Audio-Visual Quality Estimation via Bit-Stream Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating audio-visual quality in network planning and service monitoring require high computation power and cannot account for degradations introduced by new technologies without reference to the audio-video signal before transmission, especially in data-prone services like standard and high-definition television.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that calculate audio and video quality factors from technical characteristics of the audio-video signal, incorporating interactions between these factors to estimate audio-visual quality without requiring a reference signal, using a bit-stream analysis at different levels and considering content types and degradations, allowing adaptability to new technologies and degradations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If signal-based quality measurement systems are used to estimate audio-visual quality, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and computation power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary quality factors (audio quality factor, video quality factor, and their interaction) from the complete signal analysis, computing them from bit-stream characteristics rather than full signal decoding. This extraction approach maintains measurement precision while significantly reducing computational complexity by focusing only on the essential quality-determining parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The quality estimation is segmented into independent components: audio quality factor calculation, video quality factor calculation, and their interaction term. Each component is computed separately from bit-stream parameters, allowing parallel processing and reducing overall computational burden while maintaining accurate quality assessment.
2Measurement precision
If full-reference quality measurement systems are used, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of information increases due to requirement of transmitting reference signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts quality factors directly from the received bit-stream without requiring the original reference signal. By computing audio and video quality factors from bit-stream parameters (codebook indices, quantization parameters, motion vectors) and their interaction from synchronization data, the system achieves accurate quality measurement without the information loss associated with reference signal transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bit-stream parameters as an intermediary between the transmitted signal and quality assessment. Instead of requiring direct access to the reference signal, the system uses intermediate bit-stream characteristics (compression parameters, packet headers) to infer quality, eliminating the need for reference signal transmission while maintaining measurement accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If quality estimation methods requiring signal access are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to work without reference signals
Solution Approach 1:
The quality estimation system is self-sufficient, computing all necessary quality factors directly from the received bit-stream parameters without external reference signals. The audio quality factor is computed from audio bit-stream parameters, the video quality factor from video bit-stream parameters, and their interaction from synchronization data, enabling the system to operate autonomously in passive monitoring scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal quality estimation method that works across multiple scenarios: network planning (where no signals are available), passive service monitoring (where only bit-streams are accessible), and active monitoring. The same bit-stream parameter-based approach is applied in all cases, providing operational flexibility without sacrificing measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for estimating a quality of an audio-video signal includes calculating audio and video quality factors from audio and video technical characteristics. An audio-video quality factors interaction is computed from an interaction between the audio and video quality factors. At least one of an audio quality, a video quality and an audio-visual quality is computed using the audio and video quality factors and the audio-video quality factors interaction.