Using constraints on media file formats to improve performance

• US 9,876,837 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanumuri, Sandeep, Sadhwani, Shyam
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US15/142,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 707756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A processor that processes encoded media is configured so as to apply constraints to the encoded bitstream. Such constraints are not those required by a specification of a standard with which the encoded media is compliant; instead such constraints reflect portions of the standard that are insufficiently constrained and are applied by the processor to ensure that the processor does not experience performance degradation or errors. The constraints can be applied, for example, as a preprocessing step before reading, writing or decoding the bitstream, or while the bitstream is being decoded, or while the bitstream is being received from a transmission.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process comprising:

receiving into memory a bitstream of encoded data, the encoded data being compliant with a defined standard and including packets of data and comprising sample data and auxiliary information corresponding to the sample data;

analyzing the bitstream, using a processor connected to the memory, for compliance with additional constraints, including at least resolving conflicts between implied values derived for an optional data field in the encoded bitstream using two or more rules from a specification and applied to another data field in the encoded bitstream, by;

identifying a first structure in a packet, the first structure having an omitted optional data field with respect to the specification;

identifying a second structure in the packet, the second structure having a data field;

wherein the first and second structure are contained in a third structure in the bitstream;

wherein the third structure comprises a plurality of such second structures;

applying an order of preference to select one of the plurality of second structures; and

applying one of the two or more rules to the data field of the selected second structure to provide a value for the omitted optional data field of the first structure; and

continuing processing the bitstream with the processor only after the bitstream complies with the additional constraints.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the first structure comprises offset information, the offset information indicating a location of auxiliary information in the bistream, the auxiliary information corresponding to sample data, and wherein the omitted data field comprises a data field indicating a type of the auxiliary information, and wherein the data field of the second structure provides the type for the auxiliary information.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 2, further comprising ensuring the location of the auxiliary information is in the bitstream prior to the corresponding sample data.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the order of preference is based on at least type of the second structure.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the order of preference is based on at least order of appearance of the second structures in the third structure.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein processing the bitstream comprises decoding the bitstream.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein processing the bitstream comprises storing the bitstream.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer storage medium comprising at least one of a memory or persistent storage;

computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium which, when processed by a processing device, instruct the processing device to perform a process comprising;

receiving into memory a bitstream of encoded data, the encoded data being compliant with a defined standard and including packets of data and comprising sample data and auxiliary information corresponding to the sample data;

analyzing the bitstream, using a processor connected to the memory, for compliance with additional constraints, including at least resolving conflicts between implied values derived for an optional data field in the encoded bitstream using two or more rules from a specification and applied to another data field in the encoded bitstream, by;

identifying a first structure in a packet, the first structure having an omitted optional data field with respect to the specification;

identifying a second structure in the packet, the second structure having a data field;

wherein the first and second structure are contained in a third structure in the bitstream;

wherein the third structure comprises a plurality of such second structures;

applying an order of preference to select one of the plurality of second structures; and

applying one of the two or more rules to the data field of the selected second structure to provide a value for the omitted optional data field of the first structure; and

continuing processing the bitstream with the processor only after the bitstream complies with the additional constraints.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the first structure comprises offset information, the offset information indicating a location of auxiliary information in the bistream, the auxiliary information corresponding to sample data, and wherein the omitted data field comprises a data field indicating a type of the auxiliary information, and wherein the data field of the second structure provides the type for the auxiliary information.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the order of preference is based on at least type of the second structure.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the order of preference is based on at least order of appearance of the second structures in the third structure.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein processing the bitstream comprises decoding the bitstream.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein processing the bitstream comprises storing the bitstream.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 9, further comprising ensuring the location of the auxiliary information is in the bitstream prior to the corresponding sample data.

15. A computer comprising:

a media processor executing on hardware with an operating system, the media processor being configured to;

access memory that stores a bitstream of encoded data, the encoded data being compliant with a defined standard and including packets of data and comprising sample data and auxiliary information corresponding to the sample data;

analyze the bitstream for compliance with additional constraints, including at least resolving conflicts between implied values derived for an optional data field in the encoded bitstream using two or more rules from a specification and applied to another data field in the encoded bitstream, by;

identifying a first structure in a packet, the first structure having an omitted optional data field with respect to the specification;

identifying a second structure in the packet, the second structure having a data field;

wherein the first and second structure are contained in a third structure in the bitstream;

wherein the third structure comprises a plurality of such second structures;

applying an order of preference to select one of the plurality of second structures; and

applying one of the two or more rules to the data field of the selected second structure to provide a value for the omitted optional data field of the first structure; and

continue processing the bitstream with the processor only if after the bitstream complies with the additional constraints.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein the first structure comprises offset information, the offset information indicating a location of auxiliary information in the bistream, the auxiliary information corresponding to sample data, and wherein the omitted data field comprises a data field indicating a type of the auxiliary information, and wherein the data field of the second structure provides the type for the auxiliary information.

17. The computer of claim 15, wherein the order of preference is based on at least type of the second structure.

18. The computer of claim 15, wherein the order of preference is based on at least order of appearance of the second structures in the third structure.

19. The computer of claim 15, wherein processing the bitstream comprises decoding the bitstream.

20. The computer of claim 15, wherein processing the bitstream comprises storing the bitstream.