Method and apparatus for video transmission over a heterogeneous network using progressive video coding

• US 6,920,179 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anand, Raghavan, Lou, Hui-Ling, Podilchuk, Christine Irene
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US09/680,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 37524001-24029
• US Class Current: 375/240.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/36 Scalability techniques involving formatting the layers as a function of picture distortion after decoding, e.g. signal-to-noise [SNR] scalability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/37 with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/587 involving temporal sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. decimation or subsequent interpolation of pictures in a video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/63 using sub-band based transform, e.g. wavelets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16

Abstract

A video signal is encoded in a progressive video coder so as to generate a progressive coded video bit stream for transmission over a heterogeneous network. The progressive coded video bit stream is configured so as to be decodable at any one of a series of increasing bit rates up to a maximum bit rate, depending on which of a number of corresponding portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are received by a decoder. Each of the portions is associated with a different bit rate, and one or more of the portions may each also be associated with different values of other parameters such as frame rate, spatial resolution, and peak signal-to-noise ratio. Each of the series of increasing bit rates produces progressively better reconstructed video quality at an output of the decoder. The progressive coded bit stream is transmitted over a first part of the heterogeneous network at a first one of the bit rates. One or more selected portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are then transmitted from the first part of the heterogeneous network to a second part of the heterogeneous network. The selected portions are associated with a second one of the bit rates lower than the first bit rate, and may be selected based on an error detected in the transmission over the first part of the heterogeneous network, and/or a characteristic of the second part of the heterogeneous network. The invention provides efficient bit rate scalability and adaptability and is particularly well-suited for use in conjunction with transmission over heterogeneous wired-to-wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method of processing a video signal for transmission over a heterogeneous network, the method comprising the steps of:

coding the video signal in a progressive video coder so as to generate a progressive coded video bit stream comprising a plurality of frames of the video signal, wherein the progressive coded video bit stream is configured to be decodable at any one of a series of increasing bit rates up to a maximum bit rate, depending on which of a number of corresponding portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are received by a decoder, the portions being arranged within the progressive coded video bit stream in a predetermined sequence of increasing bit rates from an initial portion associated with a lowest one of the bit rates to a final portion associated with a highest one of the bit rates, and wherein each of the series of increasing bit rates produce progressively better reconstructed video quality at an output of the decoder;

transmitting the progressive coded video bit stream over a first part of the heterogeneous network at a first one of the bit rates; and

selectively transmitting one or more of the portions of the progressive coded video bit stream from the first part of the heterogeneous network to a second part of the heterogeneous network, the one or more portions being associated with a second one of the bit rates lower than the first bit rate, the one or more portions and the associated second bit rate being selected based at least in part on one or more of;

(i) an error detected in the transmission over the first part of the heterogeneous network; and

(ii) a characteristic of the second part of the heterogeneous network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the progressive coded video bit stream corresponds to a given group of frames of the video signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the corresponding portions is associated with a different bit rate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different frame rates.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different spatial resolutions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different signal-to-noise ratios.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the particular portions of the progressive coded video bit stream which are received over the first part of the heterogeneous network determine a corresponding amount of the bit stream that will be transmitted over the second part of the heterogeneous network to the decoder for decoding at a particular one of the series of increasing bit rates.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first part of the heterogeneous network comprises a wired network connection and the second part of the heterogeneous network connection comprises a wireless network connection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wired network connection comprises a wired Internet connection, and the wireless network connection comprises a wireless channel to a mobile receiver associated with the decoder.

10. An apparatus for use in processing a video signal, the video signal being coded so as to generate a progressive coded video bit stream comprising a plurality of frames of the video signal, wherein the progressive coded video bit stream is configured to be decodable at any one of a series of increasing bit rates up to a maximum bit rate, depending on which of a number of corresponding portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are received by a decoder, and wherein each of the series of increasing bit rates produce progressively better reconstructed video quality at an output of the decoder, the progressive coded video bit stream being transmitted over a first part of the heterogeneous network at a first one of the bit rates, the apparatus comprising:

a network element coupled between the first part of the heterogeneous network and a second part of the heterogeneous network, the network element being operative to selectively transmit one or more of the portions of the progressive coded video bit stream from the first part of the heterogeneous network to the second part of the heterogeneous network, the one or more portions being associated with a second one of the bit rates lower than the first bit rate, the one or more portions and the associated second bit rate being selected based at least in part on one or more of;

(i) an error detected in the transmission over the first part of the heterogeneous network; and

(ii) a characteristic of the second part of the heterogeneous network;

wherein the portions are arranged within the progressive coded video bit stream in a predetermined sequence of increasing bit rates from an initial portion associated with a lowest one of the bit rates to a final portion associated with a highest one of the bit rates.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the progressive coded video bit stream corresponds to a given group of frames of the video signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of the corresponding portions is associated with a different bit rate.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different frame rates.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different spatial resolutions.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of at least a subset of the corresponding portions are associated with different signal-to-noise ratios.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the particular portions of the progressive coded video bit stream which are received over the first part of the heterogeneous network determine a corresponding amount of the bit stream that will be transmitted over the second part of the heterogeneous network to the decoder for decoding at a particular one of the series of increasing bit rates.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first part of the heterogeneous network comprises a wired network connection and the second part of the heterogeneous network comprises a wireless network connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the wired network connection comprises a wired Internet connection, and the wireless network connection comprises a wireless channel to a mobile receiver associated with the decoder.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a storage medium for storing one or more software programs for use in processing a video signal for transmission over a heterogeneous network, the video signal being coded so as to generate a progressive coded video bit stream comprising a plurality of frames of the video signal, wherein the progressive coded video bit stream is configured to be decodable at any one of a series of increasing bit rates up to a maximum bit rate, depending on which of a number of corresponding portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are received by a decoder, and wherein each of the series of increasing bit rates produce progressively better reconstructed video quality at an output of the decoder, the progressive coded video bit stream being transmitted over a first part of the heterogeneous network at a first one of the bit rates, wherein the one or more programs when executed implement the step of:

selectively transmitting one or more of the portions of the progressive coded video bit stream from the first part of the heterogeneous network to a second part of the heterogeneous network, the one or more portions being associated with a second one of the bit rates lower than the first bit rate, the one or more portions and the associated second bit rate being selected based at least in part on one or more of;

(i) an error detected in the transmission over the first part of the heterogeneous network; and

(ii) a characteristic of the second part of the heterogeneous network;

wherein the portions are arranged within the progressive coded video bit stream in a predetermined sequence of increasing bit rates from an initial portion associated with a lowest one of the bit rates to a final portion associated with a highest one of the bit rates.

20. A video transmission system comprising:

a progressive video coder operative to code a video signal so as to generate a progressive coded video bit stream comprising a plurality of frames of the video signal, wherein the progressive coded video bit stream is configured to be decodable at any one of a series of increasing bit rates up to a maximum bit rate, depending on which of a number of corresponding portions of the progressive coded video bit stream are received by a decoder, the portions being arranged within the progressive coded video bit stream in a predetermined sequence of increasing bit rates from an initial portion associated with a lowest one of the bit rates to a final portion associated with a highest one of the bit rates, and wherein each of the series of increasing bit rates produce progressively better reconstructed video quality at an output of the decoder;

a heterogeneous network comprising at least a first part and a second part, the progressive coded video bit stream being transmitted over the first part of the heterogeneous network at a first one of the bit rates; and

a network element coupled between the first part of the heterogeneous network and the second part of the heterogeneous network, the network element being operative to selectively transmit one or more of the portions of the progressive coded video bit stream from the first part of the heterogeneous network to the second part of the heterogeneous network, the one or more portions being associated with a second one of the bit rates lower than the first bit rate, the one or more portions and the associated second bit rate being selected based at least in part on one or more of;

(i) an error detected in the transmission over the first part of the heterogeneous network; and

(ii) a characteristic of the second part of the heterogeneous network.