Using a receiver model to multiplex variable-rate bit streams having timing constraints
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling a rate at which a bit stream encoded at a variable rate is output, the apparatus comprising:
- a queue for receiving and storing the bit stream;
a processor for applying a model of a receiver for the bit stream to information read from the bit stream to determine an output rate for outputting the bit stream;
a bit stream analyzer for analyzing at least timing information and picture size information in said bit stream; and
output apparatus responsive to the output rate for outputting the bit stream from the queue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for determining an output rate for a bit stream, the output rate being determined by applying information read from the bit stream to a model of a receiver for the bit stream. The techniques are employed to construct a statistical multiplexer that multiplexes varying bit-rate MPEG-2 bit streams onto a satellite up-link. Minimum and maximum output rates for each MPEG-2 bit stream are determined such that neither a queue for the bit stream in the multiplexer nor the bit stream'"'"'s decoder will underflow or overflow. The rates with regard to the decoder are determined using timing information read from the bit stream and a general model of an MPEG-2 decoder. The multiplexer first allocates each bit stream its minimum bandwidth and then allocates any remaining bandwidth to the bit streams in proportion to the difference between the minimum and maximum output rates for the bit streams, with no bit stream receiving more than its maximum output rate. If there is not enough bandwidth to give every bit stream its minimum rate, bit rates are allocated according to priorities assigned to the bit streams.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling a rate at which a bit stream encoded at a variable rate is output, the apparatus comprising:
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a queue for receiving and storing the bit stream; a processor for applying a model of a receiver for the bit stream to information read from the bit stream to determine an output rate for outputting the bit stream; a bit stream analyzer for analyzing at least timing information and picture size information in said bit stream; and output apparatus responsive to the output rate for outputting the bit stream from the queue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of dynamically determining an output rate at which a bit stream encoded at a variable rate is output to a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving and storing the bit stream in a queue; analyzing said bit stream for at least timing information and picture size information; in a processor, applying a model of the receiver to information read from the bit stream to determine the output rate; and outputting the bit stream from the queue at the output rate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for controlling a rate at which an encoder encodes a bit stream, the apparatus comprising:
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a queue for receiving and storing the bit stream from the encoder; a bit stream analyzer for analyzing at least timing information and picture size information in said bit stream; and a processor coupled to the bit stream and to the encoder for applying a model of a receiver for the bit stream to the information read from the bit stream to determine the rate at which the encoder encodes the bit stream. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification