Method and system for prioritized bit rate conversion

• US 7,395,321 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BigBand Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oz, Ran, Strasman, Nery, Leventer, Amir, Lutsker, Mark, Assouline, Lior, Hildeshaim, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US11/151,477
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/224, 709/228, 709/226, 709/231, 709/236, 709/207, 709/225, 370/468, 370/486, 348/405.1, 375/240
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• 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 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for providing a multiplexed sequence, the multiplexed sequence including at least one sequence of basic media data units/modified basic media data units, the system and method are responsive to at least one characteristics (such as quality, quality degradation, compression level and the like, a combination of at least two of the characteristics) of at least of some of the basic media data units. The invention provides a method for generating a multiplexed sequence, the method including the steps of: receiving at least one basic media data unit sequence; determining a modification priority of a plurality of received basic media data units belonging to the at least one basic media data unit sequence; selecting basic media data units to be modified, in response to the modification priority; modifying each of the selected basic media data units; wherein a modified selected basic media data unit is smaller than the corresponding selected basic media data unit; and multiplexing the modified selected basic media data units and non-selected basic media data units to provide the multiplexed sequence.

Claims

1. Computer implemented method for generating a multiplexed sequence, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one basic media data unit sequence;

determining modification priorities for a plurality of basic media data units belonging to the at least one basic media data unit sequence;

selecting basic media data units to be modified, in response to the modification priority of each basic media data unit;

modifying each of the selected basic media data units without altering dependencies of the selected basic media data units;

wherein a modified selected basic media data unit is smaller than the corresponding selected basic media data unit; and

multiplexing the modified selected basic media data units and non-selected basic media data units to provide the multiplexed sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a quality of the basic media data unit.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of a quality that is lower than a quality threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein basic media data units are arranged in groups and wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit belonging to a group is responsive to a combination of qualities of basic media data units belonging to the group.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a compression level of the basic media data unit.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of a compression level that is higher than a compression level threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein basic media data units are arranged in groups and wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit belonging to a group is responsive to a combination of compression levels of basic media data units belonging to the group.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a quality degradation of the basic media data unit.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of quality degradation that is higher than a quality degradation threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit reflects the sequence of basic media data units to which it belongs.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein each basic media data unit sequence is to be provided to a corresponding buffer;

wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit belonging to a basic media data unit sequence is responsive to a simulated status of the corresponding buffer.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to external modification priority information.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the multiplexed sequence is provided to at least one end-user;

and wherein the external modification priority information reflects at least one end-user'"'"'s preferences.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the multiplexed sequence is provided to at least one end-user;

and wherein the external modification priority information reflects at least one end-user'"'"'s profile.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the multiplexed sequence is provided to at least one end-user;

and wherein the external modification priority information reflects at least one end-user'"'"'s behavior pattern.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the multiplexed sequence is multiplexed by at least one media provider, and the external modification priority information reflects a parameter selected from the list consisting of:

at least one media provider'"'"'s preference; and

at least one media provider'"'"'s profile.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the multiplexed sequence is generated by at least one media provider, and the external modification priority information reflects a parameter selected from the list consisting of:

at least one media provider'"'"'s preference; and

at least one media provider'"'"'s profile.

18. The method according to claim 12 wherein the external modification priority is provided by at least one entity selected from the group consisting of:

an end-user;

a group of end-users;

a multiplex sequence generator;

a basic media data unit provider; and

a basic media data unit sequences distributor.

19. The method according to claim 12 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is further responsive to a combination of quality degradations of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit.

20. The method according to claim 12 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is further responsive to a combination of qualities of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit.

21. The method according to claim 12 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is further responsive to a combination of compression levels of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit.

22. The method according to claim 12 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a combination of at least two parameters selected from the list consisting of:

a quality of the basic media data unit;

a quality degradation of the basic media data unit;

a compression level of the basic media data unit;

a dependency of the basic media data unit upon other basic media data unit;

a combination of qualities of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit;

a combination of quality degradations of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit; and

a combination of compression levels of basic media data units that belong to a same basic media data unit group as the basic media data unit.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a dependency of at least one other basic media data unit upon the basic media data unit.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the dependency is reflected by temporal difference information.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting is preceded by a step of applying at least one lossless technique for generating the multiplexed sequence such that the amount of selected basic media data unit modifications is reduced.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein a basic media data unit is selected from the list consisting of:

a group of pictures;

a picture;

a frame;

a slice;

a macroblock; and

a sequence of macroblocks.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein a basic media data unit comprising signals selected from the list consisting of:

MPEG compliant signals;

original media signals;

JPEG compliant signals;

video signals;

audio signals;

data signals;

H.261 compliant media signals;

H.263 compliant signals;

streaming media signals;

high quality audio signals;

AC-3 audio signals; and

AAC audio signals.

28. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting the multiplexed sequence over a communication channel having an available bandwidth;

and

wherein the bandwidth of the multiplexed sequence does not exceed the available bandwidth.

29. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of storing the multiplexed at a digital medium having an available storage space and wherein the size of the multiplexed sequence does not exceed the available storage space.

30. A computer implemented method for generating and transmitting a multiplexed sequence over a communication channel, the communication channel has an available bandwidth, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one basic media data unit sequence;

determining a modification priority of a plurality of basic media data unit of the received at least one basic media data unit sequence;

selecting basic media data units to be modified, in response to the modification priority and to the available bandwidth;

modifying each of the selected basic media data units without altering dependencies of the selected basic media data units;

wherein a modified selected basic media data unit is smaller than the corresponding selected basic media data unit; and

providing the multiplexed sequence to the communication channel, the multiplexed sequence comprising modified selected basic media data units and non-selected basic media data units.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a quality of the basic media data unit.

32. The method according to claim 31 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of a quality that is lower than a quality threshold.

33. The method according to claim 30 wherein basic media data units are arranged in groups and wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit belonging to a group is responsive to a combination of qualities of basic media data units belonging to the group.

34. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a compression level of the basic media data unit.

35. The method according to claim 34 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of a compression level that is higher than a compression level threshold.

36. The method according to claim 30 wherein basic media data units are arranged in groups and wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit belonging to a group is responsive to a combination of compression levels of basic media data units belonging to the group.

37. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a quality degradation of the basic media data unit.

38. The method according to claim 37 further comprising the step of preventing the modification of basic media data units of quality degradation that is higher than a quality degradation threshold.

39. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit reflects the sequence of basic media data units to which it belongs.

40. The method according to claim 30 wherein each sequence of basic media data unit is to be provided to a corresponding buffer;

wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit of a sequence is responsive to a simulated status of the corresponding buffer.

41. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to external modification priority information.

42. The method according to claim 30 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is further responsive to the dependency of at least one other basic media data unit upon the basic media data units.

43. The method according to claim 30, wherein the step of selecting is preceded by a step of applying at least one lossless technique for generating the multiplexed sequence, such that the amount of selected basic media data unit modifications is reduced.

49. The method according to claim 41, wherein the step of selecting is preceded by a step of applying at least one lossless technique for generating the multiplexed sequence such that the amount of selected basic media data unit modifications is reduced.

44. A statistical multiplexer for providing a multiplexed sequence including at least one basic media data sequence, the statistical multiplexer comprising:

a control unit;

at least one input, coupled to the control unit, for receiving at least one basic input data unit sequence;

an output, coupled to the control unit and to a communication module, for providing a multiplexed sequence to a communication module;

the communication channel has an available bandwidth;

a modification unit, coupled to control unit, to the at least one input and to the output, the modification unit is configured to modify selected basic media data units to provide corresponding basic media data units, in response to control units from the control unit, without altering dependencies of the selected basic media data units;

wherein a modified selected basic media data unit is smaller than the corresponding selected basic media data unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to;

determine a modification priority of a plurality of basic media data unit of the received at least one basic media data unit sequence;

select basic media data units to be modified, in response to the modification priority and to an available bandwidth of the communication channel;

control provision of the selected basic media data units to the modification unit and the modification of each of the selected basic media data units; and

control provision of a multiplexed sequence including the modified selected basic media data units and non-selected basic media data units to the communication channel.

45. The statistical multiplexer according to claim 44 wherein the modification priority of a basic media data unit is responsive to a quality degradation of the basic media data unit.

46. The statistical multiplexer according to claim 44 wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit reflects the sequence of basic media data units to which it belongs.

47. The statistical multiplexer according to claim 44 wherein each sequence of basic media data unit is to be provided to a corresponding buffer at a remote location;

wherein the statistical multiplexer comprises a plurality of buffer emulators, each for emulating a corresponding buffer, and wherein the modification priority of each basic media data unit of a sequence is responsive to a simulated status of the corresponding buffer emulator.

48. The statistical multiplexer according to claim 44 wherein the statistical multiplexer is configured to receive external modification priority information, and wherein the modification priority if responsive to the external priority information.