Asynchronous control signal generating apparatus

• US 5,877,814 A
• Filed: 10/15/1996
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Joseph, Kuriacose, Ozkan, Mehmet Kemal, Reininger, Daniel Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US08/722,238
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 348/419, 348/500, 348/410, 348/423, 348/461, 348/426, 348/460, 348/402, 348/14, 348/401, 348/405, 348/17, 370/540, 370/537, 370/538, 358/133
• US Class Current: 348/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/14 Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation H04N19/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/177 the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams

Abstract

Apparatus for asynchronously generating control signals (CONTROL) is disclosed including a plurality of sources (5) of asynchronous data signals and a plurality of data processing channels (10, 14), each processing one of the data signals in response to a control signal (CONTROL). Each of a plurality of parameter determining circuits (10, 16) produces a signal (COMPLEXITY) representing a parameter of one of the data signals. A data sampler (30) samples the signals (COMPLEXITY) from all of parameter determining circuits (10, 16) substantially simultaneously at predetermined sampling time intervals. A control signal generator (30) generates control signals (CONTROL) for the data processing channels (10, 14) having values based on the sampled parameter representative signals (COMPLEXITY) and the preceding sampling time interval.

Claims

1. Apparatus for asynchronously generating control signals, comprising:

a plurality of sources of asynchronous data signals;

a plurality of data processing channels, each processing a respective one of the data signals responsive to a respective control signal;

a plurality of parameter determining circuits, each responsive to a respective one of the data signals, for producing a signal representing a parameter of the one of the data signals;

a data sampler, coupled to said plurality of parameter determining circuits, for sampling the parameter representative signals from all of parameter determining circuits substantially simultaneously at predetermined sampling time intervals; and

a control signal generator, responsive to the sampled parameter representative signals, for generating respective control signals for the plurality of data processing channels having values based on the sampled parameter representative signals and the preceding sampling time interval, wherein

each data signal source produces a data signal including successive groups of data having respective data group starting times;

the data sampler samples the parameter representative signals at sample times being every data group starting time of the respective data signals; and

the control signal generator generates the respective control signals having values which are normalized with respect to the time interval since the preceding sample time.

2. Apparatus for asynchronously generating control signals, comprising:

a plurality of sources of asynchronous data signals;

a plurality of data processing channels, each processing a respective one of the data signals responsive to a respective control signal;

a plurality of parameter determining circuits, each responsive to a respective one of the data signals, for producing a signal representing a parameter of the one of the data signals;

a data sampler, coupled to said plurality of parameter determining circuits, for sampling the parameter representative signals from all of parameter determining circuits substantially simultaneously at predetermined sampling time intervals; and

a control signal generator, responsive to the sampled parameter representative signals, for generating respective control signals for the plurality of data processing channels having values based on the sampled parameter representative signals and the preceding sampling time interval, wherein

each data signal source produces a data signal including successive frames of data having a respective frame period;

the data sampler samples the parameter representative signals at sample times controlled by successive quota update signal occurring at time intervals longer than a shortest one of the respective frame periods; and

the control signal generator generates the respective control signals having values which are normalized with respect to the time interval since the preceding sample time.