Image Frame Slice Encoding for Packet-Loss-Resilient Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video streaming technologies face issues with packet loss and corruption of high-priority content due to the fixed ordering of video slices in communication networks, leading to disturbances and playback errors in surveillance and monitoring applications.
Innovation Solution
An image-capturing device prioritizes slices based on content relevance, encoding them into separate frames with skip blocks, and transmits these frames in a sequence that aligns with standard requirements while ensuring high-priority content is transmitted first, reducing the likelihood of loss and error propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If video slices are encoded and transmitted in a fixed order according to standard specifications, then encoding and transmission compliance is ensured, but high-priority content in later slices is more likely to be lost due to packet dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The video frame is divided into multiple slices, and each slice is further divided into multiple groups of picture blocks (GPBs). This segmentation allows independent encoding and transmission of different GPBs, enabling selective prioritization of high-importance content without affecting the entire frame structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoder performs preliminary classification of GPBs into high-importance and low-importance groups before encoding. High-importance GPBs are placed in early transmission positions within the bitstream, while low-importance GPBs are placed in later positions. This preliminary arrangement ensures that critical content is transmitted first, reducing the impact of packet loss.
2Loss of information
If later slices containing high-relevance content are transmitted after earlier slices, then standard compliance is maintained, but the probability of losing high-priority content increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different GPBs within the same video frame are assigned different priority levels based on their content importance. High-importance GPBs (e.g., containing moving objects or critical information) are encoded with higher priority and placed in earlier transmission positions, while low-importance GPBs are placed later. This local differentiation ensures that critical information is protected against packet loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoding scheme dynamically adjusts the transmission order of GPBs based on content analysis. The encoder identifies high-importance regions in each frame and adaptively positions their corresponding GPBs in the bitstream to maximize survival probability during transmission, rather than using a static transmission order.
3Reliability
If all slices are encoded with equal priority, then encoding simplicity is maintained, but error propagation affects all content equally including high-priority content
Solution Approach 1:
Each GPB is evaluated individually for importance based on local content characteristics such as motion activity, edge information, and semantic significance. This local quality assessment enables differentiated protection strategies for different regions within the same frame, ensuring that high-importance regions receive priority transmission without requiring complex frame-level processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method encodes image frames of an image stream and transmits encoded image frames on a communications network. The method includes receiving and then dividing an image frame into multiple slices defined by first slice parameters and second slice parameters. The method also includes prioritizing the multiple slices and then generating a first encoded image frame having first encoded slices, second encoded slices and one or more first skip blocks. The method then generates and transmits a second encoded image frame having further second encoded slices defined by the second slice parameters and based on encoding second slices and further first encoded slices defined by the first slice parameters with more second skip blocks.