Multiple encoder output buffer apparatus for differential coding of video information

• US 5,416,520 A
• Filed: 11/30/1993
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1993
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kuzma, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/159,665
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 348/384, 348/400, 348/401, 348/409, 348/412, 348/423, 348/419
• US Class Current: 375/240.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/50 using predictive coding H04N19/61 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00

Abstract

Feedback is introduced between a video CODEC and the intended communications channel such that the characteristics of the channel are used to drive multiple video output buffers. These multiple output buffers share an original temporal video reference, but have different subsequent temporal video images. The communications channel interface then picks the subsequent video image buffer that best matches the current conditions experienced by it. By using a predictor of the channel performance, the video algorithm can be tuned to provide video output buffers with the best guess of how the buffers should be configured. A number of subsequent histories of an image are buffered until the receiving channel indicates it is ready to receive the next. Then the appropriate output buffer having the corresponding temporal change in the video is used to supply the next frame change information to the receiving station.

Claims

1. For use in a communications network having a plurality of nodes wherein a node may encode real-time information for propagating over said network, a method of processing said real-time information comprising the steps of:

providing said node with a plurality of output buffers;

(a) electronically capturing said real-time information and converting it into electronic data;

(b) differentially encoding said electronic data using a previously stored transmit reference image as a base to produce differential data;

(c) storing said differential data in one of said plurality of output buffers;

(d) monitoring said network for access to propagate said differential data;

repeating steps (a)-(d) until said node may propagate said differential data over said network;

transmitting data over said network from the one of said plurality of output buffers providing a best differential data to a receiving node on said network, wherein said best differential data represents a differential data whose use in conjunction with the previously stored transmit reference image produces an image that approximates a current frame better than use of other differential data contained in said plurality of output buffers; and

calculating a new transmit reference image based on said best differential data and said previously stored transmit reference image.