Distributed analysis of a multi-layer signal encoding

A method of remote signal analysis comprising:

• receiving, at a computing device over at least one network, encoded data for a plurality of encoded signal streams corresponding to a plurality of input signals,
• wherein the encoding of the plurality of input signals is performed at an encoding location remote from the computing device,
• wherein the encoded signal streams are encoded using a layer-based encoding,
• wherein different layers in the layer-based encoding correspond to different levels of quality, higher layers representing higher levels of quality, and
• wherein the received encoded data comprises encoded data associated with one or more lowest layers within the layer-based encoding;
• decoding the received encoded data to obtain a plurality of reconstructions of the plurality of input signals at the one or more lowest layers;
• processing at least one of reconstructions of the plurality of input signals to determine portions of the encoded signal streams for further processing;
• and
• requesting, from the encoding location, encoded data for one or more layers above the one or more lowest layers that are associated with the determined portions of the encoded signal streams,
• wherein the layer-based encoding comprises a base layer at a lowest level of quality and one or more residual layers above the base layer at higher levels of quality, a given residual layer in the one or more residual layers being determined based on a comparison of data derived from an input signal at a level of quality for the layer and data derived from a lower layer, and
• wherein the one or more residual layers are generated without inter-block dependencies such that each coding unit within each residual layer can be decoded independently of other coding units within the same residual layer, and wherein each residual layer is decoded independently of other residual layers and the base layer.

An encoding method comprising:

• generating, at a first location, encoded data for a plurality of encoded signal streams corresponding to a plurality of input signals,
• wherein the encoded signal streams are encoded using a layer-based encoding,
• wherein different layers in the layer-based encoding correspond to different levels of quality, higher layers representing higher levels of quality, and
• wherein the received encoded data comprises encoded data associated with one or more lowest layers within the layer-based encoding;
• transmitting the encoded data to a second location remote from the first location for decoding;
• receiving a request for further encoded data for one or more layers above the one or more lowest layers, the request relating to one or more of the plurality of input signals;
• and
• transmitting the further encoded data to the second location,
• wherein the layer-based encoding comprises a base layer at a lowest level of quality and one or more residual layers above the base layer at higher levels of quality, a given residual layer in the one or more residual layers being determined based on a comparison of data derived from an input signal at a level of quality for the layer and data derived from a lower layer, and
• wherein the one or more residual layers are generated without inter-block dependencies such that each coding unit within each residual layer can be decoded independently of other coding units within the same residual layer, and wherein each residual layer is decoded independently of other residual layers and the base layer.