ENCODER INITIALIZATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080013619A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Whitney, Mark, Jayaram, Ranjith, Meylan, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/196 being specially adapted for the computation of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging previously computed encoding parameters processing of motion vectors H04N19/513

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for encoder initialization and communications. The apparatus may include a database and an encoder module. The database may be configured to receive a plurality of parameters to be used for operation of the encoder module. The database may be further configured to store the plurality of parameters and to provide the plurality of parameters to the encoder module. The encoder module includes an encoder configured to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database. When invoked, the encoder may rely on the database to initialize rather than performing measurements on the current signal that is to be encoded. In one aspect, the apparatus may be an access terminal that can seamlessly switch between different domains, different networks, different base stations, and different access points.

Claims

1. An apparatus for encoder initialization and communications, comprising:

an encoder module including an encoder; and

a database configured to receive a plurality of parameters to be used for operation of the encoder module, the database further configured to store the plurality of parameters, the database further configured to provide the plurality of parameters to the encoder module,

wherein the encoder is configured to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder module further includes a selector, wherein the encoder module is coupled to the database, and wherein the selector is coupled to the encoder.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the database and the selector are configured to provide bi-directional communications between the database and the selector, and wherein the encoder and the selector are configured to provide bi-directional communications between the encoder and the selector.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the selector comprises a frame rate selector, a bit rate selector, or a frame rate selector and a bit rate selector.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the selector comprises a frame selector, a bit rate selector, or a frame selector and a bit rate selector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder comprises an audio encoder, a video encoder, or a combination of an audio encoder and a video encoder.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to process audio, video, or multimedia information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an access terminal, wherein the access terminal further comprises a decoder module and a transceiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a device selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone, a wired telephone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a data transceiver, a modem, a pager, a camera, a game console, an MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player, a transcoding device, a media gateway system, an audio communications device, a video communications device, a multimedia communications device, a health monitor, or a component of any of the foregoing devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises one or more of the following:

band energy, a background noise estimate, a signal energy estimate, a channel energy estimate vector, a channel noise energy estimate vector, a threshold to determine a data rate, an adaptive codebook index, and wireless channel information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises one or more of the following:

a channel packet loss rate, a channel packet loss pattern, channel packet delay information, channel jitter, feedback channel information, scene information, and a supported bit rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database when one of the following occurs:

when the apparatus changes an encoder type being used, when the apparatus needs to change a data rate of the apparatus, when a communication session or call is initiated, or when the apparatus is powered-up.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encoder is configured to be initialized automatically upon one of the occurrences.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encoder type is one of the following:

G.711, G.723, G.729, Enhanced Variable Rate Codec (EVRC), Selectable Mode Vocoder (SMV), Fourth Generation Vocoder™

(4GVTM), Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR), Adaptive Multi-Rate-Wideband (AMR-WB) and the Skype audio encoder.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encoder type is one of the following:

H.263, H.264, H.323, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and the Skype video encoder.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database when one of the following occurs:

when the apparatus is handed off from a first domain to a second domain;

when the apparatus is handed off from a first network to a second network, wherein a data rate supported by the first network is different from a data rate supported by the second network;

when the apparatus is handed off from a third network to a fourth network, wherein an encoder type used by the third network is not supported by the fourth network;

or when a data rate of a network associated with the apparatus is changed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the encoder is configured to be initialized automatically upon one of the occurrences.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the handoffs occurs seamlessly.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the network, first network, the second network, the third network, and the fourth network is a communications network, an access point, or a base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein if the first domain is an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain, then the second domain is a circuit-switched (CS) domain, and if the first domain is a CS domain, then the second domain is an IMS domain.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein an IMS domain supports at least one of the following:

a wide area network (WAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and home radio frequency (HomeRF), and

wherein a CS domain supports at least one of the following;

second-generation wireless or cellular technologies (2G), third-generation wireless or cellular technologies (3G), fourth-generation wireless or cellular technologies (4G), cellular code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), CDMA 2000 EV-DO, CDMA 2000 1XRTT, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB).

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first network comprises a first base station, the second network comprises a second base station, the third network comprises a first base station, and the fourth network comprises a second base station.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first network comprises a first access point, the second network comprises a second access point, the third network comprises a first access point, and the fourth network comprises a second access point.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder module is the encoder, and wherein the encoder includes a selector.

25. A method of encoder initialization and communications, comprising:

receiving a plurality of parameters by a database, the plurality of parameters to be used for operation of an encoder;

storing the plurality of parameters in the database;

providing the plurality of parameters from the database; and

initializing the encoder based on the plurality of parameters from the database.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a first communication signal before the step of receiving a plurality of parameters;

generating the plurality of parameters based on the first communication signal;

receiving a second communication signal after the step of receiving the first communication signal, the second communication signal being a current signal, the first communication signal being a previous signal; and

encoding the current signal by the encoder after the step of initializing,

wherein the step of initializing comprises initializing the encoder based on the plurality of parameters associated with the previous signal and not the current signal that is encoded by the encoder.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

generating a second plurality of parameters based on the second communication signal;

receiving the second plurality of parameters by the database, the second plurality of parameters to be used for operation of the encoder;

storing the second plurality of parameters in the database;

receiving a third communication signal after the step of receiving the second communication signal;

providing the second plurality of parameters from the database;

initializing the encoder based on the second plurality of parameters; and

encoding the third communication signal by the encoder,

wherein the step of initializing the encoder based on the second plurality of parameters comprises initializing the encoder based on the second plurality of parameters associated with the second communication signal and not the third communication signal that is encoded by the encoder, and wherein the step of encoding the third communication signal comprises encoding the third communication signal without encoding the second communication signal at the same time.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first communication signal is a first audio signal, and the second communication signal is a second audio signal.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first communication signal is a first video signal, and the second communication signal is a second video signal.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the first communication signal is a first multimedia signal, and the second communication signal is a second multimedia signal.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting the plurality of parameters from the database;

comparing the selected plurality of parameters to a second plurality of parameters;

determining one or more parameters based on the comparison; and

providing the one or more parameters to the encoder and to the database.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the encoder is an encoder of an access terminal.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises one or more of the following:

band energy, a background noise estimate, a signal energy estimate, a channel energy estimate vector, a channel noise energy estimate vector, a threshold to determine a data rate, an adaptive codebook index, and wireless channel information.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the encoder is initialized when one of the following occurs:

when a type of the encoder is changed, when a data rate of the encoder needs to be changed, when a communication session or call is initiated, or when the encoder is powered-up.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the encoder is initialized when one of the following occurs:

when an apparatus comprising the encoder is handed off from a first domain to a second domain;

when the apparatus is handed off from a first network to a second network, wherein a data rate associated with the first network is different from a data rate associated with the second network;

when the apparatus is handed off from a third network to a fourth network, wherein an encoder type used by the third network is not supported by the fourth network;

or when a data rate of a network associated with the apparatus is changed.

36. An apparatus for encoder initialization and communications, comprising:

means for encoding a signal;

means for receiving a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters to be used for operation of the means for encoding;

means for storing the plurality of parameters;

means for providing the plurality of parameters from the means for storing; and

means for initializing the means for encoding based on the plurality of parameters provided by the means for storing.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising:

means for receiving communication signals, wherein the means for receiving communication signals is configured to receive a first communication signal and to receive a second communication signal after receiving the first communication signal, the second communication signal being a current signal, the first communication signal being a previous signal; and

means for generating parameters, wherein the means for generating parameters is configured to generate the plurality of parameters based on the first communication signal,

wherein the means for encoding is configured to encode the current signal without encoding the previous signal simultaneously, and wherein the means for initializing is configured to initialize the means for encoding based on the plurality of parameters associated with the previous signal and not the current signal that is encoded by the means for encoding.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for selecting the plurality of parameters, wherein the means for selecting comprises the means for receiving the plurality of parameters and the means for providing the plurality of parameters.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising:

means for selecting the plurality of parameters from the means for storing;

means for comparing the selected plurality of parameters to a second plurality of parameters;

means for determining one or more parameters based on the comparison; and

means for providing the one or more parameters to the means for encoding and to the means for storing.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for encoding is configured to encode an audio signal, a video signal, or a multimedia signal.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the apparatus is an access terminal.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for initializing is configured to initialize the means for encoding based on the plurality of parameters provided by the means for storing when one of the following occurs:

when the apparatus changes an encoder type being used, when the apparatus needs to change a data rate of the apparatus, when a communication session or call is initiated, or when the apparatus is powered-up.

43. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for initializing is configured to initialize the means for encoding based on the plurality of parameters provided by the means for storing when one of the following occurs:

when the apparatus is handed off from a first domain to a second domain;

when the apparatus is handed off from a first network to a second network, wherein a data rate associated with the first network is different from a data rate associated with the second network;

when the apparatus is handed off from a third network to a fourth network, wherein an encoder type used by the third network is not supported by the fourth network;

or when a data rate of a network associated with the apparatus is changed.

44. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a plurality of parameters by a database, the plurality of parameters to be used for operation of an encoder;

code for causing the at least one computer to store the plurality of parameters in the database; and

code for causing the at least one computer to provide the plurality of parameters from the database to allow the encoder to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to invoke initialization of the encoder, wherein the encoder is to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters from the database.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprising:

code for causing the at least one computer to generate the plurality of parameters based on a first communication signal; and

code for causing the at least one computer to invoke encoding of a second communication signal, the second communication signal being a current signal, and the first communication signal being a previous signal,

wherein the encoder is to be initialized based on the plurality of parameters associated with the previous signal and not the current signal.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein each of the first communication signal and the second communication signal is an audio signal, a video signal, or a multimedia signal.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the initialization of the encoder is invoked upon occurrence of one of the following events:

when a type of the encoder is changed, when a data rate of the encoder needs to be changed, when a communication session or call is initiated, or when the encoder is powered-up.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the initialization of the encoder is invoked upon occurrence of one of the following events:

when an apparatus comprising the encoder is handed off from a first domain to a second domain;

when the apparatus is handed off from a first network to a second network, wherein a data rate associated with the first network is different from a data rate associated with the second network;

when the apparatus is handed off from a third network to a fourth network, wherein an encoder type used by the third network is not supported by the fourth network;

or when a data rate of a network associated with the apparatus is changed.

50. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to select or determine the plurality of parameters for the database.

51. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprising:

code for causing the at least one computer to select the plurality of parameters from the database;

code for causing the at least one computer to compare the selected plurality of parameters to a second plurality of parameters;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine one or more parameters based on the comparison; and

code for causing the at least one computer to provide the one or more parameters to the encoder and to the database.

52. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the encoder is an encoder of an access terminal.