Hierarchical Video Coding for Regular Decoding Intervals

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in providing high-quality decoding of moving images due to limitations in receiver decoding capabilities, leading to restricted frame frequencies and increased costs for high-frame-frequency receivers.

Innovation Solution

A transmission apparatus that hierarchically codes image data into multiple hierarchies, divides them into predetermined hierarchy sets, and generates multiple video streams, ensuring a regular decoding interval for the lowest hierarchy set, allowing for efficient decoding processing on receivers with appropriate decoding capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If service provider limits service to low frame frequency to match widely used receiver capabilities, then receiver cost is reduced and widespread use is facilitated, but frame frequency quality is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereceiver costVSAvoidframe frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video streams into multiple hierarchies (first hierarchy with lower frame frequency, second hierarchy with higher frame frequency) and transmits them separately. Receivers can selectively decode only the hierarchy they are capable of processing, allowing low-cost receivers to handle the first hierarchy while high-performance receivers can process both hierarchies for higher frame frequencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to video transmission by organizing video data into multiple quality/frame-frequency layers. This allows the system to serve multiple receiver capabilities simultaneously through a single transmission channel, with receivers selecting their appropriate hierarchy level based on their decoding capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Speed

If service provider provides high frame frequency service, then frame frequency quality is improved, but receiver cost increases and widespread use is inhibited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveframe frequencyVSAvoidreceiver cost

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video streams into multiple hierarchies (first hierarchy with lower frame frequency, second hierarchy with higher frame frequency) and transmits them separately. Receivers can selectively decode only the hierarchy they are capable of processing, allowing low-cost receivers to handle the first hierarchy while high-performance receivers can process both hierarchies for higher frame frequencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The transmission system is designed to be universal by embedding multiple hierarchy levels within the same video stream. A single receiver design can handle multiple service levels by selectively processing available hierarchies, making the system adaptable to both low-cost and high-performance receivers without requiring separate transmission infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Speed

If receiver is designed to support high frame frequency service, then frame frequency capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveframe frequency capabilityVSAvoidreceiver complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video streams into multiple hierarchies (first hierarchy with lower frame frequency, second hierarchy with higher frame frequency) and transmits them separately. Receivers can selectively decode only the hierarchy they are capable of processing, allowing low-cost receivers to handle the first hierarchy while high-performance receivers can process both hierarchies for higher frame frequencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12212763B2Coding apparatus, coding method, transmission apparatus, and reception apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.01.28 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

To perform favorable decoding processing on the receiver side. By an image coding unit, image data of each picture constituting moving image data is classified into a plurality of hierarchies, the image data of the picture in each of the classified hierarchies is coded, the plurality of hierarchies is divided into a predetermined number of hierarchy sets, and a predetermined number of video streams having the coded image data of the picture in each of the divided hierarchy sets is generated. In this case, coding is performed so that a decoding interval of at least the coded image data of the picture in the lowest hierarchy set is a regural interval. By a transmission unit, a container including the generated predetermined number of video streams in a predetermined format is transmitted.