Method and apparatus for transmitting a coded video signal
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting a coded video image in real time via a data network, comprising:
- encoding a video image using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate to provide an encoded data stream having a streaming bit rate;
feeding the encoded data stream into a buffer of known size;
reading data from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired stream bit rate for transmission via the network;
monitoring the streaming bit rate of the encoded data stream from the encoder and predicting a future bit rate of the encoded data stream; and
adjusting the streaming bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer to provide the desired streaming bit rate; and
defining a set of strip-wise constant bit rate streaming levels,wherein the adjusting step includes a step selected from a group consisting of;
raising the streaming bit rate proportionately to an increase of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels; and
lowering the streaming bit rate proportionately to a decrease of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels,wherein the predicting step comprises using a prediction model that maps a curve corresponding to the streaming bit rate as a function of time based on a polynomial in at least a second order for ensuring smoothness of the curve,wherein the predicting step comprises presuming that a high content-based correlation in time exists between any two adjacent frames, andwherein the presuming step comprises disregarding a statistical outlier, the statistical outlier comprising at least one element selected from a group consisting essentially of a scene change and a scene cut.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for transmitting a digitally encoded video image in real time via a data network wherein the video image is digitally encoded using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate, e.g., JPEG2K, to provide an encoded data stream, the encoded data stream is fed into a buffer of known size, and the data is read from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired stream bit rate for transmission via the network. The bit rate of the encoded data stream from the encoder is monitored by a predictor and predicts a future bit rate of the encoded data stream; and, the bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer is adjusted to provide the desired streaming bit rate.
25 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting a coded video image in real time via a data network, comprising:
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encoding a video image using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate to provide an encoded data stream having a streaming bit rate; feeding the encoded data stream into a buffer of known size; reading data from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired stream bit rate for transmission via the network; monitoring the streaming bit rate of the encoded data stream from the encoder and predicting a future bit rate of the encoded data stream; and adjusting the streaming bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer to provide the desired streaming bit rate; and defining a set of strip-wise constant bit rate streaming levels, wherein the adjusting step includes a step selected from a group consisting of; raising the streaming bit rate proportionately to an increase of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels; and lowering the streaming bit rate proportionately to a decrease of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels, wherein the predicting step comprises using a prediction model that maps a curve corresponding to the streaming bit rate as a function of time based on a polynomial in at least a second order for ensuring smoothness of the curve, wherein the predicting step comprises presuming that a high content-based correlation in time exists between any two adjacent frames, and wherein the presuming step comprises disregarding a statistical outlier, the statistical outlier comprising at least one element selected from a group consisting essentially of a scene change and a scene cut. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of transmitting a coded video signal in real time via a data network, comprising:
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encoding a video signal using a compression algorithm, having a variable bit rate and a defined plurality of quality levels with a corresponding plurality of differing bit rates, to provide an encoded data stream having a streaming bit rate; feeding the encoded data stream to a buffer of known size; reading data from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired streaming bit rate for transmission via the network; monitoring the streaming bit rate at a time N of the encoded data signal and predicting a future bit rate at a time N+1 of the encoded data stream based on the bit rate at a time N; decreasing the encoding quality level and, thus, the encoding bit rate if the predicted encoding bit rate at a time N+1 is greater than a maximum permitted streaming bit rate; adjusting the streaming bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer to provide the desired streaming bit rate; and defining a set of strip-wise constant bit rate streaming levels, wherein the adjusting step includes a step selected from a group consisting of; raising the streaming bit rate proportionately to an increase of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels; and lowering the streaming bit rate proportionately to a decrease of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels, and wherein the predicting step comprises using a prediction model that maps a curve corresponding to the streaming bit rate as a function of time based on a polynomial in at least a second order for ensuring smoothness of the curve, wherein the predicting step comprises presuming that a high content-based correlation in time exists between any two adjacent frames, and wherein the presuming step comprises disregarding a statistical outlier, the statistical outlier comprising at least one element selected from a group consisting essentially of a scene change and a scene cut. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method of transmitting a coded video signal in real time via a data network comprising:
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encoding a video signal using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate and a defined plurality of quality levels with corresponding differing bit rates, to provide an encoded data stream having a streaming bit rate; feeding the encoded data stream to a buffer of known size; reading data from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired streaming bit rate for transmission via the network; monitoring the streaming bit rate at a time N of the encoded data signal and predicting a future bit rate at a time N+1 of the encoded data stream based on the bit rate at a time N; defining a set of step-wise constant bit rate streaming levels; increasing or decreasing the step level of the streaming bit rate at a time n+1, and thus the streaming bit rate, based on an increase or decrease, respectively, of the predicted encoding bit rate at a time N+1; adjusting the streaming bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer to provide the desired streaming bit rate; and defining a set of strip-wise constant bit rate streaming levels, wherein the adjusting step includes a step selected from a group consisting of; raising the streaming bit rate proportionately to an increase of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels; and lowering the streaming bit rate proportionately to a decrease of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels, and wherein the predicting step comprises using a prediction model that maps a curve corresponding to the streaming bit rate as a function of time based on a polynomial in at least a second order for ensuring smoothness of the curve, wherein the predicting step comprises presuming that a high content-based correlation in time exists between any two adjacent frames, and wherein the presuming step comprises disregarding a statistical outlier, the statistical outlier comprising at least one element selected from a group consisting essentially of a scene change and a scene cut. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for transmitting a coded video image in real time via a data network, comprising:
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a video encoder for encoding a video image using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate to provide an encoded data stream; a buffer of known size connected to receive the encoded data stream; a streamer with a controllable bit rate connected to the buffer to read data from the buffer and to provide a bit stream at a desired stream bit rate for transmission via the network; a predictor monitoring the bit rate of the encoded data stream from the encoder and predicting a future bit rate of the encoded data stream; and a control arrangement adjusting the bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer to provide the desired streaming bit rate, wherein at least on at least one of the encoder and the streamer is adapted to adjust the streaming bit rate for providing the desired streaming bit rate; and wherein the predictor is adapted to define a set of strip-wise constant bit rate streaming levels, wherein the control arrangement is adapted to effect an adjustment selected from a group consisting of; raising the streaming bit rate proportionately to an increase of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels; and lowering the streaming bit rate proportionately to a decrease of the predicted encoded bit rate level using the set of strip-wise streaming levels, and wherein the predictor is adapted to use a prediction model that maps a curve corresponding to the streaming bit rate as a function of time based on a polynomial in at least a second order for ensuring smoothness of the curve, wherein the predictor is adapted to presume that a high content-based correlation in time exists between any two adjacent frames, and wherein the predictor is adapted to disregard a statistical outlier, the statistical outlier comprising at least one element selected from a group consisting essentially of a scene change and a scene cut. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification