Method and system of processing image sequences

• US 8,861,612 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Costa, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US13/431,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.24, 375/240.26, 375/240.23, 375/240.25, 375/240.28, 382/235, 382/246, 382/233
• US Class Current: 375/240.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/13 Adaptive entropy coding, e.g. adaptive variable length coding [AVLC] or context adaptive binary arithmetic coding [CABAC]
• 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 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/169 characterised by the coding unit, i.e. the structural portion or semantic portion of the video signal being the object or the subject of the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/188 the unit being a video data packet, e.g. a network abstraction layer [NAL] unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/23 with coding of regions that are present throughout a whole video segment, e.g. sprites, background or mosaic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/88 involving rearrangement of data among different coding units, e.g. shuffling, interleaving, scrambling or permutation of pixel data or permutation of transform coefficient data among different blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23611 Insertion of stuffing data into a multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bitrate synchronisation arrangements in time-division multiplex systems using bit stuffing for systems with different or fluctuating information rates H04J3/073
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 : Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4343 : Extraction or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4346 : involving stuffing data, e.g. packets or bytes synchronisation arrangements in time-division multiplex systems with different or fluctuating information rates H04J3/073
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 : involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

A system or method for processing a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence can include segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments and creating a second representation of the image sequence where a block of information from a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments. The second representation of the image sequence can include a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments utilizing a processor; and

creating a second representation of the image sequence, wherein a block of information of a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,

wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second segment of the plurality of segments comprises more blocks of information than the first segment of the plurality of segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments spans a same time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein after creating the second representation of the image sequence, the first and second segments of the plurality of segments comprise a same number of blocks of information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information and wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extending a size of each segment of the plurality of segments to cause each segment to have a size within an upper bound after creating the second representation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing a frame from the image sequence to cause each segment of the plurality of segments to have a size within an upper bound after creating the second representation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming the second representation of the image sequence via a communication network; and

reconstructing frames of the image sequence.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein reconstructing frames of the image sequence comprises:

storing blocks of information from the first segment interlaced with blocks of information from the second segment in a buffer; and

reconstructing frames of the image sequence based on blocks of information stored in the buffer and blocks of information received in real time.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a set of computer executable instructions for processing a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence, the set of computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments; and

creating a second representation of the image sequence wherein a block of information from a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,

wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the second segment of the plurality of segments comprises more blocks of information than the first segment of the plurality of segments.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments spans a same time interval.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein after creating the second representation of the image sequence, the first and second segments of the plurality of segments comprise a same number of blocks of information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise extending a size of each segment of the plurality of segments, and

wherein after creating the second representation, each segment has a size within an upper bound.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise removing a frame from the image sequence, and

wherein after creating the second representation, each segment of the plurality of segments has a size within an upper bound.

18. A system for processing a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence, the system comprising:

a buffer coupled to a processor, wherein the buffer comprises computer instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments; and

creating a second representation of the image sequence wherein a block of information from a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,

wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.