Layered codec data distribution apparatus and method

1. A distribution apparatus which distributes layered codec data while referring to hint information representing a packetizing method for the layered codec data, comprising:

a data storage memory to store the layered codec data and the hint information;

a management information storage memory to store management information which manages a plurality of groups of hint information for a plurality of distribution services using plural pieces of hint information as a group for distribution of the layered codec data in a layer-dividing method depending on a distribution service, and represents a correspondence between plural pieces of hint information forming each group and divided layered codec data and a correspondence between the plurality of groups of hint information and a plurality of layer-dividing methods;

a selection unit implemented in hardware to select a group of hint information matching a target distribution service by referring to the management information; and

a distribution unit implemented in hardware to packetize and distribute the layered codec data while referring to the selected group of hint information, wherein

when there is common hint information among a plurality of groups, the data storage unit stores different hint information excluding redundant hint information among the plurality of groups; and the management information storage unit stores management information representing a correspondence between the common hint information and a plurality of distribution services.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

The management information storage memory stores management information representing a group of hint information for use in multicast distribution, unicast distribution, or both multicast distribution and unicast distribution.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

The management information storage memory stores management information comprising a plurality of stream information structures having reference information for reference to hint information and designation information for designation of a layer of the divided layered codec data, and a plurality of data structures for management of two or more stream information structures corresponding to each of the plurality of layer-dividing methods.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

The selection unit obtains a data structure matching granularity of stepwise image quality change in the target distribution service, refers to hint information according to reference information of a stream information structure managed by the obtained data structure, and determines whether or not bit rate information of the referenced hint information is appropriate for the target distribution service, thereby selecting a group of hint information matching the target distribution service.

5. A distribution apparatus which distributes layered codec data while referring to hint information representing a packetizing method for the layered codec data, comprising:

a data storage memory to store the layered codec data and the hint information;

a management information storage memory to store management information which manages a plurality of groups of hint information for a plurality of distribution services using plural pieces of hint information as a group for distribution of the layered codec data in a layer-dividing method depending on a distribution service, and represents a correspondence between plural pieces of hint information forming each group and divided layered codec data and a correspondence between the plurality of groups of hint information and a plurality of layer-dividing methods;

a selection unit implemented in hardware to select a plurality of groups of hint information matching a target distribution service by referring to the management information; and

a distribution unit implemented in hardware to packetize and distribute the layered codec data while referring to the selected groups of hint information, wherein

when there is common hint information among a plurality of groups, the data storage unit stores different hint information excluding redundant hint information among the plurality of groups; and the management information storage unit stores management information representing a correspondence between the common hint information and a plurality of distribution services.

6. A distribution apparatus which distributes layered codec data while referring to hint information representing a packetizing method for the layered codec data, comprising:

a data storage memory to store the layered codec data and the hint information;

a management information storage memory to store management information which manages a plurality of groups of hint information corresponding to a plurality of layer-dividing methods using plural pieces of hint information as a group for distribution of the layered codec data by layer-dividing the layered codec data, and represents a correspondence between each layer-dividing method and each piece of hint information;

a selection unit implemented in hardware to select a group of hint information matching a target distribution service by referring to the management information; and

a distribution unit implemented in hardware to packetize and distribute the layered codec data while referring to the selected group of hint information, wherein

when there is common hint information among a plurality of groups, the data storage unit stores different hint information excluding redundant hint information among the plurality of groups; and the management information storage unit stores management information representing a correspondence between the common hint information and a plurality of layer-dividing methods.

7. A distributing method for distributing layered codec data while referring to hint information representing a packetizing method for the layered codec data, comprising:

referring to, by a distribution apparatus, management information which manages a plurality of groups of hint information for a plurality of distribution services using plural pieces of hint information as a group for distribution of the layered codec data in a layer-dividing method depending on a distribution service, and represents a correspondence between plural pieces of hint information forming each group and divided layered codec data and a correspondence between the plurality of groups of hint information and a plurality of layer-dividing methods, and selecting a group of hint information matching a target distribution service; and

packetizing and distributing the layered codec data by the distribution apparatus while referring to the selected group of hint information, wherein

when there is common hint information among a plurality of groups, the plurality of groups of hint information includes different hint information excluding redundant hint information among the plurality of groups; and the management information represents a correspondence between the common hint information and a plurality of distribution services.

8. A distributing method for distributing layered codec data while referring to hint information representing a packetizing method for the layered codec data, comprising:

referring to, by a distribution apparatus, management information which manages a plurality of groups of hint information corresponding to a plurality of layer-dividing methods using plural pieces of hint information as a group for distribution of the layered codec data by layer-dividing the layered codec data, and represents a correspondence between each layer-dividing method and each piece of hint information and selecting a group of hint information matching a target distribution service; and

packetizing and distributing the layered data by the distribution apparatus while referring to the selected group of hint information, wherein

when there is common hint information among a plurality of groups, the plurality of groups of hint information includes different hint information excluding redundant hint information among the plurality of groups; and the management information represents a correspondence between the common hint information and a plurality of layer-dividing methods.