JP3299185B2 - Encoding device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an encoding device used for encoding and transmitting a video signal and an audio signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An input signal including a video signal is compression-encoded, the obtained compression-encoded signal is divided into a predetermined data length, and a time stamp indicating a timing at which decoding is to be performed based on delay time control information. An encoding transmission system for generating and transmitting a system stream by adding a header including the header is known. The calculation method of the time stamp value (TS value) in that case is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-205146.

[0003]

In the conventional method for calculating a TS value, video delay time control information (vbv_dela) described in a video stream output by a video encoding processing unit is used.
The TS value is calculated based on y), and the video delay time control information (vbv_delay) is determined according to the capacity of the buffer (memory) of the video decoding processing unit. In many cases, the buffer capacity of the actual video decoding processing unit is set to a minimum necessary to suppress product cost. However, if the buffer capacity is reduced, a buffer overflow may occur during the decoding process, but in order to avoid this, the video signal must be re-encoded, and it takes time to generate a system stream. There's a problem.

On the other hand, when the code amount of one picture is increased to improve image quality, or when a transmission error occurs when data is transmitted to a decoder, decoding becomes impossible due to buffer underflow. Can occur. In order to avoid underflow, video signals need to be re-encoded, and it takes time to generate a system stream.

Therefore, the present invention does not cause overflow or underflow in the decoder buffer,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an encoding device that corrects a time stamp value so as to enable continuous reproduction of a video signal or the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an encoding apparatus which eliminates the need for re-encoding at the time of the above processing and can reduce the time required to generate a system stream.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an input signal is compression-encoded, an obtained compression-encoded signal is divided into a predetermined data length, and delay time control is performed. An encoding device that generates and transmits a system stream by adding a header including a time stamp indicating the timing at which decoding should be performed based on the information, analyzes the system stream by decoding simulation, and extracts maximum delay time control information Means for extracting maximum delay time control information, and comparing the maximum delay time control information with the delay time control information of the decoder to determine the timing advance timing of the time stamp required to prevent the former from exceeding the latter when the latter exceeds the latter. Time stamp offset calculating means to be calculated, and early time calculated by the time stamp offset calculating means Therefore characterized in that a time stamp offset changing means for changing the time stamp value of the system stream. According to this device, since the system stream stored in the actual decoder does not exceed the maximum VBV value of the decoder, it is possible to perform video reproduction without causing a missing picture. Also, the TS of the generated system stream
Since it is only necessary to perform the process of changing the value, the processing time can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the input signal is compression-encoded, the obtained compression-encoded signal is divided into a predetermined data length, and a time indicating a timing at which decoding is to be performed based on delay time control information. In an encoding device for generating and transmitting a system stream by adding a header including a stamp,
A minimum delay time control information extracting means for analyzing the system stream by decoding simulation to extract the minimum delay time control information, and comparing the minimum delay time control information with the delay time control information of the decoder and when the former is less than the latter A time stamp offset calculating means for calculating a time delay time of a time stamp required to keep the time stamp value, and a time stamp for changing a time stamp value of a system stream according to the delay time calculated by the time stamp offset calculating means. And an offset changing means. According to this apparatus, since the system stream stored in the actual decoder does not become smaller than the minimum VBV value of the decoder, it is possible to perform video reproduction without missing pictures. Further, since only the process of changing the TS value of the generated system stream need be performed, the processing time can be reduced.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows a time stamp value correcting means 10 which is a main part of an encoding apparatus according to the present invention and which is configured to prevent a decoder buffer from overflowing. is there. The time stamp value correction device 10 includes a system stream generator 12 (hereinafter referred to as a stream generator 12), a system stream maximum video delay time control information extractor 14 (hereinafter referred to as a control information extractor 14), and a time stamp offset operation. Part 16
(Hereinafter referred to as an offset calculation unit 16) and a time stamp offset change unit 18 (hereinafter referred to as an offset change unit 1).
8).

[0010] The stream generator 12 receives a video stream and an audio stream which have been subjected to variable length coding in advance, divides them into a predetermined data length, and adds a header such as a time stamp to generate a system stream. The system stream generated in this way is input to the control information extracting unit 14 and the offset changing unit 18. The control information extraction unit 14 performs a decoding simulation of the input system stream to extract a maximum VBV value (maximum video delay time VBVmxsm).

In order to perform decoding without overflowing in an actual decoder, the decoding timing must be set so that the system stream can be input within the range of the maximum decodable VBV, that is, VBVmxrl.
Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 2, when VBVmxsm−VBVmxrl> 0, as in the case of the decoding timing performed at time t = 2, an overflow easily occurs, the decoding timing is set to VBVmxsm = V, which does not cause an overflow.
What is necessary is just to advance it to time ta which becomes BVmxrl.

In FIG. 2, I, P, and B indicate the type of picture, and the suffix following it indicates the order of starting decoding. According to the prior art, the first I picture I0 is VBV
mxsm is accumulated in the buffer and decoded at time t = 2 (see the solid line L1). At this timing, VBVmx
Since sm> VBVmxrl, VBVmxsm = VB
In order to calculate the time ta at which Vmxrl is obtained, VBVmxsm−VB
The calculation of the offset time Tos corresponding to Vmxrl is performed based on the following concept.

Since the transfer rate α is originally defined as the amount of transfer data per unit time,
The time Tov corresponding to the overflow (VBVmxsm-VBVmxrl) is Tov = (VBVmxsm-VBVmxrl) / α. Therefore, this time is referred to as the offset time Tos
= Tov, t = 2-Tov in order to advance the decoding time
By performing the decoding at the time of = ta, the entire graph is translated downward (see the broken line L2), and the decoding can be performed without overflow. In the case of VBVmxsm-VBVmxrl <= 0, there is no overflow since the data is within the buffer capacity, and the input signal may be output as it is.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 shows a time stamp value correcting means 20 designed to prevent an underflow of a decoder buffer of an encoding apparatus. A feature of this embodiment is that a TDmn control information extracting unit 24 (hereinafter, referred to as a control information extracting unit 24) is used instead of the control information extracting unit 14, the offset calculating unit 16, and the offset changing unit 18 in the time stamp value correcting unit 10. ),
TS offset calculation unit 26 (hereinafter, offset calculation unit 2)
6) and a TS offset changing unit 28 (referred to as an offset changing unit 28). The stream generator 12 remains unchanged.

The system stream generated by the stream generator 12 is input to a control information extractor 24 and an offset changing unit 28. The control information extraction unit 24 performs a decoding simulation on the input system stream to extract a minimum VBV value (minimum video delay time VBVmnsm).

In order to perform decoding without causing underflow in an actual decoder, the decoding timing may be set so that a system stream can be input within the range of the minimum decodable VBV, that is, VBVmnrl. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 4, when VBVmnrl−VBVmnsm> 0, as in the decoding timing performed at time t = 1, an underflow is likely to occur, so the decoding timing is delayed until time tb at which no underflow occurs. Just do it.

In FIG. 4, I, P, and B indicate the type of the picture, and the suffix following it indicates the order of starting decoding. According to the prior art, the first I picture I0 is VBV
The data is accumulated in the buffer up to mnsm and is decoded at time t = 1 (see the solid line L1). At this timing, VBVmn
Since sm <VBVmnrl, VBVmnsm = VB
In order to calculate the time tb at which Vmnrl is obtained, VBVmnrl−VB
The calculation of the correction time Tos corresponding to Vmnsm is executed based on the following concept.

As in the first embodiment, the transfer rate α
Is used to calculate the amount of underflow (VBVmnrl−VBVmns).
The delay time Tud corresponding to m) can be obtained as Tud = (VBVmnrl−VBVmnsm) / α. Therefore, by performing decoding at the time t = 1 + Tud = tb in order to delay the decoding time using the delay time Tud as the offset time, the entire graph is translated upward (see the broken line L2), and there is no underflow. Can be decrypted. In the case of VBVmnrl−VBVmnsm <= 0, the input signal may be output as it is without underflow because it is within the buffer capacity.

The object of the processing described above is not limited to a video signal. Any type of data signal that has been subjected to variable-length encoding and has a buffer in a decoder can be applied. It is.

[0022]

According to the present invention, overflow or underflow does not occur in the buffer of the decoder, and continuous video signals can be reproduced. Further, since there is no need for re-encoding, the time required to generate a system stream can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a time stamp value correcting means of an encoding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the time stamp value correcting means of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the time stamp value correcting means of the encoding device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the time stamp value correcting means of FIG. 3;

[Description of Signs] 10 Timestamp value correction means 12 System stream generation unit 14 System stream maximum video delay time control information extraction unit 16 Timestamp offset calculation unit 18 Timestamp offset change unit 20 Timestamp value correction means 24 System stream minimum video Delay time control information extracting unit 26 time stamp offset calculating unit 28 time stamp offset changing unit

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04J 3/00 H04N 7/24 H04L 7/00 H04L 12/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An input signal is compression-encoded, the obtained compression-encoded signal is divided into a predetermined data length, and a header including a time stamp indicating a timing to perform decoding is added based on delay time control information. A maximum delay time control information extracting means for analyzing the system stream by decoding simulation to extract maximum delay time control information, and a maximum delay time control information of the decoder. A time stamp offset calculating means for comparing with the delay time control information and calculating a timing advance time of a time stamp required to prevent the former from exceeding the latter; and Timestamp that changes the timestamp value of the system stream according to an earlier time Encoding apparatus is characterized in that a pump offset change means. 2. An input signal is compression-encoded, the obtained compression-encoded signal is divided into a predetermined data length, and a header including a time stamp indicating timing to perform decoding is added based on delay time control information. A minimum delay time control information extracting means for analyzing the system stream by decoding simulation to extract minimum delay time control information, and a minimum delay time control information for the decoder. Time stamp offset calculating means for comparing with the delay time control information and calculating the timing delay time of the time stamp required to prevent the former from falling below the latter, and the time stamp offset calculating means Change the system stream timestamp value according to the delay time Encoding apparatus is characterized in that a beam stamp offset change means.