Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F15/00—Digital computers in general; Data processing equipment in general
  • G06F15/16—Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
  • H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
  • H04N21/2662—Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
  • H04N19/10—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding
  • H04N19/102—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
  • H04N19/103—Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
  • H04N19/10—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding
  • H04N19/134—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the element, parameter or criterion affecting or controlling the adaptive coding
  • H04N19/156—Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
  • H04N19/40—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
  • H04N19/50—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using predictive coding
  • H04N19/59—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using predictive coding involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
  • H04N19/60—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using transform coding
  • H04N19/61—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using transform coding in combination with predictive coding
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
  • H04N21/234—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
  • H04N21/2343—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
  • H04N21/234363—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
  • H04N21/234—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
  • H04N21/2343—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
  • H04N21/234381—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
  • H04N21/44209—Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
  • H04N21/4424—Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/65—Transmission of management data between client and server
  • H04N21/658—Transmission by the client directed to the server
  • H04N21/6582—Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number

Definitions

• the invention disclosed herein relates to a system and method for delivering a video stream across a data communications network.
• the quality of the presentation at a client device of video based on a video stream received through a network can be limited by the bandwidth available in the network. Network congestion can result in data being dropped from data transmissions carried by the network. Thus, when a network experiences congestion, a video stream being carried by the network can suffer frame loss thereby resulting in degraded quality of video presented based on the video stream. Also, the quality of the presentation at a client device of video based on a video stream received through a network can be limited by the ability of the client device to decode the video stream. Where a client device lacks the ability to fully decode a video stream that is being received, the unused data corresponds to wasted network bandwidth.
• the present invention provides for a video stream being encoded according to one or more parameters and transmitted through a network to a computer to be dynamically modified during the encoding process based on conditions in the network and the ability of the computer to decode the video stream.
• the invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for modifying a video stream being encoded according to the values of one or more parameters and being delivered through a network. First, data related at least to the ability of the network to transport the video stream is obtained. Then, the values of the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is being encoded are modified based on the obtained data.
• the video stream being encoded according to the values of one or more parameters is being delivered through the network to a computer.
• Data related at least to the ability of the network to transport the video stream and the ability of the computer to decode the video stream is obtained.
• the values of the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is being encoded are then modified based on the obtained data.
• the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is being encoded includes a frame resolution which is modified based on the obtained data.
• the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is being encoded includes a frame rate which is modified based on the obtained data.
• the data related to the ability of the network to transport the video stream to the computer and related to the ability of the computer to decode the video stream is obtained through RTCP packets received from the computer.
• the data related to the ability of the network to transport the video stream to the computer and related to the ability of the computer to decode the video stream includes a measurement representing the computer processor power available at the computer for decoding the video stream being delivered to the computer.
• the data related to the ability of the network to transport the video stream to the computer and related to the ability of the computer to decode the video stream includes a measurement representing the packet loss associated with the delivery of the video stream through the network to the computer.
• the data related to the ability of the network to transport the video stream to the computer and related to the ability of the computer to decode the video stream includes a measurement representing the bytes transmitted and the bytes received associated with the delivery of the video stream through the network to the computer.
• the data related to the ability of the network to transport the video stream to the computer and related to the ability of the computer to decode the video stream includes a measurement representing a bit error rate associated with the delivery of the video stream through the network to the computer.
• Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention and the environment in which it operates;
• Fig. 2 is a table showing examples of predefined data ranges and corresponding parameter values
• Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an operative embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing another operative embodiment of the invention.
• a Video Server (“VS") System 100 communicates with a Video Client (“VC") System 300 through a Network 200.
• VS System 100 encompasses any computer system capable of (a) encoding a video stream according to one or more parameters, (b) transmitting the encoded stream to another computer through a network, (c) receiving data regarding conditions in the network and the other computer, and (d) modifying the one or more parameters based on the received data to thereby modify the encoding of the video stream.
• VS System 100 may comprise computer code to perform the above functions.
• VS System 100 comprises a Video
• VET System 100 encompasses any computer system capable of performing the encoding and transmitting functions described above, and may comprise computer code for performing those functions.
• VET System 100 may comprise a computer system capable of encoding a video stream of any known format, e.g., MPEG and H.263, according to one or more parameters, including, for example, frame resolution and frame rate, and transmitting the video stream over a network through known techniques, for example, according to IP, TCP/IP, and UDP protocols as well as protocols related to the transport of streaming data, e.g., Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), and Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP).
• RTSP Real Time Streaming Protocol
• RTP Real-Time Transport Protocol
• RTCP Real Time Control Protocol
• the one or more parameters described above may be stored, e.g., in a memory, so that they can be modified and accessed by other computer systems, e.g., VEC System 120.
• VEC System 120 encompasses any computer system capable of performing the receiving and modifying functions described above, and may comprise computer code for performing those functions.
• VEC System 120 may comprise a computer system capable of receiving data regarding conditions in the network over which the video stream is being sent and in the computer receiving the video stream as application specific data contained within RTCP packets received from the computer receiving the video stream, and modifying the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is being encoded based on tables of predefined ranges for the received data and predefined parameters values corresponding to the predefined ranges.
• Fig. 2 shows an exemplary table of predefined ranges for the received data and predefined parameters values corresponding to the predefined ranges.
• the first column of the table shows CPU Power Available, described further below, as predefined percentage ranges.
• the second column of the table shows predefined frame resolutions corresponding to the predefined CPU Power Available percentage ranges.
• VEC System 120 could consult the table of Fig. 2 to determine that a frame resolution of 352 x 288 to corresponds with the predefined range encompassing the received data.
• VEC System 120 would modify the frame resolution parameter to 352 x 288 to thereby cause VET System 110 to encode the video stream at that frame resolution.
• Similar tables may be used in relation to other types of data received by VEC System 120, as described further below.
• the values shown in Fig. 2 are exemplary only and that the values in this table, as well as the values that may be used in similar tables related to other types of data received by VEC System 120 other than CPU Power Available, are exemplary only and may be varied as a matter of design choice for the user and implementer of the invention.
• Network 200 encompasses any communication network capable of transporting video streams and related control data.
• Network 200 may comprise a LAN, WAN, or the Internet.
• VC System 300 encompasses any computer system capable of (a) receiving a video stream through a network and decoding the received video stream for presentation to a user, (b) gathering data regarding (i) conditions in the network through which the video stream is being received and (ii) resources available within VC System 300 for decoding the video stream being received, and (c) transmitting the gathered data to the computer system transmitting the video stream being received by VC System 300.
• VC System 300 may comprise computer code to perform the above functions.
• VC System 300 comprises a Video Receiving and Decoding (“VRD") System 310 and a Condition Reporting ("CR") System 320.
• VRD System 310 encompasses any computer system capable of receiving video streams through a network and decoding the received video streams for presentation to a user.
• VRD System 310 may comprise known video streaming client software, e.g., RealOneTM Player from RealNetworks, Inc. or Windows Media PlayerTM from Microsoft Corporation.
• CR System 320 encompasses any computer system capable of gathering data regarding conditions in the network through which a video stream is being received and resources available within VC System 300 for decoding the video stream being received, and transmitting the gathered data to the computer system transmitting the video stream being received by VC System 300.
• CR System 320 may comprise computer code for gathering data regarding conditions in a network as well as data regarding the resources available within a computer system according to any known method or technique.
• the types of data gathered by CR System 320 regarding conditions in a network may include, for example, measurements related to the reception through the network of a video stream currently being received, including, for example, measurements representing the packet loss, bytes transmitted/received, and bit error rate associated with a video stream currently being received through the network.
• the types of data gathered by CR System 320 regarding resources available within VC System 300 for decoding the received video stream include, for example, measurements representing the memory and CPU power available for decoding the received video stream.
• CR System 320 may comprise computer code for performing the function of transmitting the gathered data to the computer system transmitting the video stream being received by VC System 300.
• CR System 320 may comprise computer code which, when executed, causes CR System 320 to transmit the gathered data as application specific data in RTCP packets that it sends to the computer system transmitting the video stream being received by VC System 300.
• VET System 110 and VEC System 120 each may comprise computer code that resides on the same computer hardware of VS System 100 .
• VET System 110 and VEC System 120 each may be implemented in distinct computer hardware.
• Figs. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing one way in which the present invention may operate, where Fig. 3 shows the operations performed at VS 100 and Fig. 4 shows the operations performed at VC 300.
• Fig. 3 shows the operations performed at VS 100
• Fig. 4 shows the operations performed at VC 300.
• VC System 300 For example, VS System 100 may communicate with VC System 300 to establish an RTP/UDP connection over which encoded video maybe transmitted to VC System 300 and an RTCP/UDP connection over which diagnostic information may be received from VC System 300.
• a determination may be made as to whether any source data remains to encode and transmit as part of the video stream.
• VET System 110 may make a determination of whether the process of encoding live video is continuing, and where the source data is video data from a stored file that is being transcoded by VS System 100, VET System 110 may make a determination of whether any data remains in the stored video file to be transcoded. If the determination resulting from the operations represented in block 1050 is negative, then processing terminates at VS System 100. On the other hand, if the determination resulting from the operations represented in block 1050 is positive, then the operations represented in blocks 1100, 1200, and 1300 are performed. As represented in block 1100, the stored values for the one or more parameters according to which the video stream is encoded are retrieved.
• VET System 110 may retrieve values for each of the one or more parameters from the storage location associated with each parameter.
• the source data is encoded into a video stream according to the retrieved values for the one or more parameters, as represented in block 1200.
• VET System 110 may encode the source data according to a known video compression algorithm, e.g., MPEG or H.263, according to the values retrieved for the one or more parameters previously described, e.g., frame resolution and frame rate.
• the encoded video stream is transmitted, as represented in block 1300.
• VET System 110 may transmit the encoded video stream over Network 200 to VC System 300. Processing then returns to the operations represented in block 1050.
• the operations represented in blocks 1400, 1500, and 1600 are also performed.
• the operations represented in blocks 1400, 1500, and 1600 maybe performed concurrently and independently of the operations represented in blocks 1100, 1200, and 1300.
• a determination is made as to whether any data has been received from VC System 300 regarding the conditions in Network 200 or VC System 300.
• VEC System 120 of VS System 100 may examine the RTCP packets received from VC System 300 over the established RTCP/UDP connection to determine if data has been received from VC System 300 regarding the conditions in Network 200 or the conditions in VC System 300 regarding its ability to decode the video stream in the application specific portion of RTCP packets received from VC System 300. If the determination resulting from the operations represented in block 1400 is negative, then processing returns to the operations represented in block 1050. If the determination resulting from the operations represented in block 1400 is positive, then processing continues with the operations represented in block 1500, where values for each of the one or more parameters that corresponds to the received data are determined.
• VEC System 120 may compare the data received from VC System 300 with a table specifying predefined ranges for the type of data received and corresponding values for each of the one or more parameters for each predefined range, as described previously in connection with Fig. 2. For instance, where the data received from VC System 300 represents a measurement of the CPU power available at VC System 300 for decoding the video stream currently being transmitted from VS System 100 to VC System 300, then VEC System 120 may compare the data received from VC System 300 with the table of Fig. 2 to determine the predefined range encompassing the received data and the value for the frame resolution parameter corresponding to this range.
• VEC System 120 may determine 352 x 288 to be the proper value for the frame resolution parameter corresponding to this received data. In a similar manner, VEC System 120 may determine the values of each of the one or more parameters that corresponds to the data received from VC System 300.
• VEC System 120 may compare the values determined for each of the one or more parameters, from the operations represented in block 1500, with the stored values for each of the one or more parameters. If any of the determined values differs from the stored value for a parameter, VEC System 120 stores the determined value in the storage area associated with the parameter. Processing then goes back to the operations represented in block 1050.
• VC System 300 receives the video stream through Network 200 and decodes it for presentation to a user operating VC System 300.
• communications are established with VS System 100, as represented in block 2000.
• VC System 300 may communicate with VS System 100 to establish the RTP/UDP connection over which encoded video may be received from VS System 300 and an RTCP/UDP connection over which diagnostic information may be transmitted to VS System 100.
• VRD System 310 then begins and continues the process of receiving and decoding the video stream being sent from VS System 100. While VRD System 310 in the receiving and decoding process, CR System 320 continually performs the operations represented in blocks 2050, 2100, and 2200 shown in Fig. 4.
• CR System 320 begins monitoring this process, as represented in block 2050, by making a determination of whether this receiving and decoding process is continuing at VRD System 310. If this determination is negative, the processing at CR System 320 terminates.
• CR System 300 may employ known techniques to obtain data including, for example, measurements representing (a) the packet loss associated with the delivery of the video stream from VS System 100 to VC System 300 through Network 200, (b) the number of bytes transmitted by VS System 100 and the number of bytes received by VC System 300 associated with the delivery of the video stream from VS System 100 to VC System 300 through Network 200, (c) the bit error rate associated with the delivery of the video stream from VS System 100 to VC System 300 through Network 200.
• CR System may employ known techniques to obtain data including, for example, measurements representing the memory available or the CPU power available at VC System 300 to decode the video stream being received from VS System 100. It should be noted that the memory and CPU power available may fluctuate as those resources are used and released for other purposes at VC System 300, e.g., as other application programs are opened or closed at VC System 300.
• the data described above may be measured in any known manner so long as the standard of measurement used by CR System 320 is the same standard used by VEC System 120 (e.g., CPU power available represented as a percentage of total CPU power by CR System 320 as well as VEC System 120, such as shown in the table of Fig. 2).
• VEC System 120 e.g., CPU power available represented as a percentage of total CPU power by CR System 320 as well as VEC System 120, such as shown in the table of Fig. 2 2).
• the gathered data is transmitted to VS System 100, as represented in " block 2200.
• CR System 320 may transmit the gathered data regarding conditions in Network 200 and the resources available in VC System 200 to decode the video stream as application specific data of RTCP packets that are transmitted back to VS System 100 over the established RTCP/UDP connection. Processing then continues with the operations in block 2050.
• VC System 200 may continually gather data regarding the conditions in Network 200 and in VC System 200 and send this data to VS System 100 for use in adjusting the encoding of the video stream.
• the data received at VS System 100 may cause it to reduce, for example, the frame resolution of the video stream being encoded.
• data received at VS System 100 may cause it to increase, for example, the frame resolution of the video stream being encoded.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Software Systems (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computing Systems (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
• Compression Or Coding Systems Of Tv Signals (AREA)

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• 2002
  • 2002-12-13 CN CNB028251229A patent/CN1316398C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-12-13 WO PCT/US2002/039919 patent/WO2003053040A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2002-12-13 EP EP02797305A patent/EP1454250A4/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-12-13 JP JP2003553813A patent/JP2005513876A/ja active Pending
  • 2002-12-13 KR KR1020047008811A patent/KR101080237B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-12-13 AU AU2002361665A patent/AU2002361665A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-12-13 MX MXPA04005740A patent/MXPA04005740A/es active IP Right Grant

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