Method and device for image and video transmission over low-bandwidth and high-latency transmission channels

• US 20070183493A1
• Filed: 11/25/2005
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barco NV
• Original Assignee: Barco NV
• Inventors: Kimpe, Tom
• Application Number:
  US10/567,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20070183493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• 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 19/127 Prioritisation of hardware or computational resources
• 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 19/154 Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/37 with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/90 using coding techniques not provided for in groups H04N19/10-H04N19/85, e.g. fractals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 : using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 : using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for transmission of a images and/or video over bandwidth limited transmission channels having varying available bandwidth, which method comprises the use of a classification algorithm for decomposing the images and/or video to be transmitted into multiple spatial areas, each area having a specific image type; detecting the image type of each of those areas separately selecting for each of those areas an image and/or video encoding algorithm having a compression ratio. The classification algorithm prioritizes each of the areas, the classification algorithm increasing the compression ratio of the image and/or video encoding algorithm dedicated to spatial areas having lower priority in case of decreasing bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for transmission of images and/or video over bandwidth limited transmission channels having varying available bandwidth between a server and multiple devices, the method comprising the use of a classification algorithm for each of the images and/or video to be provided to a device, for:

decomposing the images and/or video to be transmitted into multiple spatial areas, each area having a specific image type;

detecting the image type of each of those areas

separately selecting for each of those areas an image and/or video encoding algorithm having a compression ratio;

wherein each of said devices are prioritized, said classification algorithm increasing the compression ratio of the image and/or video encoding algorithms dedicated to a device having lower priority in case of decreasing bandwidth.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing of the devices is done based on the applications accessed through each of said devices.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing of the devices is done based on the identity of users using said devices.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said method includes a step of user log-on to one of said devices.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing of the devices is done based on location of said devices.

28. A method as in claim 1, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.

6. A method for securing transmission of data from a server to a portable imaging device, the method comprising:

determining the exact position of the portable imaging device with respect to an authorised area,

based on the determined exact position of the portable imaging device, determining whether the portable device is authorized to receive specific data over a predetermined transmission channel,

transmitting, from the server to the portable imaging device, the specific data requested if authorisation is granted, the portable imaging device having a display area, the method furthermore being adapted for removing at least from the display area at least confidential data when the portable imaging device leaves the authorised area.

7. A method according to claim 6, the method furthermore being adapted for showing at least on the display area at least confidential data when the portable imaging device enters the authorised area.

8. A method according to claim 6, the method furthermore being adapted for removing at least confidential data from volatile and/or non-volatile memory elements in the portable imaging device when the portable imaging device leaves the authorised area.

9. A method according to claim 6, the method furthermore comprising encrypting confidential data when the portable imaging device leaves the authorised area.

10. A method according to claim 9, the method furthermore comprising decrypting confidential data when the portable imaging device enters the authorised area.

11. A method according to claim 6, the method furthermore comprising using a different transmission channel for transmitting the requested data, the transmission channel used depending on the determined exact position of the portable imaging device.

12. A method according to claim 11, the portable imaging device determining which transmission channel to use for transmitting the requested data.

13. A method according to claim 11, the server determining which transmission channel to use for transmitting the requested data.

29. A method as in claim 6, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.

14. A method for reducing latency in a client-server computer system, the server being adapted for generating data at least dependent on one or more parameter values, the method comprising:

predicting possible reachable future parameter values, predicting possible future parameter values being performed by the client, after which these predicted parameter values are sent to the server;

generating data corresponding to the predicted parameter values, and sending this data to the client, and

the client caching this generated data corresponding to parameter values for future use.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the client uses the cached data when a corresponding parameter value is set.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the client uses the cached data when a parameter value is set which falls within a predetermined range around the parameter valued for which the cached data had been generated.

30. A method as in claim 14, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.

31. A method as in claim 16, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.

17. A method for transmission of images and/or video over bandwidth limited transmission channels having varying available bandwidth, the method comprising the use of a classification algorithm for

decomposing the images and/or video to be transmitted into multiple spatial areas, each area having a specific image type;

detecting the image type of each of those areas

separately selecting for each of those areas an image and/or video encoding algorithm having a compression ratio;

wherein said classification algorithm prioritizes each of said areas, said classification algorithm increasing the compression ratio of the image and/or video encoding algorithm dedicated to spatial areas having lower priority in case of decreasing bandwidth.

18. A method for transmission of images and/or video over a transmission channel from a server to a client, the method comprising the steps of

decomposing the images and/or video to be transmitted into multiple spatial areas, each area having a specific image type;

detecting the image type of each of those areas;

separately selecting for each of those areas an image and/or video encoding algorithm using a code for encoding said images and/or video of said area;

wherein said client is a reconfigurable device, said method further comprising the step of reconfiguring said reconfigurable device for decoding said images and/or video of said areas.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising the steps of

adaptation of said encoding algorithms used for the encoding, the adaptation being based on current or predicted transmission channel properties;

reconfiguring said reconfigurable device for decoding said images and/or video of said areas, based on the adapted image and/or video encoding algorithms.

20. A method as in claim 18, wherein all used image and/or video encoding algorithms are available at said reconfigurable device.

21. A method as in claim 18, wherein only part of said image and/or video encoding algorithms are available at said reconfigurable device, said method further comprising the step of downloading image and/or video encoding algorithms not being available at said reconfigurable device.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein downloaded image and/or video encoding algorithms are saved at said reconfigurable device.

23. A method as in claim 21, wherein said image and/or video encoding algorithms to be downloaded are sent over a separate connection between server and reconfigurable device.

24. A method as in claim 19, wherein said reconfiguring is a partial reconfiguring of said reconfigurable device.

25. A method as in claim 18, wherein said reconfiguring is done from a server.

32. A method as in claim 18, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.

26. A method for transmission of images and/or video over bandwidth limited transmission channels having varying available bandwidth, the method comprising the use of a classification algorithm for

decomposing the images and/or video to be transmitted into multiple spatial areas, each area having a specific image type;

detecting the image type of each of those areas

separately selecting for each of those areas an image and/or video encoding algorithm having a compression ratio;

said method further comprising the steps of

encoding each of said areas by an image and/or video encoding algorithm;

transmitting said encoded images and/or video;

decoding each of said areas by an image and/or video encoding algorithm;

wherein prior to encoding at least one of said area being provided with padding pixels, said padding pixels being replaced by part of one of the other areas during decoding.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein said padding pixels represent zones where at least two areas overlap.

33. A method as in claim 26, wherein said method is used in a hospital environment.