Methods and systems for use in maintaining media data quality upon conversion to a different data format

• US 20070094583A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonic Solutions (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Randall, Bruce, Taylor, James, Oetzel, Kenneth, Ely, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/154 Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• 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 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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

Abstract

The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for use in maintaining data quality upon conversion to a different data format. Some embodiments provide methods that receive media data in a first format, initiate a first conversion of the media data at the first format to a second converted format, identify parameters dictating the conversion to the second converted format, record the parameters, and distribute the recorded parameters to remote systems such that the parameters at least in part control the remote systems during a conversion of the media data to the second converted format.

Claims

1. A method for use in converting multimedia content, comprising:

receiving media data in a first format;

initiating a first conversion of the media data at the first format to a second converted format;

identifying parameters dictating the conversion to the second converted format;

recording the parameters; and

distributing the recorded parameters to remote systems such that the parameters at least in part control the remote systems during a conversion of the media data to the second converted format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the parameters comprises adjusting a set of parameters to improve the conversion of the media data in the first format to the second converted format;

and

the recording the parameters comprises recording the adjusted set of parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting the set of parameters comprises adjusting video parameters that are utilized to optimize a generation of a video image upon encoding of the media data to the second converted format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the parameters comprises adjusting a parameter to enhance conversion of the media data to the second converted format;

initiating a second conversion of the of the media data in the first format to the second converted format while applying the adjusted parameter;

determining whether a quality of the media data converted to the second converted format during the second conversion has been enhanced relative to the media data converted to the second converted format achieved during the first conversion; and

the recording comprises recording the adjusted parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quality of the media data in the second converted format; and

the identifying the parameters comprises identifying a set of parameters that improve data quality of the media data in the second format upon a subsequent conversion of the media data in the first format to the second converted format.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quality of at least a first portion of the media data in the second converted format;

adjusting a set of parameters;

re-converting at least the first portion of the media data at the first format to the second converted format while applying the set of adjusted parameters producing at least a first portion of an adjusted media data in the second converted format;

determining whether the first portion of the adjusted media data in the second converted format has a quality that exceeds a quality of the first portion of the media data in the second converted format; and

the recording the parameters comprises recording the set of parameters when the first portion of the adjusted media data in the second converted format has a quality that exceeds the quality of the first portion of the media data in the second converted format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the re-converting comprises initiating a segment re-encode of at least the first portion of the media data at the first converted format.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the media data in the first format to a third converted format; and

the distributing comprises distributing the recorded parameters and the media data in the third converted format to the remote systems to be used by remote systems in playing back the media data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving media data in the first format comprises receiving the media data in an original source format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the media data comprises receiving media data in the first format converted from an original source format.

11. A method for use in converting media content, comprising:

receiving a first formatted content stream configured according to a first format;

initiating a first conversion of the first formatted content to a second format producing a second formatted content;

recording a first set of parameters that at least in part control the conversion from the first format to the second format;

evaluating at least a first portion of the second formatted content;

adjusting a first parameter;

recording the adjustment of the first parameter; and

supplying the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter to a remote system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating a second conversion of at least the first portion of the first formatted content to the second format while applying the adjusted first parameter producing a first portion of third formatted content formatted according to the second format;

evaluating the first portion of the third formatted content; and

implementing the recording of the adjustment of the first parameter when the first portion of the third formatted content is desired over the first portion of the second formatted content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplying the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter comprises supplying the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter to the remote system to be utilized to at least in part control a remote conversion of the first formatted content stream to the second format.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplying the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter comprises distributing the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter with the first formatted content to the remote system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplying the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter comprises streaming the first set of parameters and the adjustment of the first parameter over a network to the remote system communicationally coupled with the network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating the first conversion comprises decoding at least the first portion of the first formatted content producing decoded content and encoding the decoded content according to the second format.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the evaluating at least the first portion of the second formatted content comprises decoding formatted second content and determining a quality of the decoded formatted second content.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an initial set of parameters associate with the content in the first format; and

applying the initial set of parameters during the first conversion.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

reviewing the initial set of parameters following the evaluating of at least the first portion of the second formatted content;

determining that a second parameter is set in the initial set of parameters; and

preventing action relative to the second parameter.

20. An apparatus for use in converting multimedia content, comprising:

a converter system that receives content in a first format and converts the content to a second format;

a memory storing a plurality of parameters that control the converter system during the conversion of the content to the second format;

an analyzer system coupled with the converter system to receive the second formatted content, analyzes a quality of the second formatted content, and determines adjustments to a first set of parameters; and

a distribution unit coupled with the converter that detects the adjustments to the first set of parameters and distributes at least the adjustment to the first set of parameters to remote client systems.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

an adjustor system coupled with the converter system and the analyzer, such that the adjuster system receives the determined adjustments from the analyzer, implements the adjustments to the first set of parameters and applies the first set of parameters to the converter system.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the converter comprises a transcoder.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the analyzer system comprises a user interface.

24. A method for use in converting content, comprising:

receiving media content in a first converted format converted from a source format for distribution of the media content;

receiving parameter data associated with the media for use in converting the media content to a secondary format;

converting the media content in the first converted format to the secondary format;

applying the parameter data while converting the media content to the secondary format such that the parameter data at least in part controls the conversion of the media content to the secondary format.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the receiving the parameter data comprises:

determining whether the parameter data is received with the media content in the first converted format;

retrieving the parameter data when the parameter data is received with the media content in the first converted format; and

remotely retrieving the parameter data from over a network when the parameter data is not with the media content in the first converted format.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the applying the parameter data comprises:

identifying a portion of the media content to convert to the secondary format;

determining whether parameters are to be altered for the portion of the media content;

altering the parameter data when the parameter data is to be adjusted for the portion of the media content;

converting the portion of the media content while applying the altered parameter data to the secondary format; and

providing access to the media content from the secondary format.