Method for speeding MPEG encoding using JPEG pre-processing

• US 6,052,555 A
• Filed: 10/26/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ferguson, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Application Number:
  US09/179,543
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 348/10, 348/11, 348/12, 348/13, 348/7, 348/390, 348/385, 348/384, 348/388, 348/400, 348/401, 348/402, 348/409, 348/415, 348/416, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/6.1, 455/5.1, 455/4.2
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/436 using parallelised computational arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/439 using cascaded computational arrangements for performing a single operation, e.g. filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/083 with signal insertion during the vertical and the horizontal blanking interval , e.g. MAC data signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

MPEG compression for video/audio data is completed in real- or better than real-time by using computer processors in thousands of television receiver set-top boxes interconnected to a cable television network. The set-top boxes form a massively parallel, distributed computer network. MPEG compression for video/audio services is completed by partitioning the processing of video/audio frames into subtasks, and distributing these subtasks to set-top boxes that are not being used for subscriber services. After MPEG processing, the compressed video/audio frames are collected from the set-top boxes and are reconstructed into a compressed video/audio stream in the proper temporal order. If desired, the original video data can be JPEG-encoded prior to distribution to the individual set-top boxes, and then JPEG-decoded at the boxes. So doing reduces bandwidth constraints on the distribution network. Moreover, the lossy JPEG encoding/decoding process removes high frequency components from the original video data, facilitating and speeding the MPEG compression.

Claims

1. A method of MPEG processing comprising:

providing plural processors;

partitioning a video stream into plural groups of pictures, each group including one or more frames of pixel data;

JPEG compressing plural of said frames of pixel data; and

transmitting different of said groups of JPEG-compressed frame data to different of said processors for MPEG processing;

wherein said JPEG processing reduces the amount of data to be transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1 which further includes:

JPEG decompressing said frames of pixel data at said plural processors prior to MPEG processing;

wherein said JPEG compression/decompression speeds subsequent MPEG processing by reducing high frequency image components present for MPEG processing.