Method for enhancing video compression through automatic data analysis and profile selection

• US 6,557,001 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moonlight Cordless Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Moonlight Cordless Ltd.
• Inventors: Medan, Yoav, Dvir, Ira
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US09/438,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/500, 707/500.1, 370/465, 375/240, 345/502, 345/723, 709/200, 709/217, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/149 by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/196 being specially adapted for the computation of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging previously computed encoding parameters processing of motion vectors H04N19/513
• 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 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/57 Motion estimation characterised by a search window with variable size or shape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/577 Motion compensation with bidirectional frame interpolation, i.e. using B-pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system and method for rapid video data compression and transmission for a wireless remote monitor. The compression method is adjusted according to the type of software application which generated the video data, and according to the characteristics of the data itself. Preferably, the type and profile of video data compression is selected by a profile manager, which detects the characteristics of the video data to determine the character of the data, and then which selects the video data compression method and profile according to the video data character. The compression method and system may be used with a device for remotely displaying information from a monitor of a main computer and for remotely and fully controlling the main computer.

Claims

1. A method for compressing display data, according to a compression method, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of different display data compression profiles, each of said compression profiles being associated with a plurality of characteristics of a type of the display data, wherein the compression method is adjusted according to said plurality of characteristics of said type of the display data to form an adjusted compression method;

receiving the display data to be compressed to form received data;

determining at least one characteristic of said type of said received data;

selecting a profile according to said at least one characteristic; and

compressing said received data with said adjusted compression method according to at least one parameter determined according to the characteristics of said received data, and wherein said compression method allows adjusting of at least one of a number of intra-frames, bidirectional frames, or predictable frames.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining at least one characteristic of said type of said received data comprises:

sampling a plurality of groups of rasters of said received data;

determining at least one parameter for said plurality of groups of rasters; and

determining said at least one characteristic according to said at least one parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one parameter is selected from the group consisting of a number of unique colors in the screen, a presence of static dark thin rows of pixels or large static blocks, and a level of motion in the screen between one frame and the next frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said compression profile is adjusted according to a factor selected from the group consisting of maximum resolution, refresh rate and color handling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said compressing is performed according to an MPEG compression procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display data is compressed for a user, and said selecting said profile further comprises:

overriding a selection of said profile by said user; and

substituting a different profile according to a selection by said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said plurality of different display data compression profiles includes:

analyzing each type of display data to determine at least one characteristic of each type of said received data; and

associating one of said plurality of different display data compression procedures with each type of display data according to said at least one characteristic for optimal compression of the display data to form said compression profile.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting said profile further comprises:

sampling a plurality of rasters of said received data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said video display data comprises video game video display data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said video display data comprises television video display data.

11. A method for compressing display data in a system wherein the user interface comprises a remote monitor, the display data being displayed on the remote monitor in a form of video display data, the method comprising:

analyzing each type of video display data to determine at least one characteristic of each type of video display data;

associating one of a plurality of different video data compression profiles with each type of video display data according to said at least one characteristic for optimal compression of the video display data to form said compression profile;

receiving the video display data for compression to form received data;

selecting said compression profile for compressing said received data, comprising;

determining at least one characteristic of said type of said received data; and

selecting a profile according to said at least one characteristic of said type of said received data; and

compressing said received data with a compression method adjusted according to said compression profile, wherein said compression method allows adjusting of at least one of a number of intra-frames, bidirectional frames, or predictable frames.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said selecting said compression profile is performed manually.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said selecting said compression profile is performed automatically.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining at least one characteristic of said type of said received data comprises:

sampling a plurality of groups of rasters of said received data;

determining at least one parameter for said plurality of groups of rasters; and

determining said at least one characteristic according to said at least one parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one parameter is selected from the group consisting of a number of unique colors in the screen, a presence of static dark thin rows of pixels or large static blocks, and a level of motion in the screen between one frame and the next frame.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said compression profile is adjusted according to a factor selected from the group consisting of maximum resolution, refresh rate and color handling.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said compression procedure comprises an MPEG compression procedure.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one characteristic of said received data is a type of a software application for generating the video display data, such that said selecting said profile is performed by selecting said profile according to said type of said software application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said software application is operated by an operating system, such that an identity is provided by said operating system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said video display data comprises video game video display data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said video game video display data comprises three-dimensional video game video display data.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein said video display data comprises television video display data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said television video display data comprises three-dimensional television video display data.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein said selecting said profile further comprises:

sampling a plurality of rasters of said type of received data to determine said at least one characteristic of said type of said received data.

25. A method for compressing bitmap data, the bitmap data comprising at least one bitmap, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of different bitmap data compression profiles, each of said compression profiles being associated with a plurality of characteristics of the bitmap data;

receiving the bitmap data to be compressed to form received data;

determining at least one characteristic of said received data;

selecting a profile according to said at least one characteristic; and

compressing said received data according to at least one parameter determined by said profile, wherein said compressing is performed according to a compression procedure that allows adjusting of at least one of a number of intra-frames, bi-directional frames, or predictable frames.

26. A method for compressing display data for transmission to a wireless remote monitor, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of different display data compression profiles, each of said compression profiles being associated with a plurality of characteristics of the display data;

receiving the display data to be compressed to form received data;

determining at least one characteristic of said received data;

selecting a profile according to said at least one characteristic;

compressing said received data according to at least one parameter determined by said profile, wherein said compressing is performed according to a compression procedure that allows adjusting of at least one of a number of intra-frames, bi-directional frames, or predictable frames; and

transmitting said received data to the wireless remote monitor.