VDR METADATA TIMESTAMP TO ENHANCE DATA COHERENCY AND POTENTIAL OF METADATA

• US 20120038782A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Messmer, Neil W., Wilson, Brent
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• 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

A system and method for enhancing data coherency and potential of at least one metadata associated with a video data configured to operate in a visual dynamic range (VDR) format is disclosed. The system comprises a metadata framing structure which includes a header start of frame bit set, a packet type bit set, a configuration bit set, a variable depth configuration/metadata bit set, a header end of frame bit set, a timestamp bit set for specifying a frame delay count to apply the at least one metadata to the video data and a checksum check bit set. The at least one metadata is designed to embed within a code word guard bit position of at least one color channel of the video data and adaptable to embed within the VDR pipeline to enhance the quality of the video data.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing data coherency and potential of at least one metadata associated with a video data configured to operate in a visual dynamic range (VDR) format, the system comprising:

a metadata framing structure defined to include;

a header start of frame bit set for identifying a start of the metadata framing structure;

a packet type bit set for defining a payload and format of a subsequent metadata;

a configuration bit set for defining a configurable portion of the metadata framing structure;

a variable length configuration/metadata payload set having the video data and at least one metadata associated with the video data;

a header end of frame bit set for identifying an end of the metadata framing structure;

a timestamp bit set for specifying a frame delay count to apply the at least one metadata to the video data; and

a checksum check bit set for verifying data contained in the metadata framing structure;

whereby metadata may be embedded within a code word guard bit position of at least one color channel of the video data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the LSB of each color channel is utilized for non-VDR formats.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the code word guard bit position is adaptable to carry the at least one metadata having potentially high bandwidth.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the metadata framing structure is designed to operate with at least one metadata transporting interface.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the metadata transporting interface is selected from a group consisting of high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), digital visual interface (DVI), serial digital interface (SDI) and high-definition serial digital interface (HD-SDI).

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the metadata transporting interface comprises a display port.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the packet type bit set is defined to characterize the data transmitted within a data payload.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration bit set enables an optional framing in the metadata framing structure.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the timestamp bit set provides a reference to align the at least one metadata with the video data for maintaining the data coherency.

10. A method for implementing at least one metadata embedded in a metadata framing structure characterized for a video data frame in a visual dynamic range (VDR) pipeline for enhancing data coherency and potential of the at least one metadata, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing the video data frame using a camera;

(b) adding a camera metadata to the video data frame and generating a capture output data by a capture unit;

(c) sending the capture output data to a post production unit and color timing the capture output data by a color timing tool;

(d) creating a post production metadata by the color timing tool and embedding the post production metadata to the capture output data;

(e) generating a post production output data by the post production unit;

(f) sending the post production output data to a video pre-processor unit by means of at least one transmission medium;

(g) adding a video pre-processor metadata to the post production output data and generating a video pre-processor output data by the video pre-processor unit;

(h) sending the video-pre-processor output data to a display unit that utilizes an extended display identification data (EDID) interface thereby generating a video output data frame characterized in the metadata framing structure being configured with a timestamp bit set;

(i) extracting a display metadata from the display unit and applying the video pre-processor metadata and the display metadata to the video pre-processor unit for processing a subsequent video data frame utilizing the EDID interface; and

(j) repeating the steps (g) through (i) for processing all the video data frame associated with a video data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the method utilizes the EDID interface to interpret the display capabilities of the display unit.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein metadata comprises of (does not need to include all), but not limited to the camera metadata, the post production metadata, the video pre-processor metadata and the display metadata.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the timestamp bit set specifies a frame delay count used to apply the at least one metadata to the video data.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the timestamp bit set provides a reference to align the at least one metadata with the video data for maintaining the data coherency.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein metadata is utilized in the display unit to tone and gamut map the video data frame.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the camera metadata includes a plurality of camera settings and environment parameters.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the post production metadata includes a plurality of production environment and content characterization parameters.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the video pre-processor metadata includes a plurality of viewing environment characterization parameters.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the display metadata includes a plurality of display characterization parameters.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the post production unit may include an encoding unit.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein the video pre-processor unit may include a decoding unit.