METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRIORITY-BASED DIGITAL MULTI-STREAM DECODING

• US 20100040151A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garrett, Jon Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.250
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for priority-based digital multi-stream decoding. A, multi-stream decoder may be enabled to decode and present multiple streams of a multi-stream multimedia application, simultaneously. The multi-stream decoder may be enabled to determine a priority level for each of the received multiple streams of the multimedia application. A high-priority stream may be decoded and presented at a high frame rate and a relative high resolution level, while a lower-priority stream may be decoded and presented at a low frame rate and a relative low resolution level. The decoded frames may be presented in a picture-in-picture format. The priority level for each of the received multiple streams may depend on user input, a user profile, and/or a display capability.

Claims

1. A method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of streams of multimedia data;

determining a priority level for each of said received plurality of streams of multimedia data; and

decoding and presenting frames associated with one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data at a frame rate based on said determined priority level.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising decoding frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a high priority level at a high frame rate.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising presenting frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a high priority level at a high resolution.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising decoding frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a low priority level at a low frame rate.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising decoding frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a low priority level at a low resolution.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising presenting frames associated with said received plurality of streams of multimedia data in a picture-in-picture format.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined priority level is based on user input.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined priority level is based on a user profile.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined priority level is based on a display capability available for presenting said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining picture sizes and picture positions based on said determined priority level for presenting said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to decode frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a high priority level at a high frame rate.

11. A system for processing data, the system comprising:

one or more circuits operable to receive a plurality of streams of multimedia data;

said one or more circuits are operable to determine a priority level for each of said received plurality of streams of multimedia data; and

said one or more circuits are operable to decode and present frames associated with one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data at a frame rate based on said determined priority level.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to present frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a high priority level at a high resolution.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to decode frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a low priority level at a low frame rate.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to decode frames associated with said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data comprising a low priority level at a low resolution.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to present frames associated with said received plurality of streams of multimedia data in a picture-in-picture format.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said determined priority level is based on user input.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said determined priority level is based on a user profile.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said determined priority level is based on a display capability available for presenting said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to determine picture sizes and picture positions based on said determined priority level for presenting said one or more of said plurality of received streams of multimedia data.