Method and apparatus including system architecture for multimedia communication

An apparatus for the adaptive continuous management and control of network traffic condition and band width availability for the communication of multimedia articles including voice, audio, text, still image, motion video and animated graphics between multimedia transmitter and receivers wherein said apparatus is compatible with multiple analog and digital transmission standards, such as analog voice grade line, PSDN, basic rate ISDN, primary rate ISDN/T1, LAN, and FDDI, the apparatus having a band width detection means determining available display band widths in accordance with frame rate and run time transmission band width, said apparatus comprising:

• a means for generating a transmission request signal provided with message retaining transmission band width for an outbound multimedia article;
• a means for receiving a transmit acknowledge signal from a network controller and destination receiver indicating said band width availability;
• a means for relaying a band width availability signal to a band width management unit for comparison of band width availability to transmission signal;
• a means for generating an alternate compression ratio for said transmission signal compatible with said band width availability;
• a means for implementing said alternate compression ratio through a host or encoding processor for further compression of said multimedia article to meet said band width availability;
• a means for transmitting said multimedia article on said available band width;
• and
• a means for monitoring said multimedia article transmission in said band width availability during transmission.

A method for the adaptive continuous management and control of network traffic condition and band width availability having a band width detection means determining available display band widths in accordance with frame rate and run time transmission band width, for the communication of multimedia articles including voice, audio, text, still image, motion video and animated graphics between multimedia transmitter and receivers whereby said apparatus is compatible with multiple analog and digital transmission standards such as analog voice grade line, PSDN, basic rate ISDN, primary rate ISDN/T1, LAN, and FDDI, the method comprising:

• (a) generating a transmission request signal provided with message band width requirement for outbound multimedia articles;
• (b) receiving a transmit acknowledge signal from an external network controller and destination receiver indicating said band width availability;
• (c) relaying said band width availability to a band width management unit for comparison with band width of said outbound multimedia articles;
• (d) generating an alternative compression ratio for said outbound multimedia articles compatible with said available band width;
• (e) relaying said alternative compression ratio to a host or encoding processor for further compression of said outbound multimedia articles in conformance with said band width availability;
• (f) transmitting said outbound multimedia articles in conformance with said transmission band width availability;
• (g) monitoring said band width availability and said transmission of said outbound multimedia articles during said transmission;
• (h) generating alternative compression ratios during transmission to adapt to changes in said band width availability;
• (i) repeating steps (a) through (h) as required.

A scalable, reconfigurable memory apparatus for executing a plurality of preprocessing and post-processing functions for the communication and storage of multimedia articles including voice, audio, text, still image, motion video, and animated graphics between selective multimedia transmitters and receivers, said memory apparatus compatible with multiple standard or customized coding algorithmic signals including H.261, MPEG, JPEG, EDTV or HDTV, said apparatus comprising:

• means for definition of a default internal file format and size based upon coder processing and frame memory system throughput;
• means for receipt of an external network algorithmic coded signal, said means comprising a network domain decoder;
• means for receipt of a locally-originated signal, said means comprising a capture processor;
• means for identifying and receiving said multimedia article and file size, said means comprising a host processor selectively interfaced with said capture processor and network domain decoder;
• means for downsampling wherein said multimedia article can be conformed and reduced to a predetermined internal file format and size, said means comprising a reconfiguration unit and scaler circuit;
• means for manipulation of said internal file format, said means comprising said host processor and a pixel processor;
• means for adjustment of said internal file format and size to conform to band width availability, said means comprising a band width management unit in communication with said scaler circuit, said reconfiguration unit and said host processor;
• means for adjustment of said internal file format and size during interframe coding, wherein motion video foreground articles and still background articles are differentiated and separately transmitted, said means comprising a frame differencing circuit, and motion processor in interface with said pixel processor;
• means for providing upsampling during transmission wherein said transmission of said multimedia article can be formatted and sized, said means comprising said reconfiguration unit, and said scaler circuit in interface with a band width management unit.

A scalable, reconfigurable memory array method for executing a plurality of preprocessing and post-processing functions for the communication and storage of multimedia articles including voice, high quality audio, text, still image, motion video and animated graphics between multimedia transmitters and receivers, whereby said method is compatible with multiple standard customized coding algorithmic signals including H.261, MPEG, JPEG, EDTV or HDTV, wherein said method provides a scalable architecture for communication of multimedia data, formatting from internal format to external format in compliance with any selective one of a plurality of international standardized and customized coded algorithms, and band width determination of available display band widths according to frame rate and available transmission band widths, said method comprises:

• defining of a default internal file format and size based upon coder processing and frame memory system throughput;
• selectively receiving an external network algorithmic coded signal and local origination signal;
• identifying the multimedia article signal and size;
• downsampling the received multimedia article to a predefined internal file format and size;
• manipulating said internal file format to conform to transmission band width availability;
• distinguishing between motion video foreground articles and still background articles during interframe coding and intraframe coding modes;
• upsampling said internal file format to selectively desired format and size for transmission in accordance with transmission band width availability;
• distinguishing between motion video foreground articles and still background articles during interframe coding and intraframe coding modes;
• upsampling said internal file format to selectively desired format and size for transmission in accordance with transmission band width availability.

A method for the application of image preprocessing techniques for the interframe coding of multimedia articles including voice, audio, text, still image, motion video and animated graphics between multimedia transmitters and receivers, whereby said method can be integrated with an image capturer circuit and band width management circuit, said method comprising:

• (a) capturing a local origination still image in accordance with frame update requirements established by a host processor;
• (b) capturing and storing the complete image frame during the intraframe coding mode;
• (c) comparing and differencing said present captured frame to a previous captured frame during the interframe coding mode;
• (d) storing the frame differences between said present frame and said previous frame in blocks and macro blocks;
• (e) registering and coding said frame differencing blocks or said frame differencing macro blocks into a frame differencing bit map;
• (f) converting color space from analog RGB or NTSC format into a digital RGB or YUV format;
• (g) retrieving the luminance macro blocks according to said frame differencing bit map;
• (h) deriving the appropriate motion vector for each of said macro blocks through comparison and selection of the minimum distortion among adjacent macro blocks;
• (i) reducing from an external file format to an internally-defined format in accordance with a downsampling ratio established by said host processor, the reconfiguration unit and the scaler;
• (j) translating said frame differencing bit map to conform with said internally-defined format;
• (k) performing pixel domain and transform domain coding operations for said frame differencing macro blocks for said Y, U and V format;
• (l) enlarging from said internal file format to an external file format according to an appropriate downsampling ratio as established by said host processor, reconfiguration unit and scaler;
• (m) adding said frame difference to said previous frame in order to display and update said current frame;
• (n) repeating steps (a) through (m) as required;
• (o) repeating steps (a) through (n) for live video sequence as required.

A method for the application of frame differencing techniques, pixel interpolation techniques and annealing techniques for the compensation of live motion video articles which may include voice, audio, text, still image and animated graphics, said motion compensation method provides a scalable architecture for communication of multimedia data, formatting from internal format to external format in compliance with any selective one of a plurality of international standardized and customized coded algorithms, and band width determination of available display band widths according to frame rate and available transmission band widths, said method comprising:

• (a) capturing the scene of a motion video article through frame differencing techniques;
• (b) representing the motion video profile of said motion video article in an article-oriented instruction set format;
• (c) defining said motion video profile of said motion video article by individual object and relative movement association;
• (d) augmenting said motion video profile of said motion video article by means of rotation, shifting and shuffling operations;
• (e) reformatting said motion video profile of said motion video article to an internal file format;
• (f) enlarging said motion video article by means of upsampling and reducing said motion video article by means of downsampling operations;
• (g) overlaying said motion video profile of said motion video article with said voice, audio, text, still image or said animated graphics to construct a complete multimedia presentation;
• (h) defining said motion video profile of said motion video article;
• (i) interpolating said motion video profile of said motion video article through regeneration of absent pixels to further refine said motion video article;
• (j) simulating said motion video profile of said motion video article through capturing and recording selective, nonconsecutive frame references;
• (k) annealing said motion video profile of said motion video article through reconstruction of said absent pixels, absent motion articles or absent frames, employing graphics animation techniques;
• (l) selectively repeating steps (a) through (k) as required.

A communication system assembly apparatus executing a plurality of control, processing, communication and interface functions for the communication and storage of multimedia articles including voice, audio, text, still image, motion video, and animated graphics between multimedia transmitters and receivers whereby said communication system is compatible with multiple standard or customized coding algorithmic signals such as H.261, MPEG, JPEG, EDTV or HDTV wherein multiple incompatible video coding equipment employing different video coding algorithms can communicate with each other, said communication system providing a scalable architecture for communication of multimedia data, formatting from internal format to external format in compliance with any selective one of a plurality of international standardized and customized coded algorithms, and band width determination of available display band widths according to frame rate and available transmission band widths, said communication system providing:

• means for network communication processing, said means comprising a network domain decoder and network domain encoder, said means can provide control interface to a telecommunication network or microwave network, said means for network communication processing including receiving functions for serial compressed video bit stream;
• means for transmission processing, said means comprising a formatter to transform between a CIF/QCIF format and selective CCITT H.261, MPEG or JPEG formats, said means providing conversion functions for serial to parallel and parallel to serial, said means further comprising means to encode and decode header messages for H.261, JPEG and MPEG;
• means for host processing, said means providing a high speed interface between said communication assembly and an external host, said means further providing a system independent communication between said controller assembly and said external host for the exchange sequence of command and data messages, said host means further providing windowing operations permitting the system memory to be memory mapped into a frame memory whereby said host processor can view frame memory status and operations in real time;
• means for system host bus, said bus means permitting said host processor to control access and communicate with network communication processors, transmission processors, pixel processors and frame memory;
• means for a communication pipelining subsystem, said means providing real time frame formatting, protocol controlling transmission and receiving;
• means for pixel processing, said means comprising a bus controller and frame memory controller wherein said pixel processing means serves as a bus master for a video bus wherein said pixel processing means can access frame video memory for pixel level operations, said means further comprising bit level manipulation capabilities for variable length coding and decoding, scan formatting conversion and quantization;
• means for display processing, said means for display processing performing digital YUV to digital RGB conversion, digital RGB to analog RGB conversion, digital RGB to VGA conversion and analog RGB to NTSC conversion;
• means for capture processing, said means for capture processing permitting decoding of analog video input formats into CCIR 601, said means for capture processing further decoding said CCIR 601 into CIF formulated YUV signals;
• means for frame storage, said means for frame storage comprising a twin memory access storage for previous frames and current frames according to a formulated CIF format in order to facilitate frame differencing operations;
• means for motion processing, said means for motion processing including a means for loading luminance signal in frame memory for performing motion estimation and generating a motion vector for each block of storage in frame memory;
• means for transform processing, said means for transform processing comparing the differences between the previous and the present current blocks or macro blocks and coding said differences in discrete cosine transform coefficients;
• means for video bus, said means for video bus providing a high speed, bi-directional, parallel interconnect between said frame memory, said capture processor, said display processor, said transform processor, said pixel processor and said motion processor;
• and
• means for video subsystem pipelining, said means comprising system-wide direct interconnection between said capture processor, said pixel processor, said motion processor, said transform processor, said frame memory and said display processor.