ENCODER, DECODER AND METHOD FOR IMAGES, VIDEO AND AUDIO
An encoder for encoding input data to generate corresponding encoded data is provided. The encoder includes a data partitioning arrangement for partitioning and/or combining the input data to generate one or more data portions thereof; an analyzer arrangement for analyzing one or more properties of the one or more data portions of the input data to select one or more data formats for encoding the data portions; an encoding arrangement for encoding the data portions according to the selected data formats; and a data aggregator arrangement for aggregating the encoded data portions together with header data to generate the encoded data. The header data includes information indicative of encoding data formats, and one or more source data formats, and one or more encoding methods, namely algorithms, applied to the data portions in the encoding arrangement, and the partitioning and/or combining of the input data to generate the data portions in the data partitioning arrangement.
1 . An encoder ( 110 ) for encoding input data (D 1 ) to generate corresponding encoded data (E 2 ), wherein the encoder ( 110 ) includes data processing hardware for processing the input data (D 1 ), characterized in that
the encoder ( 110 ) includes:
(i) a data partitioning arrangement ( 210 ) for partitioning and/or combining at least a part of the input data (D 1 ) to generate one or more data portions thereof;
(ii) an analyzer arrangement ( 220 ) for analyzing one or more properties of the one or more data portions of the input data (D 1 ) to select one or more data formats for encoding the one or more data portions;
(iii) an encoding arrangement ( 230 ) for encoding the one or more data portions with one or more encoding methods according to the one or more data formats as selected by the analyzer arrangement ( 220 ); and
(iv) a data aggregator arrangement ( 240 ) for aggregating the encoded one or more data portions together with header data to generate the encoded data (E 2 ), wherein the header data includes information indicative of one or more encoding data formats and/or information indicative of selecting one or more encoding methods applied to the one or more data portions in the encoding arrangement ( 230 ) as well as one or more source data formats, and information indicative of the partitioning and/or combining of the at least a part of the input data (D 1 ) to generate the one or more data portions in the data partitioning arrangement ( 210 ).
2 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that information indicative of one or more original data formats for one or more portions of the input data (D 1 ) is included in the header data.
3 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the one or more data formats correspond to at least one of: one or more color spaces, one or more pixel formats, and/or one or more audio formats.
4 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3 , characterized in that the analyzer arrangement ( 220 ) is operable to employ at least one of following methods to select the one or more data formats:
(a) a spatial Fourier analysis of image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 );
(b) an audio Fourier analysis of audio data present in the input data (D 1 );
(c) a color information analysis of the image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 );
(d) an entropy analysis of the input data (D 1 );
(e) a pattern matching of at least parts of the image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 ) to reference data; and/or
(f) a rule-based analysis of the input data (D 1 ).
5 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the reference data is stored spatially locally at the encoder ( 110 ) and/or retrieved from a database that is spatially remote from the encoder ( 110 ).
6 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in any one or claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the selection of the one or more data formats is performed in a dynamic manner, and the selection of the one or more data formats is changed as content of the input data (D 1 ) changes.
7 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that the encoder ( 110 ) further includes a data compression arrangement for compressing the encoded data (E 2 ).
8 . An encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that the encoding arrangement ( 230 ) includes a plurality of mutually different encoding units, wherein the plurality of mutually different encoding units are operable to encode in mutually different data formats.
9 . A method of encoding input data (D 1 ) to generate corresponding encoded data (E 2 ), via an encoder ( 110 ) including data processing hardware, characterized in that
the method includes:
(i) partitioning and/or combining at least a part of the input data (D 1 ) to generate one or more data portions thereof;
(ii) analyzing one or more properties of the one or more data portions of the input data (D 1 ) to select one or more data formats for encoding the one or more data portions;
(iii) encoding the one or more data portions according to the one or more data formats as selected at (ii); and
(iv) aggregating the encoded one or more data portions together with header data to generate the encoded data (E 2 ), wherein the header data includes information indicative of one or more encoding data formats and/or information indicative of selecting one or more encoding methods applied to the one or more data portions at (iii) as well as one or more source data formats, and information indicative of the partitioning and/or combining of the at least a part of the input data (D 1 ) to generate the one or more data portions at (i).
10 . A method as claimed in claim 9 , characterized in that the one or more data formats correspond to at least one of: one or more color spaces, one or more pixel formats, and/or one or more audio formats.
11 . A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10 , characterized in that the method includes employing at least one of following methods to select the one or more data formats:
(a) a spatial Fourier analysis of image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 );
(b) an audio Fourier analysis of audio data present in the input data (D 1 );
(c) a color information analysis of the image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 );
(d) an entropy analysis of the input data (D 1 );
(e) a pattern matching of at least parts of the image and/or video data present in the input data (D 1 ) to reference data; and/or
(f) a rule-based analysis of the input data (D 1 ).
12 . A method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the method includes storing the reference data spatially locally at the encoder ( 110 ) and/or retrieving the reference data from a database that is spatially remote from the encoder ( 110 ).
13 . A method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 , characterized in that the method includes performing the selection of the one or more data formats in a dynamic manner; and changing the selection of the one or more data formats as content of the input data (D 1 ) changes.
14 . A method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13 , characterized in that the method includes compressing the encoded data (E 2 ).
15 . A method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14 , characterized in that the method includes encoding the one or more data portions in mutually different data formats.
16 . A decoder ( 120 ) for decoding encoded data (E 2 ) to generate corresponding decoded data (D 3 ), wherein the decoder ( 120 ) includes data processing hardware for processing the encoded data (E 2 ), characterized in that
the decoder ( 120 ) includes:
(i) a header information decoding arrangement ( 410 ) for decoding header data included in the encoded data (E 2 ), wherein the header data includes information indicative of one or more encoding data formats and/or information of selecting one or more encoding methods used for encoding one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) as well as one or more source data formats, and indicative of a manner in which the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) are derived from corresponding input data (D 1 );
(ii) a decoding arrangement ( 420 ) for decoding the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) according to the information included in the header data; and
(iii) a data aggregator arrangement ( 430 ) for combining and/or partitioning the decoded one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) according to the information included in the header data, to generate the decoded data (D 3 ).
17 . A decoder ( 120 ) as claimed in claim 16 , characterized in that information of one or more original data formats for one or more portions of the input data (D 1 ) is included in the header data.
18 . A decoder ( 120 ) as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that the one or more data formats correspond to at least one of: one or more color spaces, one or more pixel formats, and/or one or more audio formats.
19 . A decoder ( 120 ) as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18 , characterized in that the decoder ( 120 ) further includes a data decompression arrangement for decompressing the encoded data (E 2 ).
20 . A decoder ( 120 ) as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 19 , characterized in that the decoding arrangement ( 420 ) includes a plurality of mutually different decoding units, wherein the plurality of mutually different decoding units are operable to decode from mutually different data formats.
21 . A method of decoding encoded data (E 2 ) to generate corresponding decoded data (D 3 ), via a decoder ( 120 ) including data processing hardware, characterized in that
the method includes:
(i) decoding header data included in the encoded data (E 2 ), wherein the header data includes information indicative of one or more encoding data formats and/or information of selecting one or more encoding methods used for encoding one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) as well as one or more source data formats, and indicative of a manner in which the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) are derived from corresponding input data (D 1 );
(ii) decoding the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) according to the information included in the header data; and
(iii) combining and/or partitioning the decoded one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) according to the information included in the header data, to generate the decoded data (D 3 ).
22 . A method as claimed in claim 21 , characterized in that the one or more data formats correspond to at least one of: one or more color spaces, one or more pixel formats, and/or one or more audio formats.
23 . A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 , characterized in that the method includes decompressing the encoded data (E 2 ).
24 . A method as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23 , characterized in that the method includes decoding the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) from mutually different data formats.
25 . A method as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24 , characterized in that the header data includes information indicative of one or more original data formats of one or more corresponding portions in the input data (D 1 ) from which the one or more portions of the encoded data (E 2 ) are derived.
26 . A codec ( 130 ) including at least one encoder ( 110 ) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 for encoding input data (D 1 ) to generate corresponding encoded data (E 2 ), and at least one decoder ( 120 ) as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 20 for decoding encoded data (E 2 ) to generate corresponding decoded data (D 3 ).
27 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware to execute a method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15 , or any one of claims 21 to 25 .