Apparatus and method of storing video data
View Patent ↗An apparatus for and method of storing video data comprising receiving an MPEG video stream comprising I-frames and P-frames, separating the I-frames from the P-frames, storing the I-frames and the P-frames separately, and providing information so that the I-frames and the P-frames can be combined to produce a full-motion video.
1. A method of storing video data comprising the steps of:
receiving an MPEG video stream comprising a series of I-frames and P-frames;
separating the I-frames from the P-frames;
storing the I-frames from the P-frames in the MPEG video stream separately;
providing information so that the I-frames and the P-frames can be combined to produce a full-motion video;
setting a period of time to keep the P-frames;
determining if the period of time has elapsed; and
allowing the stored P-frames to be overwritten if the period of time has elapsed.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises providing an index to correlate the I-frames and the P-frames.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises giving each frame of the MPEG video stream received in said receiving step a unique identifier.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises giving each frame of the MPEG video stream received in said receiving step a unique time stamp and numbering the frames sequentially.
5. An apparatus for storing video data comprising:
an input for receiving an MPEG video stream comprising I-frames and P-frames;
a video stream separator for separating said I-frames from said P-frames;
memory for storing said I-frames and said P-frames separately;
a sequence identifier for providing a unique identifier to said I-frames and P-frames so that said I-frames and said P-frames can be combined to produce a full-motion video image; and
a timer for allowing the setting of a period of time to keep the P-frames, for determining if the period of time has elapsed, and for allowing the stored P-frames to be overwritten if the period of time has elapsed.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said sequencer provides an index to correlate said I-frames and said P-frames.
7. An apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said sequence identifier provides a unique time stamp and numbers the frames of said MPEG video stream sequentially.