Apparatus, method and a computer readable medium for generating media packets

1. A method for generating media packets, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at a storage unit packet boundary information representative of locations of potential packet boundaries within media objects; said packet boundary information facilitating generation of packets of varying sizes; wherein said packet boundary information comprises intra access unit offsets;

selecting at a packet generator packet boundaries in response to a packet size selection information; and generating media packets in response to the selected packet boundaries.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet size selection information is responsive to bandwidth constraints of a communication media utilized for transferring the media packets.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of updating packet selection information during a transmission of media objects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing packet boundary information comprises retrieving packet boundary information from a hierarchical data structure.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises container atoms.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the packet boundary information is included within a user data atom.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting packet boundaries comprises the steps of:

determining a packet target size;

determining a packet start value;

locating an access unit such that a difference between an intra access unit offset associated with the located access unit and the packet start value (i) does not exceed the packet target size, and (ii) is closets to the packet target size; and

defining a starting point of the access unit that is associated with the packet start value as a start packet boundary and defining a starting point of an access unit that preceded the located access unit as an end packet boundary.

8. The method of claim 7 whereas the step of selecting packet boundaries is followed by a step of selecting a starting point of the located access unit as a packet start value.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet boundary information comprises differential intra access unit offsets.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting packet boundaries comprises the steps of:

determining a packet target size;

determining a packet start value;

locating an access unit such that a sum of consecutive differential intra access unit offset starting from the packet start value and ending at the located access unit (i) does not exceed the packet target size, and (ii) is closets to the packet target size; and

defining a starting point of the access unit that is associated with the packet start value as a start packet boundary and defining a starting point of an access unit that preceded the located access unit as an end packet boundary.

11. The method of claim 10 whereas the step of selecting packet boundaries is followed by a step of selecting a starting point of the located access unit as a packet start value.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the media objects are MPEG-4 compliant.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the media objects are 3GPP compliant.

14. An apparatus for generating media packets comprising:

a storage unit for storing media objects, packet boundary information and packet size selection information; whereas the packet boundary information representative of locations of potential packet boundaries within media objects; wherein the packet boundary information comprises intra access unit offsets;

a packet generator, coupled to the storage unit, for fetching the packet boundary information, for selecting packet boundaries in response to the packet size selection information, and for generating media packets in response to the selected packet boundaries.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 coupled to a transmitter that is operable to transmit the media packets over a communication media.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured to adapt the packet size selection information in response to bandwidth constraints of the communication media.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the packet generator is further adapted to update packet selection information during a transmission of media objects.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the storage unit stores a hierarchical data structure that contains the packet boundary information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises at least one container atoms.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the packet boundary information is included within a user data atom.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the packet boundary information comprises differential intra access unit offsets.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the packet generator is operable to:

determine a packet target size;

determine a packet start value;

locate an access unit such that a sum of consecutive differential intra access unit offset starting from the packet start value and ending at the located access unit (i) does not exceed the packet target size, and (ii) is closets to the packet target size; and

define a starting point of the access unit that is associated with the packet start value as a start packet boundary and define a starting point of an access unit that preceded the located access unit as an end packet boundary.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 whereas the packet generator is further operable to select packet boundaries and then select a starting point of the located access unit as a packet start value.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the packet generator is operable to:

determine a packet target size;

determine a packet start value;

locate an access unit such that a difference between an intra access unit offset associated with the located access unit and the packet start value (i) does not exceed the packet target size, and (ii) is closets to the packet target size; and

define a starting point of the access unit that is associated with the packet start value as a start packet boundary and define a starting point of an access unit that preceded the located access unit as an end packet boundary.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 whereas the packet generator is operable to select packet boundaries and then select a starting point of the located access unit as a packet start value.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the media objects are MPEG-4 compliant.

27. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the media objects are 3GPP compliant.