EP0742674A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video encoding method and system using a rate-quantizer model
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1996-05-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-05-06
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for determining quantization level versus bit-rate characteristics of raw video signals in video frames during a pre-encoding phase for video technologies such as MPEG and MPEG-2. During a pre-encoding phase, various quantization levels are assigned to various parts of a frame, and the frame is then pre-encoded to determine a bit-rate for each quantization level used in the pre-encoding phase. Depending on the embodiment, quantization levels are assigned in one of many ways: checkerboard style, block style or any other distribution that avoids statistical anomalies. The method and system repeat the pre-encoding for plural frames, recording all quantization level versus bit-rate statistics on a frame by frame basis. These statistics are then used during encoding or re-encoding of a digital video to control the number of bits allocated to one segment of the digital video as compared to another segment, based on a target quality and target storage size for each segment. The resulting encoded digital video is stored on a digital storage medium, such as a compact disc.
Inventors
- 👤 Faramarz Azadegan
- 👤 Hiroaki Unno
- 👤 Hideki Mimura
- 👤 Tetsuya Kitamura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/79; H04N9/80; H04N9/804; H04N9/806; H04N9/8063; G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/034; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/102; H04N19/115; H04N19/124; H04N19/134; H04N19/146; H04N19/15; H04N19/154; H04N19/157; H04N19/159; H04N19/162; H04N19/169; H04N19/17; H04N19/172; H04N19/176; H04N19/189; H04N19/192; H04N19/50; H04N19/503; H04N19/60; H04N19/61; H04N7/00; H04N7/24; H04N7/52; H04N9/8042; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/20; G11B2220/25; G11B2220/2537; G11B2220/2562; G11B2220/90; G11B2220/91; G11B2220/913; G11B27/10; G11B27/19; G11B27/28; G11B27/30; G11B27/3027; G11B27/32; G11B27/327; G11B27/329; G11B27/34; H04N19/152; H04N19/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for processing video signals included in video frames to determine characteristics of the video frames, comprising the steps of: a) obtaining video signals included in plural video frames; b) assigning plural quantization levels to one of said plural video frames; c) pre-encoding said one of said plural video frames using said plural quantization levels to obtain plural bit-rates corresponding to each of said plural quantization levels; d) determining bit-rates for each of said plural quantization levels resulting from said pre-encoding step; e) repeating steps b-d sequentially for plural succeeding video frames; and f) encoding a plurality of said plural video frames after determining the bit-rates for each of said plural video frames.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining comprises: obtaining said video signals from a video camera.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of Claim 1, further comprising the step of: storing the plural determined bit-rates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of assigning comprises: assigning said plural quantization levels uniformly across each of said plural video frames.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of assigning comprises: assigning two quantization levels uniformly across each of said plural video frames in a checkerboard pattern.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of assigning comprises: assigning four quantization levels, q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 , uniformly across each of said plural video frames such that a first quantization level of each row, j, is q j mod 4 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of Claim 1, further comprising the steps of: g) determining a target number of bits for said plurality of said plural video frames; and h) assigning a first set of quantization levels for each frame in said plurality of said plural video frames using said target number of bits and the plural determined bit-rates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
98 words
The method of Claim 7, wherein the step of encoding comprises the steps of: i) encoding one video frame of said plurality of said plural video frames into an encoded frame with a resultant number of bits. j) estimating an encoded number of bits for a succeeding video frame; k) adjusting the first set of quantization levels for said succeeding video frame based on said target number of bits, said bit-rates for succeeding video frames, the estimated encoded number of bits and the resultant number of bits; and l) repeating steps i-k sequentially for plural succeeding video frames.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of Claim 7, wherein the step of determining a target number of bits comprises: determining the target number of bits automatically.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of Claim 7, wherein the step of determining a target number of bits comprises: determining the target number of bits through user-intervention.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of Claim 7, wherein the step of assigning further comprises: assigning said first set of quantization levels based on an activity measure of plural macroblocks of corresponding video frames.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein step e) repeats for a majority of video frames in said plural video frames.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein step e) repeats for all video frames in said plural video frames.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
280 words
A memory containing data structures for storing video generated according to claim 1, audio signals, and information used for processing of menus, comprising: a data structure stored in said memory including: a field for storing a number of menu cells, a cell being a unit of information; a field for a start cell of a title menu; a field for a start cell of an audio selection menu; a field for a start cell of a menu used to select sub-picture information, the sub-picture information being used to present bit mapped information different from the video; a field for a start cell for a menu used to select a plurality of programs, when a plurality of programs exist in the memory; and a field for a start cell for an angle menu used to select a camera angle, when a plurality of angle views exist in the memory; a menu cell information table containing table entries for each menu to be displayed, each of said table entries including: a field indicating whether a menu corresponding to the table entry is a title menu, a program menu, an audio menu, a sub-picture menu, or an angle menu; a field indicating a number of selection items; a field describing at least a portion of a system clock reference of a start portion of the corresponding menu cell; a field describing a start address of the corresponding menu cell; and a field describing a number of blocks of the corresponding menu cell; a data structure for storing information displayed for each menu; a data structure for storing encoded audio signals; and a data structure for storing said video generated according to claim 1.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
A memory according to claim 14, wherein the memory is an optical disc.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
249 words
A memory containing data structures for storing video generated according to claim 1, audio signals, and file management information, comprising: a data structure for storing file management information, including: a file management table storing address and size information of information in the memory; a sequence information table storing information describing an order in which cells are reproduced, a cell being a unit of information, the sequence information table including a table entry for each sequence, each table entry including: a field storing whether a corresponding sequence is a completion-type sequence which terminates after being reproduced, a head of a connection-type sequence which is part of sequences which are sequentially reproduced, a mid of a connection-type sequence, and an end of a connection-type sequence; a field storing a number of cells in the corresponding sequence; a field storing a reproduction time of the corresponding sequence; and a field storing a sequence which is reproduced after the corresponding sequence; a cell information table storing information describing cells, the cell information table including a table entry for each cell, each table entry including: a field describing a reproduction time of a corresponding cell; a field describing at least a portion of a system clock reference of the corresponding cell a field describing an address of the corresponding cell; and a field describing a number of logical blocks of the corresponding cell; a data structure for storing encoded audio signals; and a data structure for storing said video generated according to claim 1.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
A memory according to claim 16, wherein the memory is an optical disc.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
159 words
A memory containing data structures for storing video generated according to claim 1, audio signals, and descriptive information including timing information, comprising: a data structure containing descriptive information, including: a field for storing a system clock reference of the descriptive information data structure; a field for storing a start time of a corresponding video picture which is decoded without reference to other pictures; a field for storing a time stamp of audio information having a reproduction start time immediately before the reproduction start time of said corresponding video picture; a field for storing an address of said audio information, a first bit indicating whether the audio information is located before or after the description information data structure; and a field describing addresses of other descriptive information data structures occurring both before and after said descriptive information data structure; a data structure for storing encoded audio signals; and a data structure for storing said video generated according to claim 1.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
A memory according to claim 18, wherein the memory is an optical disc.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
157 words
A memory containing data structures for storing video generated according to claim 1, audio signals, and sub-picture information, comprising: a data structure stored in said memory for storing a sub-picture unit, including: a field for storing a sub-picture unit header; a field for storing a bit mapped image; and a field for storing a display control table including a plurality of table entries, each of said table entries including: a sub-field which stores a display start time of the bit-mapped image; a sub-field which stores an address of a subsequent table entry; and a sub-field for storing at least one display control command selected from a group of commands which include a commands indicating a display area, pixel color, pixel contrast, and color and contrast changes of the pixels which occur as video frames are displayed; a data structure for storing encoded audio signals; and a data structure for storing said video generated according to claim 1.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A memory according to claim 20, wherein the sub-picture unit data structure comprises a plurality of packs containing information in the sub-picture unit data structure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
A memory according to claim 21, wherein the memory is an optical disc.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
137 words
A system for processing video signals included in video frames to determine characteristics of video frames, comprising: means for obtaining video signals included in plural video frames; means for assigning plural quantization levels to a first plurality of said plural frames of the video signals; means for pre-encoding each video frame in said first plurality of said plural video frames using said quantization levels to obtain plural bit-rates corresponding to each of said plural quantization levels; means for determining said plural bit-rates for each of said plural quantization levels for each video frame in said first plurality of said plural video frames generated by said means for pre-encoding; and means for encoding a second plurality of said plural video frames after determining said plural bit-rates for each video frame in said first plurality of said plural frames.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein said means for obtaining comprises: means for obtaining said video signals from a video camera.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of Claim 23, further comprising: means for storing the determined bit-rates.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein said means for assigning comprises: means for assigning said plural quantization levels uniformly across each of said plural video frames.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein said means for assigning comprises: means for assigning two quantization levels across each of said plural frames in a checkerboard pattern.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein said means for assigning comprises: means for assigning four quantization levels, q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 , uniformly across each of said plural frames such that a first quantization level of each row, j, is q j mod 4 .
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system of Claim 23, further comprising: means for determining a target number of bits for said second plurality of said plural video frames; and means for assigning a first set of quantization levels for each frame in said second plurality of said plural video frames using said target number of bits and the plural determined bit-rates.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
96 words
The system of Claim 29, further comprising: means for encoding one video frame of said second plurality of said plural video frames into an encoded video frame with a resultant number of bits; means for estimating an encoded number of bits for a succeeding video frame; and means for adjusting the first set of quantization levels for said succeeding video frame based on said target number of bits, said bit-rates and the estimated encoded number of bits for succeeding video frame and the resultant number of bits of said one of said second plurality of frames.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 29, wherein the means for determining a target number of bits comprises: means for determining the target number of bits automatically.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of Claim 29, wherein the means for determining a target number of bits comprises: means for determining the target number of bits through user-intervention.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of Claim 29, wherein the means for assigning further comprises: means for assigning said first set of quantization levels based on an activity measure of plural macroblocks of corresponding video frames.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein the means for assigning comprises: means for assigning plural quantization levels to a majority of said plural video frames.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of Claim 23, wherein the means for assigning comprises: means for assigning plural quantization levels to all of said plural video frames.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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