Video Quality of Service Management and Constrained Fidelity Constant Bit Rate Video Encoding Systems and Method

• US 20080075163A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Sean, Brydon, Neil, Hunt, Danny
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/10 using adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/149 by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• 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 19/159 Prediction type, e.g. intra-frame, inter-frame or bidirectional frame prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/184 the unit being bits, e.g. of the compressed video stream
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A constrained variable rate coding technique limits the number of bits used in an encoding process. A quality setting indicates a maximum level of quality to be used in the encoding process which limits the number of bits used in the encoding process. A bandwidth reclamation factor which indicates an amount of bandwidth to conserve may also be used with the quality setting. The constrained variable rate coding technique using a lower quality encoding process for less complex video data and a higher quality encoding technique for higher quality video data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coding video data comprising:

a coding precision unit which is configured to adjust a number of bits used in a coding operation for coding the video data;

a core coding unit responsive to the coding precision unit which is configured to encode or decode the video data,

wherein the coding precision unit receives a maximum quality setting which indicates a maximum coding quality to be used on the video data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maximum quality setting provides a lower quality coding for simple video sequences than for complex video sequences.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maximum quality setting is provided by a quality setting adjustment unit which receives a bandwidth reclamation factor.

4. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bandwidth reclamation factor indicates an amount of bandwidth to be made available.

5. A method of coding video data comprising the steps of:

receiving a maximum quality setting;

determining a coding precision amount based on the maximum quality setting; and

coding the video data based on the coding precision amount.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the maximum quality setting provides a lower quality coding for simple video sequences than for complex video sequences.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the maximum quality setting is determined based on a bandwidth reclamation factor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bandwidth reclamation factor indicates an amount of bandwidth to be made available.

9. A computer readable medium carrying instructions for a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving a maximum quality setting;

determining a coding precision amount based on the maximum quality setting; and

coding the video data based on the coding precision amount.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the maximum quality setting provides a lower quality coding for simple video sequences than for complex video sequences.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the maximum quality setting is determined based on a bandwidth reclamation factor.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the bandwidth reclamation factor indicates an amount of bandwidth to be made available.