Picture transmission method, picture transmission method program, storage medium which stores picture transmission method program, and picture transmission apparatus

• US 7,529,298 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yasuda, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US10/133,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20020168006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,563 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.02, 375/240.01, 375/240.25, 375/240.26, 375/240.24, 375/240.1, 348/561, 348/576, 348/581, 348/14.12, 348/14.03, 348/14.02, 382/282, 382/239, 382/243, 725/101, 725/98, 725/87
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/167 Position within a video image, e.g. region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/174 the region being a slice, e.g. a line of blocks or a group of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/33 in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/37 with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data

Abstract

A picture transmission method is disclosed which involves encoding moving picture data and transmitting the encoded data. The picture transmission method includes the steps of encoding firstly the moving picture data into a moving picture stream for transmission at a predetermined data transfer rate, and encoding secondly, based on position information acquired from a transmission destination, a part of the moving picture data which constitutes a partial picture region for transmission at a higher resolution than the first encoding step.

Claims

1. A picture transmission method for encoding moving picture data and transmitting the encoded data, the method comprising the steps of:

encoding firstly said moving picture data into a moving picture stream for transmission at a predetermined data transfer rate; and

encoding secondly, based on selected position information transmitted from each of a plurality of user devices, a part of said moving picture data of a higher resolution than said first encoding step; and

transmitting said moving picture data of said first encoding step commonly to said plurality of devices while transmitting said moving picture data corresponding to the respective selected position information of said second encoding step, to each of said plurality of devices,

wherein selected position information from a first of the plurality of user devices is different from selected position information from a second of the plurality of user devices, and

wherein the second encoding step includes encoding the established partial picture regions for transmission at the higher resolution for a predetermined period of time, after which, encoding of the established partial picture regions at the higher resolution is halted after the selected position information has moved out of the partial picture region.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including, when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, gradually changing transmission of the data corresponding to the established partial picture region from the high resolution to the predetermined data transfer rate.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the encoding for transmission at the higher resolution for a predetermined period of time includes using a timer and discontinuing the second encoding step after the predetermined period of time has elapsed as determined using the timer.

4. A method according to claim 3, further including gradually returning transmission of data for the established partial picture region from the high resolution to the predetermined data transfer rate.

5. A picture transmission apparatus for encoding moving picture data and transmitting the encoded data, the apparatus comprising:

first encoding means for encoding said moving picture data into a moving picture stream for transmission at a predetermined data transfer rate; and

second encoding means which, based on selected position information transmitted from each of a plurality of user devices, encodes a part of said moving picture data of a higher resolution than said first encoding means, wherein said moving picture data of said first encoding step is transmitted commonly to said plurality of devices while transmitting said moving picture data corresponding to the respective selected position information of said second encoding step, to each of said plurality of devices,

wherein selected position information from a first of the plurality of user devices is different from selected position information from a second of the plurality of user devices, and

wherein the second encoding means includes encoding the established partial picture regions for transmission at the higher resolution for a predetermined period of time, after which, encoding of the established partial picture regions at the higher resolution is halted after the selected position information has moved out of the partial picture region.

6. A picture transmission apparatus for encoding moving picture data and transmitting the encoded data, the apparatus comprising:

a first encoding device which encodes said moving picture data into a moving picture stream for transmission at a predetermined data transfer rate; and

a second encoding device which, based on selected position information transmitted from each of a plurality of user devices, encodes a part of said moving picture data of a higher resolution than said first encoding device, wherein

said moving picture data of said first encoding step is transmitted commonly to said plurality of devices while transmitting said moving picture data corresponding to the respective selected position information of said second encoding step, to each of said plurality of devices,

wherein selected position information from a first of the plurality of user devices is different from selected position information from a second of the plurality of user devices, and

wherein the second encoding device is configured to encode the established partial picture regions for transmission at the higher resolution for a predetermined period of time, after which, encoding of the established partial picture regions at the higher resolution is halted after the selected position information has moved out of the partial picture region.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmission apparatus gradually ends transmission at the higher resolution to gradually return transmission of image data for said part of said moving picture data to the predetermined data transfer rate.