherein the program mechanism is stored in the memory means and configured to be executed by the processor means, the program mechanism including;

instructions for transmitting a request; and

instructions for receiving a first plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the first plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.

14. A data stream, comprising a plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a frame of video and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded such that ac coefficients in the subset of the plurality of macro-blocks are substantially unchanged with respect to ac coefficients in previous pre-encoded macro-blocks in the data stream corresponding to a previous frame of video.

15. A data stream, comprising a plurality of macro-blocks,

wherein the plurality of macro-blocks correspond to a frame of video and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein at least a subset of the plurality of macro-blocks are pre-encoded such that quantization factors in the subset of the plurality of macro-blocks are substantially unchanged with respect to quantization factors in previous pre-encoded macro-blocks in the data stream corresponding to a previous frame of video.