# US 9,438,932 B2 · Method and system for generating side information at a video encoder to differentiate packet data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,932 B2 - Document ID: US9438932B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/433,821 - Filed: 2012-03-29 - Published: 2013-10-03 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-29 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Yiting Liao; Jeffrey R. Foerster - Inventors: Yiting Liao; Jeffrey R. Foerster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438932B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/66: involving data partitioning, i.e. separation of data into packets or partitions according to importance - H04N 19/37: with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data - H04N 19/895: in combination with error concealment - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A system and method for generating, by a video encoder, side information associated with a plurality of blocks of pixel data, the side information providing for each block of pixel data an indication of a video quality impact in an instance the block of pixel data is lost in the network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating, by a video encoder, side information associated with a plurality of blocks of pixel data, the side information providing for each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data an indication of a video quality impact due to a loss individually of each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data; and transmitting, on multiple channels, a video bitstream comprising at least said plurality of blocks using an adaptive multiple channel selection process between the multiple channels based, at least in part, on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of the plurality of blocks, wherein said generating of the side information comprises: estimating concealed pixel values for the plurality of blocks of pixel data in an encoding process; calculating, based on estimated concealed pixel values, a distortion that will be caused by a loss of each of the plurality of blocks; and calculating a distortion for a current group of pictures based on the calculated distortion of each of the plurality of blocks comprising the current group of pictures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the group of pictures is a group of successive video frames starting with an I-frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning one of a plurality of priority levels to each of the plurality of blocks based on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of pixel data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a block of pixel data having a greater video quality impact is assigned a higher priority level than a block of pixel data having a lower video quality impact. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the block of pixel data assigned with the higher priority is transmitted over a channel having a lower packet loss rate. ### Claim 6 An apparatus comprising: a video encoder, configured to generate side information associated with a plurality of blocks of pixel data, the side information providing for each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data an indication of a video quality impact due to a loss individually of each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data; and at least one transmitter, configured to transmit on multiple channels, a video bitstream comprising at least said plurality of blocks using an adaptive multiple channel selection process between the multiple channels based, at least in part, on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of the plurality of blocks, wherein the video encoder comprises: an error concealment module configured to conceal pixel values for the plurality of blocks of pixel data in an encoding process; a distortion calculation module configured to calculate, based on estimated concealed pixel values, a distortion that will be caused by a loss of each of the plurality of blocks; and a packet loss impact estimation module configured to calculate a distortion for a current group of pictures based on the calculated distortion of each of the plurality of blocks comprising the current group of pictures. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the group of pictures is a group of successive video frames starting with an I-frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the side information generator assigns one of a plurality of priority levels to each of the plurality of blocks based on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of pixel data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a block of pixel data having a greater video quality impact is assigned a higher priority level than a block of pixel data having a lower video quality impact. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the block of pixel data assigned with the higher priority is transmitted over a channel having a lower packet loss rate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple channels having different loss rates. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the multiple channels having different loss rates. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory medium having processor-executable computer program instructions stored thereon, the computer program instructions defining code for: generating side information associated with a plurality of blocks of pixel data, the side information providing for each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data an indication of a video quality impact due to a loss individually of each block of the plurality of blocks of pixel data; and transmitting, on multiple channels, a video bitstream comprising at least said plurality of blocks using an adaptive multiple channel selection process between the multiple channels based, at least in part, on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of the plurality of blocks, wherein said generating of the side information comprises: estimating concealed pixel values for the plurality of blocks of pixel data in an encoding process; calculating, based on estimated concealed pixel values, a distortion that will be caused by a loss of each of the plurality of blocks; and calculating a distortion for a current group of pictures based on the calculated distortion of each of the plurality of blocks comprising the current group of pictures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, wherein the multiple channels having different loss rates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The medium of claim 13, further comprising assigning one of a plurality of priority levels to each of the plurality of blocks based on the indication of a video quality impact in the side information for each block of pixel data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein a block of pixel data having a greater video quality impact is assigned a higher priority level than a block of pixel data having a lower video quality impact.