System and method for improved scalability support in mpeg-2 systems

• US 20070160126A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Kirenko, Ihor, Van Der Meer, Jan, Van Der Vleuten, Renatus, Bruls, Wilhelmus
• Application Number:
  US10/596,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240
• 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 19/187 the unit being a scalable video layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/31 in the temporal domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/33 in the spatial domain
• 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 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8451 using Advanced Video Coding [AVC]

Abstract

A heterogeneous layered video decoding system and associated method is disclosed that provides for flexible and cost effective scalability through the use of generic decoders (e.g., MPEG-2/4/AVC) at each layer instead of decoders specifically designed for scalable systems. In one embodiment, additional signaling information (220) embodied as a parameter list is transmitted along with the transport stream (250). The parameter list independently defines for each layer (BS, ES), how the particular layer is to be decoded. In this manner, a trade-off between complexity and efficiency is achieved. For example, the base layer (BS) may employ a sophisticated base layer AVC codec, while one or more enhancement layers (ES) may use an MPEG-2 codec that is half as complex as a full AVC codec but only slightly less efficient.

Claims

1. A method for providing heterogeneous layered video support, comprising the acts of:

constructing signaling information (220) defining how at least two layers (BS, ES) are to be combined at a decoder (200); and

transmitting the signaling information along with the at least two layers (BS, ES) in a transport stream (250) to the decoder (200).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transport stream (250) is an MPEG-2 transport stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said signaling information (220) is constructed as a plurality of parameter lists.

4. The method of claim 3 where each of said plurality of parameter lists define a unique quality of service (QOS) of said transport stream (250).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said signaling information (220) is constructed as a parameter list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said parameter list is comprised of a plurality of parameter values.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said parameter values define signaling information for each of said at least two layers (BS, ES).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said parameter values defines, for a corresponding layer, a DC compensation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two of said parameter values define, for a corresponding layer, horizontal FIR coefficients for to a filtering operation required to combine the corresponding layer with a reference layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two of said parameter values define, for a corresponding layer, vertical FIR coefficients for a filtering operation required to combine the corresponding layer with a reference layer.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said parameter values defines, for a corresponding layer, a video stream encoding type.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein a ratio of two of said parameter values defines, for a corresponding layer, a horizontal scaling factor.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein a ratio of two of said parameter values defines, for a corresponding layer, a vertical scaling factor.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said parameters defines an identifier of the reference layer to be combined with a current layer.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said parameters determines how the current layer is combined with the reference layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the current layer is combined with the reference layer in one of a parallel and sequential manner.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said parameters defines whether a corresponding layer contains one of an interlaced or progressive video stream.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling information is embedded by means of MPEG system descriptors.

19. A method for providing heterogeneous layered video support, comprising the acts of:

constructing signaling information (220) defining how at least two layers (BS, ES) are to be combined at a decoder (200); and

transmitting the signaling information (220) along with the at least two layers (BS, ES) in a program stream to the decoder (200).

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said program stream is an MPEG-2 program stream.

21. A method for providing heterogeneous layered video support, comprising the acts of:

constructing signaling information (220) defining how at least two layers (BS, ES) are to be combined at a decoder (200); and

transmitting the at least two layers (BS, ES) over at least one of an MPEG-2 transport stream, an MPEG-2 program stream and an Internet Protocol (IP) stream to the decoder; and

transmitting the signaling information over at least one of an MPEG-2 transport stream, an MPEG-2 program stream and an Internet Protocol (IP) stream to the decoder (200).

22. A method for providing heterogeneous layered video support, comprising the acts of:

constructing signaling information (220) defining how at least two layers (BS, ES) are to be combined at a decoder (200);

transmitting the at least two layers (BS, ES) over Internet Protocol using real-time transport protocol (RTP) in a transmission session for each layer; and

transmitting the signaling information (220) within the context of said transmission session.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said signaling information (220) is transmitted in-band within said session.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said signaling information (220) is transmitted out-of-band within said session.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said signaling information (220) is transmitted using session description protocol (SDP).