Scalable Video Coding Spatial Mode Bandwidth Architecture

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Scalable video coding systems, particularly in spatial mode, are demanding in terms of memory bandwidth and power consumption, especially in low-end devices like notebook and tablet chips, due to high read/write bandwidth requirements.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method that includes performing upsampling at the enhanced layer encoder, using internal buffers to reduce data exchange with memory, writing only inter-layer or intra-reconstructed data, separating the sign bit from residual data, and optionally compressing inter-layer data using algorithms like ZIP compression to minimize memory bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional scalable video coding is implemented, then video quality and resolution are improved, but memory bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo qualityVSAvoidmemory bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the video coding process into base layer and enhanced layer processing. The base layer is processed first and stored in internal buffers, while the enhanced layer processes only the residual data (difference between original and base layer). This segmentation reduces the total data volume that needs to be read from and written to external memory, directly addressing the memory bandwidth consumption issue while maintaining video quality through layered reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension of processing by performing upsampling operations in the spatial domain at the enhanced layer rather than in the frequency domain. This dimensional change allows the enhanced layer to work with resampled base layer data directly, reducing the need for large intermediate buffers and external memory accesses, thereby reducing memory bandwidth requirements while preserving video quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If high resolution video streaming is implemented, then video detail and quality are improved, but device power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo detailVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the video data into base layer and enhanced layer, where the base layer contains the essential video information and the enhanced layer contains only the residual details. By processing and transmitting only the residual data in the enhanced layer, the total computational load is reduced, leading to lower power consumption while maintaining video detail quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by processing only the necessary residual data in the enhanced layer rather than re-processing the entire high resolution video stream. This partial processing approach reduces computational complexity and power consumption while still achieving the desired video detail quality through selective enhancement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Manufacturing precision

If complete video data is processed, then video fidelity is improved, but processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo fidelityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video processing into two passes: base layer processing followed by enhanced layer processing. The base layer is processed once and stored in internal buffers, then the enhanced layer processes only the residual data. This segmentation eliminates redundant processing of already-encoded base layer data, reducing processing time while maintaining video fidelity through layered reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by encoding and storing the base layer first in internal buffers before processing the enhanced layer. This preliminary encoding allows the enhanced layer to work with pre-processed base layer data, reducing the computational complexity and processing time required for the overall video encoding while maintaining complete video fidelity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2926561B1Bandwidth saving architecture for scalable video coding spatial mode
Publication Date: 2024.01.03 ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC
  • EP2926561B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2926561B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2926561B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and method for scalable video coding that includes base layer having lower resolution encoding, enhanced layer having higher resolution encoding and the data transferring between two layers. The system and method provides several methods to reduce bandwidth of inter-layer transfers while at the same time reducing memory requirements. Due to less memory access, the system clock frequency can be lowered so that system power consumption is lowered as well. The system avoids having prediction data from base layer to enhanced layer to be up-sampled for matching resolution in the enhanced layer as transferring up-sampled data can impose a big burden on memory bandwidth.