Server Video-Frame Group Encoding for Low-Latency Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video compression methods cause latency issues during streaming due to encoding and decoding operations, particularly in wireless connections, leading to image quality deterioration and input lag, and existing frame division methods compromise compression performance.
Innovation Solution
A server divides video frames into arbitrary groups rather than slices, allowing for low-latency encoding and transmission of these groups at a constant bit rate, with supplemental enhancement information (SEI) inserted to facilitate efficient decoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If video compression is performed using conventional frame-based encoding, then compression efficiency is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides each video frame into multiple groups of blocks (first group, second group, third group, fourth group) and encodes them independently at different times. This segmentation allows the encoder to process only the necessary portion of the frame for low-latency requirements while maintaining the ability to reference across groups for compression efficiency, thereby resolving the contradiction between compression efficiency and latency.
2Loss of time
If frames are divided into slices for low-latency encoding, then latency is reduced, but compression performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different encoding strategies to different groups of blocks within the same frame. Each group can be encoded with different reference patterns and compression parameters tailored to its specific requirements. This local quality approach allows low-latency encoding for some groups while maintaining compression performance for others, resolving the contradiction between latency reduction and compression performance.
3Productivity
If inter-frame reference is used to improve compression, then compression efficiency increases, but latency increases due to buffering requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frame into multiple groups that can be encoded with different reference patterns. Some groups can reference previous frames for compression efficiency while other groups are encoded with lower latency requirements. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both compression efficiency through inter-frame reference and low latency by processing only necessary groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically selects reference patterns for different groups of blocks based on their specific requirements and the current encoding context. This dynamic approach allows the system to adaptively balance between compression efficiency and latency requirements, resolving the contradiction by making reference decisions on a per-group basis rather than uniformly across the entire frame.
Data Source
AI summary
A server including a memory to store video content, a communication interface, and a processor configured to identify a frame of the video content as a plurality of groups which include a plurality of consecutive blocks based on at least one of low-latency encoding in association with the video content and latency setting information, encode the video content by encoding the plurality of consecutive blocks of the plurality of groups, and control the communication interface to transmit the encoded video content and the latency setting information in association with the video content to an electronic device.