Communication network, method for transmitting a signal, network connecting unit and method for adjusting the bit rate of a scaled data flow
First Claim
1. A communication network comprising:
- a first network, which permits data transmission at a first bit rate;
a second network, which permits data transmission at a second bit rate;
wherein the first network and the second network are such that the first bit rate and the second bit rate are different from each other;
a first terminal, which is connected to the first network and which has an encoder which can generate a scaled data flow with at least two data layers from a signal to be coded, the data layers differing in their information content as regards the signal to be coded and the scaled data flow having a bit rate which is smaller than or equal to the first bit rate;
a second terminal, which is connected to the second network and which has a decoder by means of which a data flow which is transmittable over the second network is decodable; and
a network connecting unit, which is connected between the first and the second network and which is operable so as to receive the scaled data flow from the first network, so as to modify the received data flow, by removing at least one data layer, in such a way that the modified bit rate of the modified scaled data flow is smaller than or equal to the second bit rate, and so as to feed the modified scaled data flow into the second network, where the network connecting unit (18) further comprises;
a device for gathering information on network conditions in the second network; and
a device for communicating the information over a feedback channel from the network connecting unit to the first terminal wherein the first terminal is adapted to control the number of data layers generated by the encoder or to perform a subdivision of a data layer into a plurality of subscaling layers, in response to the information.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication network comprises a first network which permits data to be transmitted at a first bit rate and a second network which permits data to be transmitted at a second bit rate. A first terminal comprises an encoder which can generate a scaled data flow with at least two data layers from a signal to be coded. The data layers differ in their information content as regards the signal to be coded and the scaled data flow has a bit rate which is smaller than or equal to the first bit rate. A decoder is located in a second terminal and can decode a received data flow. The first and the second network are linked by a network connecting unit which can be operated so as to modify the received data flow by removing at least one data layer in such a way that the modified scaled data flow has a modified bit rate which is smaller than or equal to the second bit rate, and so as to feed the modified scaled data flow into the second network.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A communication network comprising:
-
a first network, which permits data transmission at a first bit rate;
a second network, which permits data transmission at a second bit rate;
wherein the first network and the second network are such that the first bit rate and the second bit rate are different from each other;
a first terminal, which is connected to the first network and which has an encoder which can generate a scaled data flow with at least two data layers from a signal to be coded, the data layers differing in their information content as regards the signal to be coded and the scaled data flow having a bit rate which is smaller than or equal to the first bit rate;
a second terminal, which is connected to the second network and which has a decoder by means of which a data flow which is transmittable over the second network is decodable; and
a network connecting unit, which is connected between the first and the second network and which is operable so as to receive the scaled data flow from the first network, so as to modify the received data flow, by removing at least one data layer, in such a way that the modified bit rate of the modified scaled data flow is smaller than or equal to the second bit rate, and so as to feed the modified scaled data flow into the second network, where the network connecting unit (18) further comprises;
a device for gathering information on network conditions in the second network; and
a device for communicating the information over a feedback channel from the network connecting unit to the first terminal wherein the first terminal is adapted to control the number of data layers generated by the encoder or to perform a subdivision of a data layer into a plurality of subscaling layers, in response to the information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for transmitting a signal over a first network and a second network which are serially arranged, the first network permitting data transmission at a first bit rate, the second network, permitting data transmission at a second bit rate, wherein the first network and the second network are such that the first bit rate and the second bit rate are different from teach other, comprising the following steps:
-
coding and sending a signal for transmission so as to obtain a scaled data flow, the data layers differing in their information content as regards the signal to be coded;
transmitting the scaled data flow in the first network at a first bit rate;
receiving the scaled data flow;
modifying the received scaled data flow by removing at least one data layer which is connected between the first and the second network, in such a way that the modified scaled data flow has a modified bit rate which is smaller than or equal to a second bit rate, the second bit rate being smaller than the first bit rate;
issuing the modified scaled data flow at the second bit rate;
transmitting the modified scaled data flow in the second network at the second bit rate for receiving and decoding the modified scaled data flow to obtain a decoded signal whose information content is less than that of the signal to be transmitted; and
gathering information on network conditions in the second network, where the step of coding and sending is performed in response to the information so as to control the number of data layers generated when coding or to perform a subdivision of a data layer into a plurality of subscaling layers.
-
-
13. A network connecting unit for connecting a first network, which permits data transmission at a first bit rate, and a second network, which permits data transmission at a second bit rate, wherein the first network and the second network are such that the first bit rate and the second bit rate are different from each other, comprising:
-
a device for receiving from the first network a scaled data flow which has been generated by a terminal by coding and which has at least two data layers which differ in their information content as regards a signal which forms the basis of the scaled data flow;
a device for modifying the scaled data flow by removing at least one data layer from the scaled data flow so as to obtain a modified scaled data flow which has a modified bit rate which is smaller than or equal to a specified bit rate;
a device for issuing the modified scaled data flow at the modified bit rate into the second network;
a device for gathering information on network conditions in the second network; and
a device for communicating the information over a feedback channel from the network connecting unit to the first terminal so that the first terminal responds to the information by controlling the number of data layers generated when coding or by performing a subdivision of a data layer into a plurality of subscaling layers.
-
-
14. A method for adjusting the bit rate of a scaled data flow to a specified bit rate, comprising the following steps:
-
receiving from a first network a scaled data flow which has been generated by a terminal by coding and which has at least two data layers which differ in their information content as regards a signal which forms the basis of the scaled data flow;
modifying, by a network connecting unit, the scaled data flow by removing at least one data layer from the scaled data flow so as to obtain a modified scaled data flow which has a modified bit rate which is smaller than or equal to the specified bit rate;
issuing the modified scaled data flow at the modified bit rate into a second network, wherein the first network permits data transmission at a first bit rate, wherein the second network permits data transmission at a second bit rate, and wherein the first network and the second network are such that the first bit rate and the second bit rate are different from each other;
gathering information on network conditions in the second network;
communicating the information over a feedback channel from the network connecting unit to the terminal; and
in the first terminal, controlling the number of data layers generated when coding or performing a subdivision of a data layer into a plurality of subscaling layers, in response to the information.
-
Specification