Method and apparatus for dynamic channel bandwidth allocation among multiple parallel video coders

Apparatus for dynamically allocating portions of available overall channel bandwidth comprising:

• a set including a plurality of individual video coders each of which is processing in parallel at least a different portion of at least one video signal comprised of frames wherein each frame contains an at least one image representation;
• means for receiving as an input from each member of said set of individual video coders an average frame quantization step size employed in a previous frame;
• means for receiving as an input a set of values representative of an average number of bits produced per pel by each individual video coder for said previous frame, each member of said set corresponding to at least one member of said set of individual video coders;
• and
• means responsive to said average frame quantization step size from each of said individual video coders and to said set of values for generating for a current frame a set of estimated channel sharing factors.

Apparatus for dynamically allocating portions of available overall channel bandwidth comprising:

• a set including a plurality of individual video coders each of which is processing in parallel at least a different portion of at least one video signal comprised of frames wherein each frame contains an at least one image representation;
• means for receiving as an input from each member of said set of individual video coders an average frame quantization step size employed in a previous frame;
• means responsive to said average frame quantization step size from each of said individual video coders for generating for a current frame a set of estimated channel sharing factors;
• and
• means for deriving a modified set of estimated channel sharing factors from said set of estimated channel sharing factors such that said modified set of estimated channel sharing factors reflects values of at least one estimated channel sharing factor for at least one frame prior to said current frame.

A method for dynamically allocating portions of available overall channel bandwidth to each member of a set including a plurality of individual video coders wherein each coder is processing in parallel at least a different portion of at least one video signal comprised of frames wherein each frame contains an at least one image representation, comprising the steps of:

• receiving as an input from each member of said set of individual video coders an average frame quantization step size employed in a previous frame;
• generating for a current frame a set of estimated channel sharing factors in response to said average frame quantization step size from each of said individual video coders;
• and
• receiving as an input a set of values representative of an average number of bits produced per pel by each individual video coder for said previous frame, each member of said set corresponding to at least one member of said set of individual video coders wherein said step of generating is also responsive to said set of values.

A method for dynamically allocating portions of available overall channel bandwidth to each member of a set including a plurality of individual video coders wherein each coder is processing in parallel at least a different portion of at least one video signal comprised of frames wherein each frame contains an at least one image representation, comprising the steps of:

• receiving as an input from each member of said set of individual video coders an average frame quantization step size employed in a previous frame;
• and
• generating for a current frame a set of estimated channel sharing factors in response to said average frame quantization step size from each of said individual video coders;
• and
• deriving a modified set of estimated channel sharing factors from said set of estimated channel sharing factors such that said modified set of estimated channel sharing factors reflects values of at least one estimated channel sharing factor for at least one frame prior to said current frame.