MXPA06008820A - Storage of advanced video coding (avc) parameter sets in avc file format - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a method for employing Parameter Set information corresponding to an Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file. The method includes the step of embedding the Parameter Set information into a Hint Track of the AVC file.

Description

STORAGE OF PARAMETER SETTINGS OF ADVANCED VIDEO CODING IN FORMAT OF ADVANCED VIDEO CODING FILE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an advanced video coding (AVC) file format and more particularly to the storage of AVC parameter settings in the AVC file format.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file format provides support for media data in transmission over a network as well as for local playback. The most common transmission servers use a real-time transmission protocol (RTSP) together with the session description protocol (SDP) as a control protocol for the adjustment and disaggregation of multimedia transmission sessions between clients and servers. In addition, the real-time transport protocol (RTP) is used as the protocol for the transport of data for multimedia information between servers and clients. An AVC encoder provides a means to decouple the specific information from the video stream that is relevant to more than one video frame. It is intended that this specific information be sent over a reliable transport protocol (for example, the transmission control protocol (TCP)), in addition to being sent over an unreliable transport protocol (for example, the datagram protocol). of the user (UDP)), incorporated into the multimedia transmission. This specific information combined together forms a parameter setting. An AVC parameter setting may include information such as, for example, image size, size of the display window, macroblock mapping map, and so forth. There may be many parameter settings for a given AVC video stream. The encoder and the decoder must maintain an identical list of parameter settings. Each slice header within the AVC video stream includes a code indicating the parameter setting to be used in the decoding. Based on this code, the detector can then determine the parameter setting that it should use for proper decoding. Since the parameter settings are decoupled from the main video stream, it is possible and desirable to send them from a multimedia transmission server to a multimedia streaming client in an out-of-band manner. A description of a typical scenario of a streaming media transaction is now provided. When a client in multimedia transmission requests multimedia from a server, an initial negotiation is made before transmission. The initial negotiation sequence involves the client that sends a request to the server to obtain information about a particular transmission. Then, the server sends a response to the client with the minimum necessary details required to receive and decode the transmission. The initial negotiation is usually done with the use of a network protocol, such as the real-time transmission protocol (RTSP). The RTSP protocol can be used to send the parameter settings from the multimedia transmission server to the multimedia streaming client. However, due to the nature of the transmission server, for the transmission server to send media-dependent data to the client, the parameter settings must be stored in the file in a way that the transmission server does not need to know or take care of. type of multimedia file it represents. In accordance with this, it is desirable and very convenient to have a method to enable the RTSP protocol of the multimedia transmission server to transport operation settings in an independent manner to the media to the client.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned problems, as well as other problems related to the prior art are solved with the present invention, where a method for storing the AVC parameter settings in the AVC file format is provided. The present invention provides an extension for the AVC file format for the purpose of storing the improved metadata to improve transmission services. The extension involves inserting the AVC parameter settings into the allusive track metadata of the AVC file format while having the ability to provide backward compatibility with the existing broadcast servers. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for employing the parameter setting information corresponding to an advanced video encoding (AVC) file. The method includes the step of incorporating the parameter adjustment information into the allusive track of the AVC file. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for employing the parameter setting information corresponding to an advanced video encoding (AVC) file. The apparatus includes an embedding device for embedding the parameter adjustment information within the allusive track of the AVC file. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for employing the parameter adjustment information corresponding to the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file. The method includes the steps of embedding the parameter adjustment information within an allusive track of the AVC file, and transmitting the parameter adjustment information in a media-independent and out-of-band transmission. These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an advanced video coding (AVC) file 100 in which the present invention can be applied, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an advanced video coding video (AVC) encoder 200 in which the present invention can be applied, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the exemplary metadata 300 issued from the AVC encoder 200 of Figure 2, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the session description protocol (SDP) track description information 400, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a high-level block diagram illustrating an apparatus 500 for inserting the parameter settings within the alluvial tracks of an AVC file 599, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a high-level block diagram illustrating the generation of metadata tables and the writing of metadata tables in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a high-level block diagram of the writing of media data in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 8 is a high-level block diagram illustrating the writing of an allusive track in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an extension for the AVC file format, a well-known digital media storage format in transmission, for the purpose of storing improved metadata to improve transmission services. The extension involves inserting the AVC parameter settings into the metadata of the allusive track of the AVC file format while having the ability to provide backward compatibility with the existing broadcast servers. The parameter settings are incorporated into the allusive track of the AVC file format, so that the RTSP protocol of the multimedia transmission server has the ability to transport the parameter settings in a way independent of the medium to the client. It should be appreciated that the present invention, in general, relates to the Advanced Video Conformance (AVC) file format (International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO / IEC) 14496, part 15), developed jointly by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). However, given these teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art will contemplate these and other file formats to which the present invention may be applied, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors or a combination thereof. Preferably, the present invention is implemented in a combination of hardware and software. In addition, the software can be implemented as an application program incorporated tangibly into a program storage unit. The application program can be loaded, executed by a machine that understands the appropriate architecture. The machine can be implemented on a computer platform with hardware such as one or more central processing units ("CPU"), a random access memory ("RAM"), and output and input interfaces ("l / O"). ). The computer platform can also include an operating system and a microinstructions code. The different processes and functions described here can be part of the microinstruction code or part of the application program or a combination thereof, which can be executed with a CPU. In addition, other peripheral units can be connected to the computer platform as an additional data storage unit and a printing unit. Also, it should be understood that because some system components and methods illustrated in the accompanying drawings of preference, are implemented in software, the actual connections between the system components (or the steps of the process) may differ depending on the way in which the present invention is programmed. Having provided the principles thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to contemplate these and other similar implementations or configurations of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The AVC file format provides support for media data in transmission over a network as well as for local playback. The AVC file that supports streaming media includes additional information about the data units to be transmitted. This additional information is included in additional tracks in the file known as allusive tracks. An allusive track provides the instructions in transmission to a server such as, for example, packet formatting information to ensure delivery and time information to ensure the appropriate transmission time. In addition, an allusive hint can also provide more information, such as the details of the type of media the client is requesting, which can be sent to the client during the initial negotiation between the client and the server. The most common transmission servers use the real-time transmission protocol (RTSP) together with the session description protocol (SDP) as the control protocol for the adjustment and disaggregation of multimedia transmission sessions between clients and servers. . In addition, the real-time transport protocol (RTP) is used as the protocol for the transport of data for multimedia information between the servers and the client. It should be appreciated that the present invention is directed to transmission servers that use RTSP as their control protocol for session establishment. Of course, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be modified and implemented with respect to transmission servers that use a different protocol to the RTSP as their control protocol, as long as they remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. . The RTSP is a text-based protocol, where the messages include a header and a payload. The header is commonly defined by the standard, while portions of the payload may depend on the application. In the case of a multimedia transmission server based on RTSP, the server inserts, by default, the session description protocol (SDP) information included within the AVC file within the RTSP message during the initial negotiation of media transmission with an client. Therefore, by incorporating the AVC parameter settings into the SDP information, it is possible for the server to transmit the operation settings of the media transmission to the client without having knowledge of the media format. As a result, the parameter settings are transmitted before any means and furthermore, they are transmitted with the use of a reliable transport protocol, since RTSP by default, uses the transmission control protocol (TCP). Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an advanced video coding (AVC) file 100 to which the present invention can be applied, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The AVC file 100 includes AVC video track information 160 and audio track information 165, allusive video track information 170 and allusive audio track information 175. The 100 AVC file also includes audio tracks 110, video tracks 120 and allusive tracks 130. The allusive tracks 130 may be used for transmission purposes in accordance with the present invention. The allusive lanes 130 within the 100 AVC file include special instructions for a transmission server to assist in the formation of packets. The information is provided in a way that the server has the ability to package the media data in an appropriate manner to transmit with the use of a specific transport network. In addition to the inclusion of special transmission instructions, other data may be embedded within the allusive lanes that the server has to follow to send immediately to the client (for example, and in accordance with the present invention, the other data may include the settings of parameter). The process for storing the AVC parameter settings within the allusive track of an AVC file will now be described. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a video encoder 200 for advanced video coding (AVC) to which the present invention can be applied, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Initially, the AVC video encoder 200 will have at least one output interface to deliver the compressed video data and the corresponding metadata to a second module for the purpose of storage. Also in Figure 2 a transmitter 250 is included to transmit the parameter settings in an out-of-band transmission. Parameter settings are transmitted while they are embedded in the payload of the SDP of an AVC file. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the exemplary metadata 300 issued from the AVC encoder 200 of Figure 2, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The metadata 300 that is delivered from the AVC video encoder 200 may include information such as the size 210 of the compressed video frame, the video frame type 215 (i.e., frame-l, frame-P, and frame-B) ), time information 220 (e.g., frame rate), other attributes 225, and new parameter settings 230. In this application, it is of particular interest the parameter settings 230, since the parameter settings 230 will be stored in the AVC file within the video stream as well as in the allusive track referring to the video stream. In this way, in order for the parameter settings 230 to be stored within the allusive tracks, the data to be received at the output interface of the AVC video encoder will need to be handled appropriately. When the parameter settings 230 are part of the 300 metadata issued from the AVC video encoder, they are copied and stored in a display for future reference, when the allusive track originates. This allows the creation of allusive clues to be more direct and simple since the media track does not need to be analyzed from beginning to end to find the parameter settings. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the track description information 400 of the session description protocol (SDP), in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The AVC parameter settings 230 are stored within the SDP track description information 400 included within the allusive track. The storage of the parameter settings 230 in the allusive track provides a means for transporting the parameter settings 230 with the use of reliable network transport during the start of a transmission session. Of equal importance, backward compatibility with the current transmission servers is provided as no additional extension is needed for the file. The track description information 400 also includes track duration information 410, track description information 420, and other attributes 430. Table 1 illustrates the storage of the AVC parameter settings within the description information. of Session Description Protocol (SDP), in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. v = 0 s = AVC transmission media program u = http: / 7 e = admin @ a = control: * a = interval: npt = 0_60.96 m = video 0 RTP / AVP 96 a = rtpmap: 96 AVC / 90000 a = paramset: "data: video / jvt; base64, MIME encoded parameter settings "a = control: trackD2 m = audio 0 RTP / AVP 14 a = rtpmap: 14 MPA / 22050 a = control: trackD = 6 Table 1 Parameter setting information can be encoded in extensions Multipurpose Internet mail (MIME) before being embedded within the SDP payload of the allusive track.

Figure 5 is a high-level block diagram of an apparatus 500 for inserting parameter settings within the alluvial tracks of an AVC file 599, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 500 includes a means and a metadata manager 510, a metadata analyzer 520, an insertion module 530, a media writing module 540, a metadata writing module 550, a allusive track writing module 560, and a generic file write module 570. The video data 501 and the metadata 502 are received by the administrator 510 of media and metadata. The media and metadata manager 510 ensures that the file writing process is carried out properly and that the file is not written in an inconsistent manner. In most cases, metadata 502 will reside within the file first, followed by media data tracks and allusive tracks. Therefore, the media and metadata manager 510 is present to control the writing process. There are three main writing modules (540, 550, 560) that interface with the generic write file module 570. It may seem that each of these three modules send data to the generic file script simultaneously, but in reality, they send data to be written in a particular order (for example, the order described above, which is metadata, media data). and allusive data). These writing modules will be described with respect to Figures 6 through 8. Figure 6 is a high-level block diagram illustrating the generation of metadata tables and the writing of the metadata tables in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a high-level block diagram illustrating the writing of media data in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a high-level block diagram illustrating the writing of allusive tracks in an AVC file, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned before, writing an allusive AVC track in an AVC file involves extracting the parameter settings from the metadata and storing them in the SDP information of the allusive track. With reference to Figures 6 to 8, the metadata is entered into the media and metadata manager 510. As is known, metadata is a group of data structures for storing information that depend on media, such as timestamps, frame size, parameter settings and so on. The metadata is used, for example, to maintain the corresponding means in synchronization with the additional data for the purpose of decoding, encoding, displaying, accessing and transmitting. The media and metadata manager 510 extracts the media metadata and analyzes the metadata for the parameter settings (see Figure 8). In this way, when the parameter settings are present in the metadata, the metadata analyzer 520 will extract the parameter settings and feed them into the SDP data structure of the allusive track. Otherwise, when the parameter settings are not found, the metadata analyzer 520 transforms the metadata into standardized data structures that provide a means for writing information to a file. The metadata writing module 550 uses the application programming interface (API) of the generic write module 570 to write the metadata in the AVC 599 file. In Figure 7, the media and metadata manager 510 extracts the media and the total size of the media. The data is fed directly to the media writing module 540. The media writing module also uses the API of the generic write module 570 to write media samples in the 599 AVC file. Although illustrative embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments, and that various changes and modifications can be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (24)

1. A method for using parameter adjustment information corresponding to an advanced video coding (AVC) file, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: embedding the parameter adjustment information within an allusive track of the AVC file.

The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the parameter adjustment information is embedded within a payload of the session description protocol (SDP) of the allusive track.

The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the parameter adjustment information is encoded in multi-purpose Internet mail extensions (MIME) before being embedded within the SDP payload of the allusive track.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the step of transmitting the parameter adjustment information in an out-of-band transmission.

The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a transmission control protocol (TCP).

The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a transmission protocol in real time.

The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the step of transmitting the parameter adjustment information in an independent transmission of the means.

The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information before any means corresponding thereto.

The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the step of extracting the parameter adjustment information from the metadata corresponding to at least one media transmission.

10. An apparatus for using the parameter adjustment information corresponding to an advanced video coding (AVC) file, characterized in that it comprises: an embedding device for embedding the parameter adjustment information within an allusive track of the AVC file.

The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the embedding device embeds the parameter adjustment information within a payload of the session description protocol (SDP) of the allusive track.

The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the parameter setting information embedded in the payload of the SDP by the embedding device is encoded in multi-purpose Internet mail extensions (MIME).

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the parameter adjustment information in an out-of-band transmission.

The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the transmitter transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a transmission control protocol.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the transmitter transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a real-time transmission protocol.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the parameter adjustment information in a transmission independent of the medium.

The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the transmitter transmits the parameter adjustment information before any means corresponding thereto.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises an extractor for extracting the parameter adjustment information from the metadata corresponding to at least one media transmission.

A method for employing the parameter adjustment information corresponding to an advanced video coding (AVC) file, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: embedding the parameter adjustment information within an allusive track of the AVC file; and transmitting the parameter adjustment information in a media-independent and out-of-band transmission.

The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the parameter adjustment information is embedded within a payload of the session description protocol (SDP) of the allusive track.

The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a transmission control protocol (TCP).

The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information with the use of a real-time transmission protocol.

23. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the parameter adjustment information before any means corresponding thereto.

24. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises the step of extracting the parameter adjustment information from the metadata corresponding to at least one media transmission.