ISP Video Pre-Analysis for Lower-Bitrate Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video encoding techniques incur high resource costs due to multiple passes of pre-encoding analysis performed by processors like CPU or GPU, and AI-based methods require additional hardware, increasing overall costs and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Utilize the image signal processor (ISP) within a device to perform pre-encoding analysis, leveraging its underutilized resources for efficient pre-analysis, reducing power consumption and silicon area compared to GPU or main CPU.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If CPU or GPU is used to perform pre-encoding analysis, then analysis accuracy is improved, but power consumption and resource usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The ISP performs pre-encoding analysis using its own underutilized processing resources (such as dedicated image processing units or neural network accelerators within the ISP) rather than relying on external CPU or GPU. This self-service approach enables the ISP to provide both image processing and encoding analysis functions, significantly reducing power consumption and system resource usage while maintaining analysis accuracy through specialized hardware optimized for image data processing.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple passes of pre-encoding analysis are performed, then encoding quality is improved, but processing time and resource cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ISP performs pre-encoding analysis in a single pass using its specialized processing capabilities, including advanced image processing algorithms and neural network inference, to achieve encoding quality that would traditionally require multiple passes. By leveraging the ISP's dedicated hardware resources optimized for image data, the system performs comprehensive analysis (including content analysis, scene understanding, and quality assessment) in one operation, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining or improving encoding quality.
3Productivity
If AI-based pre-encoding analysis is implemented, then analysis efficiency is improved, but hardware complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ISP is designed to perform multiple functions including traditional image processing tasks (demosaicing, color correction, noise reduction) and pre-encoding analysis (content analysis, scene understanding, quality assessment) using its integrated processing resources. By making the ISP multi-functional, the system eliminates the need for separate dedicated AI processing hardware, reducing overall device complexity and cost while maintaining high analysis efficiency through the ISP's specialized image processing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device and a method for encoding video at a computing device is provided. The computing device comprises memory, an image signal processor in communication with the memory and an encoder. The image signal processor is configured to convert data of images of a video stream as part of image sensor processing pipeline; and for an image of the video stream, pre-analyze, as part of the image sensor processing pipeline, converted data of one or more images of the video stream prior to encoding the frame. The encoder is configured to encode images of the video stream using information resulting from the pre-encoding analysis of the converted data. The encoded images are decoded and displayed.