Adaptive GOP structure in video streaming

• US 8,948,260 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tian, Tao, Raveendran, Vijayalakshmi R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): PONTIUS, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US11/538,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,046 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.13
• US Class Current: 375/240.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/103 Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/107 between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/109 among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/114 Adapting the group of pictures [GOP] structure, e.g. number of B-frames between two anchor frames H04N19/107 takes precedence
• 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 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/142 Detection of scene cut or scene change
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/87 involving scene cut or scene change detection in combination with video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0112 one of the standards corresponding to a cinematograph film standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/012 Conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal for graphics images G09G2310/0229

Abstract

This system adaptively assigns picture types used for temporal compression to frames of streaming video at the input. Based on threshold testing of two metrics that are measures of distance between the frames at the input, a frame may be assigned to be compressed as an I, P, or B frame or be skipped over by the system without being coded at all.

Claims

1. A method of encoding video frames comprising:

determining at least one metric indicative of a difference between a selected video frame and at least one adjacent video frame, wherein the metric is determined according to

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned encoding method comprises skipping encoding of the selected frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first threshold value, the second threshold value, and the third threshold value is determined by simulation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined metric is set to zero if the selected frame is encoded as the I frame type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding method assigned to the selected frame comprises skipping encoding of the selected frame when the third threshold value is larger than the determined metric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined metric comprises an accumulated frame difference that includes frame differences associated with previously encoded B frames.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of luminance value differences is based on a first difference between the selected video frame and the preceding adjacent video frame that precedes the selected video frame in time, and a second difference between the selected video frame and the following adjacent video frame that follows the selected video frame in time.

8. An apparatus for encoding video frames, comprising a processor including a metrics module and a decision module, wherein:

the metrics module determines at least one metric indicative of a difference between a selected video frame and at least one adjacent frame, wherein the metric is determined according to

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the assigned encoding method comprises skipping encoding of the selected frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metrics module sets the determined metric to zero if the selected frame is encoded as the I frame type.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the decision module skips encoding of the selected frame when the third threshold value is larger than the determined metric.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the determined metric comprises an accumulated frame difference that includes frame differences associated with previously encoded B frames.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metrics module determines the ratio of luminance value differences based on a first difference between the selected video frame and the preceding adjacent video frame that precedes the selected video frame in time, and a second difference between the selected video frame and the following adjacent video frame that follows the selected video frame in time.

14. An apparatus for encoding video frames, comprising:

means for determining at least one metric indicative of a difference between a selected frame and at least one adjacent frame, wherein the metric is determined according to

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for adaptively assigning the encoding method comprises skipping encoding of the selected frame.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the determined metric is set to zero if the selected frame is encoded as an I frame type.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first threshold value, the second threshold value, and the third threshold value is determined by simulation.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for adaptively assigning the encoding method further comprises skipping encoding of the selected frame when the third threshold value is larger than the metric.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the determined metric comprises an accumulated frame difference that includes frame differences associated with previously encoded B frames.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the ratio of luminance value differences is based on a first difference between the selected video frame and the preceding adjacent video frame that precedes the selected video frame in time, and a second difference between the selected video frame and the following adjacent video frame that follows the selected video frame in time.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions for encoding video frames, wherein the instructions upon execution cause a machine to:

determine at least one metric indicative of a difference between a selected frame and adjacent frames, wherein the metric is determined according to

22. A video encoding processor comprising a configuration to:

determine at least one metric indicative of a difference between a selected frame and adjacent frames, wherein the metric is determined according to