Method and device for control and compatible delivery of digitally compressed visual data in a heterogeneous communication network

• US 6,498,865 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: PacketVideo Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Al-Shaykh, Osama, Chan, Cheuk L., Banham, Mark R., Brailean, James C., Wen, Jiangtao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Wenpeng
• Application Number:
  US09/248,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/239, 375/240.02, 375/240.27, 375/240.28, 375/240.23, 348/533, 370/230, 370/389, 370/229, 710/68
• US Class Current: 382/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/66 involving data partitioning, i.e. separation of data into packets or partitions according to importance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/68 involving the insertion of resynchronisation markers into the bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60

Abstract

A method and apparatus automatically manipulates a digitally compressed video bitstream such that the result is compatible with different bandwidth and error resilience requirements at a receiving point in a heterogeneous communication network. The method and device provide for analysis of bitstream header information to determine its relevant coding syntax parameters. Feedback from the receiving point on the network is then used to identify error robustness requirements for an intermediate bitstream. The bitstream is then manipulated by an error robustness regulator to achieve error protection in the network. The bitrate requirements of the network establish a selection of relevant and irrelevant bits from the bitstream The present method and device include identification of irrelevant and low priority video bits; intentional introduction of packet losses to reduce bitrate while maintaining visual quality; use of replacement tags for irrelevant and low priority components of the bitstream for compatible decoding by a wide array of decoders; and insertion of resynchronization tags and translation of predictively coded video packet bits for the improvement of error resilience.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating bits in a bitstream of encoded video data, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a standard type and a syntax used to compress the bitstream;

inserting predetermined bits into the bitstream and translating predictively coded information resulting in an intermediate bitstream with improvement of error robust localization and with improvement of decoding of the bitstream in accordance with the standard type and the syntax;

discarding selected bits from the intermediate bitstream based on the standard type and the syntax used to compress the bitstream resulting in an output bitstream having a bitrate compatible with that of a robust receiving terminal;

discarding packets of low priority bits associated with segments in a packet of video bits delimited by resynchronization markers or picture headers; and

selecting packets to discard on the basis of historical information of packets dropped in a previous frame to avoid repetitive removal of identical spatial areas of a scene.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining standard type and a syntax used to compress the bitstream further comprises the step of:

reading header bits; and

comparing said bits to a predetermined list of standard headers to identify a present standard type and syntax used to compress the bitstream.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting predetermined bits and translating predictively coded information further comprises the step of:

inserting resynchronization markers; and

translating differentially encoded motion vectors and associated texture data parameters to limit predictive coding to within a video packet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of discarding selected bits further comprises the step of:

discarding low priority bits associated with frames in an enhancement layer of a scalable bitstream.

5. A device for manipulating bits in a bitstream of encoded video. data, said device comprising:

means for determining a standard type and a syntax used to compress the bitstream;

means for inserting predetermined bits into the bitstream and translating predictively coded information resulting in an intermediate bitstream with improvement of error robust localization and with improvement of decoding of the bitstream in accordance with the standard type and the syntax;

means for discarding selected bits from the intermediate bitstream based on the standard type and the syntax used to compress the bitstream resulting in an output bitstream having a bitrate compatible with that of a robust receiving terminal;

means for discarding packets of low priority bits associated with segments in a packet of video bits delimited by resynchronization markers or picture headers; and

means for selecting packets to discard based on historical information of packets dropped in a previous frame to avoid repetitive removal of identical spatial areas of a scene.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said means for determining a standard type and a syntax used to compress the bitstream further comprises:

means for reading header bits and comparing said bits to a predetermined list of standard headers to identify a present standard type and syntax used to compress the bitstream.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said means for inserting predetermined bits and translating predictively coded information further comprises:

means for inserting resynchronization markers and translating differentially encoded motion vectors and associated texture data parameters to limit predictive coding to within a video packet.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein said means for discarding selected bits further comprising:

means for discarding low priority bits associated with frames in an enhancement layer of a scalable bitstream.