Video coding using segmented frames and retransmission to overcome channel errors

A method for communicating, the method comprising:

• determining a threshold length for packets transmitted on a channel which connects a sender to a receiver, wherein the threshold length depends on a pattern of errors on the channel;
• generating a first sequence of frames of a moving image;
• encoding each frame as a series of digital values;
• transmitting a signal from the sender to the receiver via the channel, wherein:
• the signal represents sets of packets;
• each set of packets corresponds to a frame;
• each packet contains digital values from the series for the corresponding frame;
• and
• each packet has a length that is less than the threshold length;
• determining whether any of the transmitted packets contain an error when received by the receiver;
• sending from the receiver to the sender a request for retransmission of a packet containing an error;
• retransmitting the packet from the sender to the receiver;
• and
• converting packets received by the receiver without an error to digital values representing a second sequence of frames.

A video decoder, comprising:

• a receiving buffer for data packets which represent portions of frame segments;
• a status buffer containing an array of entries, each entry corresponding to a frame segment and indicating whether one or more data packets for that frame segment have been received without an error, wherein a frame segment for which all data packets have been received without an error has a corresponding entry which indicates whether the data packets for the frame segment represent an inter code or an intra code;
• and
• a decoding circuit coupled to the receiving buffer and the status buffer, wherein the decoding circuit decodes a frame after checking the entries in the status buffer and determining the frame is the most recent frame for which all digital packets required for decoding have been received without an error.

A method for communicating, comprising the steps of:

• generating a first sequence of frames of a moving image;
• spatially partitioning the moving image into a set of sub-sequences, wherein each sub-sequence contains a series of frame segments which are portions of the frames;
• encoding each frame segment as a digital code, wherein each digital code is independent of the content of sub-sequences which do not include the frame segment encoded by the digital code;
• transmitting a signal representing the digital code;
• indicating if the digital code is received without an error;
• and
• indicating a coding process for the digital code, wherein possible coding processes include inter coding and intra coding.