Seamless switching of scalable video bitstreams
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsFeng Wu, Shipeng Li, Xiaoyan Sun, Ya-Qin Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seamless bitstream switching schema is presented. The schema takes advantage of both the high coding efficiency of non-scalable bitstreams and the flexibility of scalable bitstreams. Small bandwidth fluctuations are accommodated by the scalability of the bitstreams, while large bandwidth fluctuations are tolerated by switching among scalable bitstreams. This seamless bitstream switching schema significantly improves the efficiency of scalable video coding over a broad range of bit rates.
Claims20
A method for switching between a first bitstream and a second bitstream, wherein the second bitstream provides a higher data rate than the first bitstream, the method comprising:
- identifying a switching up period associated with the first and second bitstreams;
- establishing a third bitstream during the switching up period, the third bitstream being configured to carry additional data associated with a switch up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream;
- and
- switching up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream during the switching up period.
An apparatus suitable for switching between a first bitstream and a second bitstream, wherein the second bitstream provides a higher data rate than the first bitstream, the apparatus comprising:
- an interface configurable to selectively receive the first and second bitstreams;
- and
- logic operatively coupled to the interface and configured to determine a switching up period associated with the first and second bitstreams, cause the interface to support a third bitstream during the switching up period, wherein the third bitstream is configured to carry additional data associated with a switch up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream, and cause the interface to switch up from receiving the first bitstream to receiving the second bitstream as a result of the switch up.
An apparatus suitable for encoding a first bitstream and a second bitstream, wherein the second bitstream provides a higher data rate than the first bitstream, the apparatus comprising:
- an interface configurable to selectively output the first and second bitstreams;
- and
- logic operatively coupled to the interface and configured to selectively encode a plurality of frames of a video sequence within the first bitstream as first encoded data that is at least partially transmittable by the interface in a base layer portion of the first bitstream and the plurality of frames of the video sequence within the second bitstream as second encoded data that is at least partially transmittable by the interface in a base layer portion of the second bitstream, and
- wherein the logic establishes a plurality of temporally spaced switching up periods associated with the first and second bitstreams, during which the logic causes the interface to output a third bitstream wherein the third bitstream is configured to carry additional data associated with a switch up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.