Using scalable codecs for providing channel zapping information to broadcast receivers

• US 8,989,260 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kontola, Kalervo Mikael, Jarvinen, Roope Olavi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ FUENTES, LUIS M
• Application Number:
  US12/666,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,828 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.02
• US Class Current: 375/240.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64315 DVB-H
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Scalable codecs are used for transmitting channel zapping data for one or more programs using timeslicing. The main codec layer may be utilized also for the zapping data, and the higher layers may be used in the primary channels. Zapping data may be provided to mobile terminals via a wireless multicast network, such as a DVB-H network, using timeslicing and providing the scalably encoded zapping data as part of the source stream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scalably encoding a core layer of a video stream for a digital broadcast service;

scalably encoding at least one enhancement layer of the video stream for the digital broadcast service;

generating signaling information that provides a mapping of the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and

the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream to a first timeslice,

said mapping indicating to a receiver that data bursts received during the first timeslice include the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

broadcast transmitting the signaling information in a second timeslice; and

broadcast transmitting, in the first timeslice, a data burst including

the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and

the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the core layer of the video stream includes channel zapping content that comprises a low resolution version of the digital broadcast service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scalably encoding the core layer of the video stream and scalably encoding the at least one enhancement layer of the video stream are both performed based on a spatio-temporal resolution pyramid and both include combining downsampling and interpolation filters with lattice vector quantization.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the at least one enhancement layer of the video stream includes a first enhancement layer and a second enhancement layer, and

wherein the first enhancement layer has a higher data resolution than the core layer of the video stream, and

wherein the second enhancement layer includes a higher frame rate than the first enhancement layer and the core layer of the video stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scalably encoding at least one second enhancement layer of data for a second digital broadcast service different from the digital broadcast service; and

broadcast transmitting, in the first timeslice, a data burst including the scalably encoded at least one second enhancement layer of data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital broadcast service comprises a first video program stream, and the digital broadcast service comprises a second video program stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scalably encoding a second core layer of data for a second digital broadcast service; and

broadcast transmitting, in a third timeslice adjacent to the first timeslice, the scalably encoded second core layer of data, wherein the second core layer of data and the core layer of data use different amounts of bandwidth from each other.

8. A method comprising:

during a first timeslice, receiving,

at a computing device, signaling information that provides a mapping of a second timeslice to a scalably encoded core layer of a video stream

and a scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream,

said mapping informing the computing device that data bursts received during the second timeslice include the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream

and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

based on the signaling information, receiving,

during a second timeslice, a data burst that includes the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream

and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

decoding the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream, resulting in a decoded core layer of the video stream; and

rendering, as channel zapping content, the decoded core layer of the video stream.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

decoding the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream, resulting in a decoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

and rendering the decoded core layer of the video stream and the decoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream as a primary content service.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream includes a plurality of scalably encoded enhancement layers of the video stream, and the method further comprises:

decoding fewer than all of the plurality of scalably encoded enhancement layers of the video stream, resulting in a decoded portion of enhancement layer data; and

rendering the decoded core layer of the video stream and the decoded portion of enhancement layer data as the channel zapping content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the channel zapping content is rendered in response to user input selecting a channel zapping service for consumption.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the channel zapping content includes at least video content.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

and memory storing executable instructions that, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least;

scalably encode a core layer of a video stream for a digital broadcast service;

scalably encode at least one enhancement layer of the video stream for the digital broadcast service;

generate signaling information that provides a mapping of a first timeslice to the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and

the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream,

said mapping indicating to a receiver that data bursts received during the first timeslice include the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream

and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

broadcast transmit, in a second timeslice,

the signaling information; and

broadcast transmit, in the first timeslice,

a data burst including the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the core layer of the video stream includes channel zapping content that comprises a low resolution version of the digital broadcast service.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein scalably encoding the core layer of the video stream for the digital broadcast service and scalably encoding the at least one enhancement layer of the video stream for the digital broadcast service are both performed based on a spatio-temporal resolution pyramid and both include combining downsampling and interpolation filters with lattice vector quantization.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions that, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least;

receive, during a first timeslice, signaling information that provides a mapping of a second timeslice to a scalably encoded core layer of a video stream and a scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream,

said mapping informing the apparatus that data bursts received during the second timeslice include the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

based on the signaling information, receive a data burst during the second timeslice that includes the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream and the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream;

decode the scalably encoded core layer of the video stream, resulting in a decoded core layer of the video stream; and

render, as channel zapping content, the decoded core layer of the video stream.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

decode the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream,

resulting in a decoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream; and

render the decoded core layer of the video stream and the decoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream as a primary content service.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the scalably encoded at least one enhancement layer of the video stream include a plurality of scalably encoded enhancement layers of the video stream, and

wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

decode fewer than all of the plurality of scalably encoded enhancement layers of the video stream, resulting in a decoded portion of enhancement layer data; and

render the decoded core layer of the video stream and the decoded portion of enhancement layer data as the channel zapping content.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the channel zapping content is rendered in response to user input selecting a channel zapping service for consumption.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the channel zapping content includes video content.