Methods and systems for processing latticed time-skewed video streams

• US 9,350,999 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Tech 5
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Arturo A., Shepherd, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/253,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/39 involving multiple description coding [MDC], i.e. with separate layers being structured as independently decodable descriptions of input picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/66 involving data partitioning, i.e. separation of data into packets or partitions according to importance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/895 in combination with error concealment

Abstract

An apparatus for facilitating reception of multiple representations of a video signal. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a mechanism for receiving plural representations of the video signal corresponding to plural decimated versions of the video signal, associating pictures of the received plural representations of the video signal, and outputting pictures corresponding to information from associated pictures in accordance with a relative temporal order.

Claims

1. A method for receiving and outputting plural representations of a video signal in a plurality of video streams, the method comprising:

characterizing a first set of streams of the plurality of video streams by a first temporal order, wherein the first temporal order includes various segments in a first temporal relationship including the various segments of the first set of streams in a corresponding second set of streams with a second temporal order, wherein the various segments of the first set of streams are in a different temporal relationship, such that an order of the segments skewed or separated by different time intervals than the order of the segments in the first set of streams;

changing the first temporal order to a second relative temporal order different from the first temporal order, wherein the second relative temporal order is a time-skewed version of the first temporal order, wherein segments of each of the plurality of video streams are skewed in time relative to corresponding segments of one or more of other video streams in the plurality of video streams, wherein the time skewing in time relative to corresponding segments occurs before transmission; and

transmitting the corresponding segments of the one or more of other video streams in the plurality of video streams in accordance with the second relative temporal order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second temporal order specifies an actual order of a start of each set of corresponding video segments.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second temporal order further specifies time intervals between the start of each set of corresponding video segments.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the plurality of streams into a time-skewing module in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the segments skewed in time relative to corresponding segments from a time-skewing module to a video compression module in accordance with the first temporal order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the plurality of video streams to a storage device;

adding identification information to the plurality of video streams identifying video lattices and segments stored therein.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identification information further comprises a number of decimated frames in each video segment and a temporal relationship between different video segments.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identification information enables a time-skewing module to selectively change temporal relationships between different video segments.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification information may identify different lattices through insertion of specific identifying packets.

10. A method for receiving and outputting plural representations of a video signal, the method comprising:

constructing a first input video frame, corresponding to a first segment received by a video-partitioning module during a first time interval;

receiving data to construct a second video frame, corresponding to a second segment, during a second time interval, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are separated by a third time interval; and

outputting resulting decimated frames obtained from the first input video frame and the second input video frame separated by the third time interval, based on a first relative temporal order characterized by a selectively skewed version of the third time interval.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selectively changing the first relative temporal order such that video data associated with a given frame is output from a time-shifting module at different time relative intervals than those characterizing corresponding video data output from a video partitioning module.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

ensuring that an amount of time used to transmit data corresponding to a given frame in a video signal output by the video-partitioning module is different than an amount of time used to transmit data from the same frame, after the time-shifting module has processed the video signal output by the video-partitioning module.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the plural representations of a video signal in a single video stream.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

delaying outputting of a picture including visual information corresponding to a decompressed version of the first video frame until receiving and decompressing the second video frame representing the picture, wherein the second video frame is received after the first video frame.

15. A video time-skewing module-comprising:

a processor;

a processor-readable medium including one or more instructions for;

identifying one or more streams and one or more plural segments thereof of video data output from a video-partitioning module;

constructing a first input video frame, corresponding to a first segment of the one or more plural segments identified by the video-partitioning module during a first time interval;

receiving data to construct a second video frame, corresponding to a second segment of the one or more plural segments identified by the video-partitioning module during a second time interval, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are separated by a third time interval; and

time-skewing the resulting decimated frames obtained from the first input video frame and the second input video frame separated by the third time interval, based on a first relative temporal order characterized by a selectively skewed version of the third time interval.

16. The time-skewing module of claim 15, wherein the time-skewing is capable of being removed by a video decompression module.

17. The time-skewing module of claim 15, wherein the processor-readable medium including further instructions for time-skewing the one or more of the plural segments such that they are shuffled in time.

18. The time-skewing module of claim 15, wherein the processor-readable medium including further instructions for transmitting the time-skewed segments at shifted times.