FGS decoder based on quality estimated at the decoder

1. A method for decoding a stream of data, comprising:

identifying a relationship between quality of a decoded image and a bit rate for decoding the image;

selecting a desired quality of images to be decoded from the stream of data;

determining a bit rate corresponding to the desired quality using the relationship;

decoding a minimum number of bit-planes corresponding to the determined bit rate from the stream of data;

identifying a change in the relationship; and

dynamically adjusting the number of bit-planes decoded to correspond to the desired quality and the changed relationship.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relationship is defined by the equation:

Q ( R )= QBL+ ( R−RBL )/ c,

where Q(R) is the quality of the image at a bit rate R, QBL is a quality measure of a base layer of the data stream, RBL is a bit rate corresponding to transmission of the base layer, and c is a constant.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a relatively low bit rate for an image sequence having low detail.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in the relationship is identified and the number of bit-planes decoded is dynamically adjusted when a scene change is detected.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising displaying at least two values of image quality and a respective measure of a resource required to decode the image for each of the at least two values of image quality.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the determined bit rate to a source of the stream of data, wherein the source of the stream of data is requested to only transmit future streams of data at the determined bit rate.

7. A computer readable medium having computer program code encoded thereon, wherein, when the computer program code is executed by a processor, the processor executes a method for decoding a stream of data, comprising:

identifying a relationship between quality of a decoded image and a bit rate for decoding the image;

selecting a desired quality of images to be decoded from the stream of data;

determining a bit rate corresponding to the desired quality using the relationship;

decoding a minimum number of bit-planes corresponding to the determined bit rate from the stream of data;

identifying a change in the relationship; and

dynamically adjusting the number of bit-planes decoded to correspond to the desired quality and the changed relationship.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the relationship is defined by the equation:

Q ( R )= QBL+ ( R−RBL )/ c,

where Q(R) is the quality of the image at a bit rate R, QBL is a quality measure of a base layer of the data stream, RBL is a bit rate corresponding to transmission of the base layer, and c is a constant.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein c is approximately equal to RBL.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising receiving a value of QBL from a source of the data stream.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising computing QBL based on one or more of the group consisting of quantization steps, motion-vectors, and macroblock prediction types.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the minimum number of bit-planes is one of the group consisting of a real number corresponding to the determined bit rate and a smallest integer greater than or equal to the determined bit rate.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising using a relatively high bit rate for an image sequence having high detail and low motion.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising using a relatively low bit rate for an image sequence having relatively low detail.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the change in the relationship is identified and the number of bit-planes decoded is dynamically adjusted when a scene change is detected.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising displaying at least two values of image quality and a respective measure of a resource required to decode the image for each of the at least two values of image quality.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the measure of the resource is one of the group consisting of a time to decode the stream of data with the respective image quality, a fraction of battery charge used to decode the stream of data at the respective image quality, and a bit rate used to decode the stream of data at the respective image quality.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting the determined bit rate to a source of the stream of data, and the source of the stream of data is requested to only transmit future streams of data at the determined bit rate.

19. A decoder for decoding a stream of data, comprising:

means for receiving a selection of a desired quality of images to be decoded from the stream of data;

means for determining a bit rate for decoding the image based on a quality of a decoded image, the determining means providing a desired bit rate corresponding to the desired quality;

means for controlling a number of bit-planes to be decoded, so that a minimum number of bit-planes are decoded to form one or more images, corresponding to the desired bit rate from the stream of data;

means for identifying a change in a relationship between the bit rate and the quality of the decoded image; and

means for dynamically adjusting the number of bit-planes decoded to correspond to the desired quality and the changed relationship.

20. The decoder of claim 19 , wherein the adjusting means uses a relatively low bit rate for an image sequence having relatively low detail.

21. The decoder of claim 19 , wherein the change identifying means identifies a change in the relationship when a scene change is detected.

22. The decoder of claim 19 , wherein the decoder is included in a mobile device that displays at least two values of image quality and a respective measure of a resource required to decode the image for each of the at least two values of image quality.

23. The decoder of claim 22 , wherein the measure of the resource is one of the group consisting of a time to decode the stream of data with the respective image quality, a fraction of battery charge used to decode the stream of data at the respective image quality, and a bit rate used to decode the stream of data at the respective image quality.

24. The decoder of claim 19 , wherein the decoder is included in a mobile device that transmits the determined bit rate to a source of the stream of data, so as to request that the source of the stream of data only transmit future streams of data at the determined bit rate.