System and method for thinning of scalable video coding bit-streams
First Claim
1. A digital video communication system comprising:
- at least one encoding device for transmitting coded digital video using a scalable video coding format that supports one or more of temporal, spatial or quality scalability,at least one decoding device for decoding at least one digital video stream coded in a scalable video coding format, anda Scalable Video Coding Server (SVCS) linked to the at least one decoding device and the at least one encoding device by at least one communication channel each,wherein the video signal transmitted from the at least one encoding device is partitioned into distinct data sets comprising;
a first data set corresponding to the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device,a second data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device,a third auxiliary data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions than the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing at least information that is used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, andan optional fourth data set corresponding to layers that correspond to higher temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device,such that the SVCS can selectively multiplex data from the second and third data sets to the at least one decoding device in conjunction with that of the first data set and optionally the fourth data set.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for videoconferencing that offers, among other features, extremely low end-to-end delay as well as very high scalability. The system accommodates heterogeneous receivers and networks, as well as the best-effort nature of networks such as those based on the Internet Protocol. The system relies on scalable video coding to provide a coded representation of a source video signal at multiple temporal, quality, and spatial resolutions. These resolutions are represented by distinct bitstream components that are created at each end-user encoder. System architecture and processes called SVC Thinning allow the separation of data into data used for prediction in other pictures and data not used for prediction in other pictures. SVC Thinning processes, which can be performed at video conferencing endpoints or at MCUs, can selectively remove or replace with fewer bits the data not used for prediction in other pictures from transmitted bit streams. This separation and selective removal or replacement of data for transmission allows a trade-off between scalability support (i.e. number of decodable video resolutions), error resiliency and coding efficiency.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A digital video communication system comprising:
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at least one encoding device for transmitting coded digital video using a scalable video coding format that supports one or more of temporal, spatial or quality scalability, at least one decoding device for decoding at least one digital video stream coded in a scalable video coding format, and a Scalable Video Coding Server (SVCS) linked to the at least one decoding device and the at least one encoding device by at least one communication channel each, wherein the video signal transmitted from the at least one encoding device is partitioned into distinct data sets comprising; a first data set corresponding to the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a second data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a third auxiliary data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions than the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing at least information that is used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, and an optional fourth data set corresponding to layers that correspond to higher temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, such that the SVCS can selectively multiplex data from the second and third data sets to the at least one decoding device in conjunction with that of the first data set and optionally the fourth data set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A digital video communication system comprising:
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at least one encoding device for transmitting coded digital video using a scalable video coding format that supports one or more of temporal, spatial or quality scalability, at least one decoding device for decoding at least one digital video stream coded in a scalable video coding format, and an SVCS linked to the at least one decoding and the at least one encoding device by at least one communication channel each, wherein the video signal transmitted from the at least one encoding device is partitioned into distinct data sets comprising; a first data set corresponding to the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a second data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions than the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing information that is used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, a third data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions than the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing information that is not used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, and an optional fourth data set corresponding to layers that correspond to higher temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, such that the SVCS can selectively multiplex data from the second and third data sets to the at least one decoding device in conjunction with that of the first data set and optionally the fourth data set. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for digital video communication in a system comprising:
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at least one encoding device that transmits coded digital video using a scalable video coding format that supports one or more of temporal, spatial or quality scalability, at least one decoding device that decodes at least one digital video stream coded in a scalable video coding format, and an SVCS linked to the at least one decoding device and the at least one encoding device by at least one communication channel each, the method comprising; partitioning by the SVCS a video signal transmitted from the at least one encoding device into distinct data sets comprising; a first data set corresponding to the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a second data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a third auxiliary data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing at least information that is used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, and an optional fourth data set corresponding to layers that correspond to higher temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, such that the SVCS can selectively multiplex data from the second and third data sets to the at least one decoding device in conjunction with that of the first data set and optionally the fourth data set. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 17)
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13. A method for digital video communication in a system comprising:
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at least one encoding device that transmits coded digital video using a scalable video coding format that supports one or more of temporal, spatial or quality scalability, at least one decoding device that decodes at least one digital video stream coded in a scalable video coding format, and an SVCS linked to the at least one decoding and the at least one encoding device by at least one communication channel each, the method comprising; partitioning by the SVCS a video signal transmitted from the at least one encoding device is partitioned into distinct data sets comprising; a first data set corresponding to the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, a second data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing information that is used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, a third data set corresponding to layers that correspond to lower temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device and containing information that is not used for prediction by the target layer intended for decoding, and an optional fourth data set corresponding to layers that correspond to higher temporal, spatial, or quality resolutions that the target layer intended for decoding by the at least one decoding device, such that the SVCS can selectively multiplex data from the second and third data sets to the at least one decoding device in conjunction with that of the first data set and optionally the fourth data set. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification