Granted Patent B2

US 9,313,510 · App. 13/731,949 · Granted Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Claims (82)

1. A method of encoding video, the method performed by an encoding system, comprising:

encoding video at a first bitrate to produce first encoded sections using an encoding system;

encoding the video at a second bitrate that is less than the first bitrate to produce second encoded sections using the encoding system, each having encoded therein the video of a corresponding one of the first encoded sections;

measuring levels of objective quality using the encoding system, indicative of perceptual quality, of the first and second encoded sections;

determining, based on the measured objective quality levels, replaceable sections among the first encoded sections, and replacement sections among the second encoded sections using the encoding system, each to replace a corresponding one of the replaceable sections;

generating identifying information that identifies the replaceable sections and their corresponding replacement sections in the first and second container files, respectively, using the encoding system;

streaming the identifying information using the encoding system; and

in response to requests from a streaming client device that are dependent on the streamed identifying information, streaming the first encoded sections except for the replaceable sections using the encoding device, and streaming the replacement sections instead of their corresponding replaceable sections at a same time as the corresponding replaceable section would have been streamed had the corresponding replaceable section not been replaced.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining includes:

determining, using the encoding device, if corresponding first and second encoded sections have respective measured objective quality levels that each meet a predetermined criterion of objective quality; and

declaring, using the encoding device, the corresponding first and second encoded sections as corresponding replaceable and replacement sections, respectively, if the respective measured objective quality levels each meet the predetermined criterion.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is indicative of an acceptable difference in the perceptual quality levels of the corresponding replaceable and replacement sections when decoded and presented.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is one of:

a threshold level of objective quality that must be exceeded by each of the respective measured objective quality levels; and

a maximum difference between the respective measured objective quality levels that must not be exceeded.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the measuring includes measuring a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the objective quality level; and

the determining includes determining whether the measured objective quality levels meet a predetermined criterion that is based on one of an absolute objective quality level and a relative objective quality level.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

constructing a first file containing the first encoded sections, including the replaceable sections;

constructing a second file containing the second encoded sections, including the replacement sections; and

wherein the streaming includes:

streaming the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, from the first container file; and

streaming the replacement sections from the second container file.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising constructing a file containing the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections which are replaced by their corresponding replacement sections, wherein the streaming includes streaming from the file the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, and the replacement sections.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, including instructions to cause a processor to:

encode video at a first bitrate to produce first encoded sections;

encode the video at a second bitrate that is less than the first bitrate to produce second encoded sections, each having encoded therein the video of a corresponding one of the first encoded sections;

measure objective quality levels, indicative of perceptual quality levels, of the first and second encoded sections;

determine, based on the measured objective quality levels, replaceable sections among the first encoded sections, and replacement sections among the second encoded sections, each to replace a corresponding one of the replaceable sections;

generate identifying information that identifies the replaceable sections and their corresponding replacement sections in the first and second container files, respectively, using the encoding system;

stream the identifying information; and

in response to requests from a playback device that are dependent on the streamed identifying information, stream the first encoded sections except for the replaceable sections, and stream the replacement sections instead of their corresponding replaceable sections at a same time as the corresponding replaceable section would have been streamed had the corresponding replaceable section not been replaced.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to determine include instructions to cause the processor to:

determine if corresponding first and second encoded sections have respective measured objective quality levels that each meet a predetermined criterion of objective quality; and

declare the corresponding first and second encoded sections as corresponding replaceable and replacement sections, respectively, if the respective measured objective quality levels each meet the predetermined criterion.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is indicative of an acceptable difference in the perceptual quality levels of the corresponding replaceable and replacement sections when decoded and presented.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is one of:

a threshold level of objective quality that must be exceeded by each of the respective measured objective quality levels; and

a maximum difference between the respective measured objective quality levels that must not be exceeded.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein:

the instructions to cause the processor to measure include instructions to cause the processor to measure a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the objective quality level; and

the instructions to cause the processor to determine include instructions to cause the processor to determine whether the measured objective quality levels meet a predetermined criterion that is based on one of an absolute objective quality level and a relative objective quality level.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to cause the processor to:

construct a first file containing the first encoded sections, including the replaceable sections;

construct a second file containing the second encoded sections, including the replacement sections; and

wherein the instructions to cause the processor to stream include instructions to cause the processor to:

stream the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, from the first container file; and

stream the replacement sections from the second container file.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising constructing a file containing the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections which are replaced by their corresponding replacement sections, wherein the streaming includes streaming from the file the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, and the replacement sections.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor and memory configured to:

encode video at a first bitrate to produce first encoded sections, and

encode the video at a second bitrate that is less than the first bitrate to produce second encoded sections, each having encoded therein the video of a corresponding one of the first encoded sections;

measure objective quality levels, indicative of perceptual quality levels, of the first and second encoded sections;

determine, based on the measured objective quality levels, replaceable sections among the first encoded sections, and replacement sections among the second encoded sections, each to replace a corresponding one of the replaceable sections; and

generate identifying information that identifies the replaceable sections and their corresponding replacement sections in the first and second container files, respectively, using the encoding system;

stream the identifying information; and

in response to requests from a playback device that are dependent on the streamed identifying information stream the first encoded sections except for the replaceable sections, and the replacement sections instead of their corresponding replaceable sections at a same time as the corresponding replaceable section would have been streamed had the corresponding replaceable section not been replaced.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor and memory, configured to determine, are further configured to:

determine if corresponding first and second encoded sections have respective measured objective quality levels that each meet a predetermined criterion of objective quality; and

declare the corresponding first and second encoded sections as corresponding replaceable and replacement sections, respectively, if the respective measured objective quality levels each meet the predetermined criterion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is indicative of an acceptable difference in the perceptual quality levels of the corresponding replaceable and replacement sections when decoded and presented.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined criterion of objective quality is one of:

a threshold level of objective quality that must be exceeded by each of the respective measured objective quality levels; and

a maximum difference between the respective measured objective quality levels that must not be exceeded.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the processor and memory, configured to measure, are further configured to measure a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the objective quality level; and

the processor and memory, configured to determine, are further configured to determine whether the measured objective quality levels meet a predetermined criterion that is based on one of an absolute objective quality level and a relative objective quality level.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the processor and memory are further configured to

construct a first file containing the first encoded sections, including the replaceable sections, and

construct a second file containing the second encoded sections, including the replacement sections; and

the processor and memory, configured to stream, are further configured to

stream the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, from the first container file, and

stream the replacement sections from the second container file.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the processor and memory are further configured to construct a file containing the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections which are replaced by their corresponding replacement sections; and

the processor and memory, configured to stream, are further configured to stream from the file the first encoded sections, except for the replaceable sections, and the replacement sections.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

a communication system to communicate with a network; and

a housing to house the processor and memory, and the communication system.

Assignments (6)