Method for managing video broadcast

• US 5,847,760 A
• Filed: 05/22/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inductive Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Optibase Ltd.
• Inventors: Elmaliach, Yehuda, Bassan-Eskenazi, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US08/862,051
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/390, 348/845, 348/419, 348/411
• US Class Current: 348/390.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• 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 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/177 the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a system which provide a plurality of compressed presentations for each frame of the original video signal, each presentation provided according to a different bit-rate, wherein the transmitting system selects from the compressed presentations a presentation, which is most suitable for the bit-rate, currently available over the transmission line and transmits it.

Claims

1. A method for providing and managing a real time, variable bit-rate, compressed video broadcast signal to be transmitted over a variable bit-rate transmission line, the transmission line being characterized by a maximal bit-rate value and a minimal bit-rate value, the method comprising the steps of:

A. converting a video signal into a group of at least two compressed frame-sets, each said frame-set compressed according to a different bit-rate value, said bit-rate values being no greater than said maximal bit-rate value, each said compressed frame-set including the same group of pictures (GOP) arrangement;

B. detecting the available bit-rate value, currently available over said transmission line;

C. selecting one of said compressed frame-sets, wherein said bit-rate value of said selected compressed frame-set is not higher than said available bit-rate value;

D. selecting a GOP of said selected compressed frame-set as output; and

E. repeating said steps B-D in order to select the next GOP.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting said GOP over said transmission line.

3. A system for providing and managing a real time, variable bit-rate, compressed video broadcast signal, the system being connected on input to a video source and on output to a transmitter which is further connected to a variable bit-rate transmission line, the transmission line being characterized by a maximal bit-rate value and a minimal bit-rate value, the system comprising:

a video encoder connected to said video source for compressing a video signal received from said video source into at least two compressed frame-sets, each said frame-set being compressed according to a different bit-rate value; and

a controller connected to said video encoder and to said transmitter, for receiving an available bit-rate value from said transmitter, for selecting one of said compressed frame-sets, for selecting a group of frames (GOP) from said selected compressed frame-set and for providing said selected GOP to said transmitter,

wherein the bit-rate value of said selected compressed frame-set is not greater than said available bit-rate value.