Hybrid Video Encoding with Shared Decisions for Adaptive Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Streaming of video content over the Internet is resource-intensive due to high computational and storage requirements for encoding and decoding, necessitating improvements in resource usage.
Innovation Solution
A scalable hybrid encoding system that generates multiple quality levels of encoded video data using a plurality of encoders, with common encoding decisions shared across levels, and aggregates these into a single data structure, reducing the need for decoding and re-encoding during streaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If video content is encoded at multiple quality levels using separate encoders, then streaming flexibility is improved, but computational resources and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the encoding process into common encoding decisions (shared across all quality levels) and quality-specific parameters (different for each level). This segmentation allows multiple quality levels to be derived from a single encoding pass, reducing redundant computation while maintaining streaming flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal encoded data structure that serves multiple quality levels simultaneously. A single encoding operation produces encoded data that can be adaptively streamed at different quality levels, making the encoding system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate encoders for each quality level.
2Adaptability or versatility
If video content is encoded at multiple quality levels using separate encoders, then streaming flexibility is improved, but data storage resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple quality level representations into a single encoded data structure. Instead of storing separate encoded files for each quality level, the system combines them into one unified structure that contains all necessary information to represent multiple quality levels, thereby reducing storage requirements while maintaining streaming flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If full-transcoding is performed to enable flexible streaming, then streaming adaptability is improved, but computational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary encoding that anticipates future quality level requirements. By encoding once with a structure that accommodates multiple quality levels from the outset, the system eliminates the need for subsequent full-transcoding operations, thereby reducing computational costs while maintaining streaming adaptability.
4Manufacturing precision
If separate encoding is performed for each quality level, then encoding precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts quality-specific parameters from the encoding process while retaining common encoding decisions. This extraction approach allows the system to maintain encoding precision for each quality level by preserving quality-specific parameters, while simultaneously reducing system complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate encoder systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices and methods for encoding video data are provided. Video data is encoded to generate an encoded data structure that includes, for a given pixel block: a plurality of data layers, each associated with one of a plurality of quality levels and each including data defining: a plurality of transform coefficients encoded for the associated quality level; and a quantization step size for the given pixel block and the associated quality level. At least one of the data layers includes a header including data defining a plurality of encoder decisions made for the given pixel block, the encoder decisions common across the quality levels.