Video data formatting and storage employing data allocation to control transcoding to intermediate video signal
AssigneeSony United Kingdom Limited
InventorNicholas Ian Saunders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Video data formatting apparatus and method in which an input signal is converted (transcoded) into an intermediate compressed video signal, where the intermediate compressed video signal has a GOP format in which each GOP contains fewer pictures than a GOP associated with the input video signal. A metadata signal which indicates data defining coding decisions is derived from the input video signal. A data quantity allocation is generated to control the transcoding into the intermediate video signal, whereby each picture of the intermediate video signal is transcoded so as not to exceed a respective data quantity allocation.
Claims16
Video data formatting apparatus for formatting video data representing successive pictures for a data handling channel having a predetermined data capacity per picture, said apparatus comprising:
- a signal input to receive an input video signal representing successive pictures, said input video signal having associated with it at least data defining at least some of a number of coding decisions made during an encoding of pictures represented by said input video signal into a compressed form having group-of-pictures (GOP) format including at least one inter-picture encoded picture;
- a converter to convert said input video signal into an intermediate compressed video signal, said intermediate compressed video signal having a GOP format in which each GOP contains fewer pictures than a GOP associated with said input video signal;
- a metadata generator to derive a metadata signal from said input video signal, said metadata signal indicating at least said data defining at least some of said coding decisions;
- an allocation generator to generate a data quantity allocation to control transcoding into said intermediate video signal, whereby each picture of said intermediate video signal is transcoded so as not to exceed a respective data quantity allocation, in which said allocation generator calculates said data quantity allocation for each picture to be substantially equal to:
- (i) said predetermined data capacity per picture
- less
- (ii) a quantity of metadata for said input video signal GOP containing that picture divided by a number of pictures (n) in that input video signal GOP.
A method of formatting video data representing successive picture for a data handling channel having a predetermined data capacity per picture, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) receiving an input video signal representing successive pictures, said input video signal having associated with it at least data defining at least some of a number of coding decisions made during an encoding of pictures represented by said input video signal into a compressed form having group-of-pictures (GOP) format including at lest one inter-picture encoded picture;
- (ii) converting input video signal into an intermediate compressed video signal, said intermediate compressed video signal having a GOP format in which each GOP contains fewer pictures than a GOP associated with said input video signal;
- (iii) deriving a metadata signal from said input video signal, said metadata signal indicating at least said data defining at least some of said coding decisions;
- (iv) generating a data quantity allocation to control transcoding into said intermediate video signal, whereby each picture of said intermediate video signal is transcoded so as not to exceed a respective data quantity allocation, including calculating the data quantity allocation for each picture to be equal to:
- (i) said predetermined data capacity per picture
- less
- (ii) a quantity of metadata for said input video signal GOP containing that picture divided by a number of pictures (n) in that input video signal GOP.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.