Compressed Domain Media Format Conversion via Intermediary Representation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital media processing systems face inefficiencies when changing media formats due to the need for decompression, which requires significant computational resources and bandwidth, especially when handling multiple digital formats and real-time processing.

Innovation Solution

The system processes media streams in the compressed domain without full decompression, allowing for format conversion between different compression formats while maintaining the streams in a compressed state, enabling efficient handling of multiple formats and dynamic adjustments based on network conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If media is decompressed to uncompressed representation for format conversion, then format flexibility is improved, but processing complexity and bandwidth requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformat flexibilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary compressed domain representation that serves as a common format for conversion between different compression formats. Instead of converting between any two formats directly through uncompressed domain, the system uses this intermediate compressed representation to facilitate format conversion, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining format flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The format conversion process is segmented into two distinct stages: first converting from source compression format to the intermediate compressed domain format, then converting from the intermediate format to the target compression format. This segmentation allows each conversion stage to operate on compressed data, avoiding the need to fully decompress the entire media stream

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If media is fully decompressed for processing, then processing capability is improved, but bandwidth and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidbandwidth requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate compressed domain format acts as a mediator that enables processing operations to be performed on compressed data. By operating on this intermediate representation rather than fully decompressed data, the system maintains processing capability while significantly reducing bandwidth and storage requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter representation of the media from spatial domain (uncompressed pixels) to compressed domain (transform coefficients, motion vectors, etc.). This parameter transformation allows processing to occur on the compressed representation, reducing the quantity of data that needs to be transmitted and stored

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple digital formats are handled through legacy analog techniques, then format compatibility is improved, but hardware complexity increases exponentially

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformat compatibilityVSAvoidhardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate compressed domain format serves as a universal representation that can accommodate multiple different compression formats. By converting various source formats to this common intermediate format and then to target formats, the system achieves multi-format compatibility without requiring separate hardware paths for each format combination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of converting to analog domain and back with a digital signal processing approach that operates entirely in the compressed domain. This substitution eliminates the need for bulky processing hardware required by legacy analog techniques while maintaining format compatibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8102916B1Dynamically changing media compression format in compressed domain

Publication Date: 2012.01.24 NXP USA INC

AI summary

An integrated circuit receives a compressed input stream having a first compression format. A media processing module converts the compressed input stream to an intermediary compression format for processing without fully decompressing the compressed input stream. After processing, a compressed output stream having a second compression format is generated from the intermediary compression format. Processing is dynamically adjusted responsive to changing network conditions. Optionally, the integrated circuit can receive live, raw video, partially encode it into the intermediary compression format, process it with the media process module as well as take the intermediary compression format, decode and output the live, raw video.