Control strategy for dynamically encoding multiple streams of video data in parallel for multiplexing onto a constant bit rate channel

A method for processing multiple streams of video frames comprising:

• encoding said multiple streams of video frames in parallel;
• dynamically adapting encoding of each stream of video frames of the multiple streams of video frames based on relative complexity of the video frames comprising the multiple streams of video frames, wherein said dynamically adapting encoding comprises adjusting an encode bit rate employed by said encoding to encode each stream of video frames, wherein said adjusting of said encode bit rate for each stream of video frames occurs upon detection of a scene change in said stream of video frames or beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• wherein said encoding produces multiple compressed video streams, and wherein said method further comprises buffering each compressed video stream in a buffer, and wherein said dynamically adapting encoding includes for each stream of video frames modifying said encode bit rate based on fullness of said buffer receiving said compressed video stream;
• and
• wherein said modifying of said encode bit rate comprises modifying said encode bit rate as:
• Rimod=Ri+E·ƒi/Ni,
• wherein:
• Ri=calculated bit rate for stream i of video frames,
• E=buffer fullness error bits,
• Ni=number of pictures in a GOP for stream i, and
• fi=frame rate for stream i.

A method for processing multiple streams of video frames comprising:

• encoding in a single pass frames of said multiple streams of video frames in parallel without a priori statistical analysis of current frames being encoded, said encoding including employing an encode bit rate for each stream of video frames to encode each stream of vide frames as groups of frames (GOPs);
• during said encoding, analyzing each stream of video frames to derive information on at least one characteristic thereof, said at least one characteristic comprising at least one of an intraframe characteristic or an interframe characteristic;
• dynamically adapting encoding of subsequent frames of at least one stream of video frames using relative information on the at least one characteristic obtained from each stream of video frames of the multiple streams of video frames, said dynamically adapting including for said at least one stream of video frames adjusting said encode bit rate employed in said encoding, wherein said encoding of said at least one stream of video frames is dynamically adaptive to relative changes in the at least one characteristic obtained from the multiple streams of video frames;
• wherein said adjusting said encode bit rate for each stream of video frames only occurs upon beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• and
• wherein said single pass encoding comprises beginning a new GOP upon detection of a scene change within said stream of video frames, wherein for each stream of video frames said encode bit rate is constant within each GOP and is variable between GOPs.

A system for processing multiple streams of video frames:

• multiple encoders for encoding in a single pass frames of said multiple streams of video frames in parallel without a priori statistical analysis of current frames being encoded, each encoder receiving one stream of video frames of said multiple streams of video frames;
• a joint controller coupled to each encoder of said multiple encoders for dynamically adapting encoding of subsequent frames of at least one stream of video frames of the multiple streams of video frames based on relative complexity of the current video frames being encoded;
• wherein said joint controller's dynamically adapting encoding comprises adjusting an encode bit rate employed in said single pass encoding to encode said subsequent frames of said at least one stream of video frames;
• wherein said adjusting said encode bit rate for said at least one stream of video frames only occurs upon beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• and
• wherein said single pass encoding by said multiple encoders comprises beginning a new GOP upon detection of a scene change within said at least one stream of video frames, wherein for said at least one stream of video frames said encode bit rate is constant within each GOP and is variable between GOPs.

A system for processing multiple streams of video frames comprising:

• multiple encoders for encoding in a single pass frames of multiple streams of video frames in parallel without a priori statistical analysis of current frames being encoded, each encoder employing an encode bit rate for encoding one stream of video frames as groups of frames (GOPs);
• means for analyzing each stream of video frames to derive information on at least one characteristic thereof, said at least one characteristic comprising at least one of an intraframe characteristic or an interframe characteristic;
• means for dynamically adapting encoding of subsequent frames of at least one stream of video frames using relative information on the at least one characteristic obtained from each stream of video frames of the multiple streams of video frames, said means for dynamically adapting including for said at least one stream of video frames means for adjusting said encode bit rate employed in said encoding, wherein said encoding of said at least one stream of video frames is dynamically adaptive to relative changes in the at least one characteristic obtained from the multiple streams of video frames;
• wherein said means for adjusting said encode bit rate for each stream of video frames comprises means for adjusting said encode bit rate for each stream of video frames only upon beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• and
• wherein said single pass encoding of said multiple encoders comprises beginning a new GOP upon detection of a scene change within said stream of video frames, wherein for each stream of video frames said encode bit rate is constant within each GOP and is variable between GOPs.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the processing of multiple streams of video frames, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to encode in a single pass frames of said multiple streams of video frames without a priori statistical analysis of current frames being encoded;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to dynamically adapt encoding of subsequent frames of at least one stream of video frames of said multiple streams of video frames based on relative complexity of the current video frames being encoded;
• wherein said dynamically adapting encoding comprises adjusting an encode bit rate employed by said single pass encoding to encode said subsequent frames of said at least one stream of video frames;
• wherein said adjusting said encode bit rate for said at least one stream of video frames only occurs upon beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• and
• wherein said single pass encoding comprises beginning a new GOP upon detection of a scene change within said at least one stream of video frames, wherein for said at least one stream of video frames said encode bit rate is constant within each GOP and is variable between GOPs.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the processing of multiple streams of video frames, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to encode in a single pass frames of said multiple streams of video frames in parallel without a priori statistical analysis of current frames being encoded, said single pass encoding including employing an encode bit rate for each stream of video frames to encode each stream of video frames as groups of frames (GOPs);
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to analyze each stream of video frames to derive information on at least characteristic thereof, the at least one characteristic comprising at least one of an intraframe characteristic or an interframe characteristic;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to dynamically adapt encoding subsequent frames of at least one stream of video frames using relative information on the at least one characteristic obtained from each stream of video frames of the multiple streams of video frames, said dynamically adapting including for said at least one stream of video frames adjusting said encode bit rate employed in said encoding, wherein said encoding of said at least one stream of video frames is dynamically adaptive to relative changes in the at least one characteristic obtained from the multiple streams of video frames;
• wherein said adjusting said encode bit rate for each stream of video frames occurs upon beginning of a new group of frames (GOP);
• and
• wherein said single pass encoding comprises beginning a new GOP upon detection of a scene change within said stream of video frames, wherein for each stream of video frames said encode bit rate is constant within each GOP and is variable between GOPs.