Method for operating a real-time multimedia terminal in a QoS manner

1. A method of operating a terminal having at least one resource and executing at least one application in real-time, wherein the execution of the application requires execution of at least two tasks, and wherein the method comprises:

selecting a task execution quality level and an associated resource utilization for each of the tasks, wherein the task execution quality level and associated resource utilization define a quality-resource utilization operating point from a predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points;

determining at least one implementation parameter for the defined quality-resource utilization operating point, wherein the determining is performed for each of the tasks, and wherein the determined implementation parameter is different from the quality and resource utilization; and

executing the tasks with their determined implementation parameter, wherein the predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are at least a part of a set of possible quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the optimal set has less points than the possible set, wherein the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are selected such that there exists at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point in the set of possible quality resource utilization operating points which is not a part of the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point is characterized in that all points within the optimal set having a resource utilization higher than the operating point have a higher quality level, and wherein substantially all points within the optimal set having a quality level lower than the operating point have a lower resource utilization.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task execution quality level is selected such that the quality of execution of the application is optimal while the total resource utilization of the tasks is such that the terminal can provide a real-time operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimal set is selected such that, for the majority of the points of the set, there is at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point in the possible set which is not part of the optimal set, wherein the at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point is characterized in that substantially all points within the optimal set having a resource utilization higher than the operating point have a higher quality level, and wherein substantially all points within the optimal set having a quality level lower than the operating point have a lower resource utilization.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimal set is characterized such that higher resource utilization levels are associated with higher quality.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimal set is a Pareto subset of the possible set.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implementation parameter defines which computer program version of the task is selected.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implementation parameter is the voltage of a multi-voltage processor executing the task.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task is a scalable method and the implementation parameter defines the scale of resolution used by said task.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is executed on a processor and the resource utilization is the amount of processor time for execution of the task.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is an image processing application and the task execution quality level relates to the visual perception of the image when displayed.

11. A computer readable storage medium that includes a program executing a method of operating a terminal having at least one resource and executing at least one application in real-time, wherein the execution of the application requires execution of at least two tasks, and wherein the method comprises:

selecting a task execution quality level and an associated resource utilization for each of the tasks, wherein the task execution quality level and associated resource utilization define a quality-resource utilization operating point from a predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points;

determining at least one implementation parameter for the defined quality-resource utilization operating point, wherein the determining is performed for each of the tasks, and wherein the determined implementation parameter is different from the quality and resource utilization; and

executing the tasks with their determined implementation parameter, wherein the predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are at least a part of a set of possible quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the optimal set has less points than the possible set, wherein the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are selected such that there exists at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point in the set of possible quality resource utilization operating points which is not a part of the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point is characterized in that all points within the optimal set having a resource utilization higher than the operating point have a higher quality level, and wherein substantially all points within the optimal set having a quality level lower than the operating point have a lower resource utilization.

12. A system configured to operate a terminal having at least one resource and executing at least one application in real-time, wherein the execution of the application requires execution of at least two tasks, the system comprising:

means for selecting a task execution quality level and an associated resource utilization for each of the tasks, wherein the task execution quality level and associated resource utilization define a quality-resource utilization operating point from a predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points;

means for determining at least one implementation parameter for the defined quality-resource utilization operating point, wherein the determining is performed for each of the tasks, and wherein the determined implementation parameter is different from the quality and resource utilization; and means for executing the tasks with their determined implementation parameter, wherein the predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are at least a part of a set of possible quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the optimal set has less points than the possible set, wherein the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are selected such that there exists at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point in the set of possible quality resource utilization operating points which is not a part of the set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points, wherein the at least one possible quality and resource utilization operating point is characterized in that all points within the optimal set having a resource utilization higher than the operating point have a higher quality level, and wherein substantially all points within the optimal set having a quality level lower than the operating point have a lower resource utilization.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the terminal is chosen from the group consisting of: a television, a graphics workstation, a personal computer, a game console, and a portable computing device.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the tasks comprise decoding and rendering.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined set of optimal quality-resource utilization operating points are at least a part of a set of possible quality-resource utilization operating points, and wherein the optimal set has less points than the possible set.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the optimal set is characterized such that higher resource utilization levels are associated with higher quality.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the optimal set is a Pareto subset of the possible set.