Transcoder Instances Using IP Encapsulation to Eliminate PCI Bottlenecks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Transcoder products are limited by the need for proprietary MPEG interfaces and PCI buses, which increase costs and create bottlenecks when coordinating transcoding across multiple transcoder SOC instances, especially when handling large numbers of video streams.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where video and control signals are encapsulated in IP packets, allowing communication via a universal networking standard like Ethernet, eliminating the need for FPGA logic and PCI bus, and enabling transcoder instances to perform transcoding operations independently, reducing the load on the host CPU.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If proprietary MPEG interfaces and PCI buses are used for communication between host CPU and transcoder SOC instances, then transcoder instances can be coordinated, but system cost increases and bottlenecks occur when handling large numbers of video streams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces proprietary MPEG interfaces and PCI buses with a universal Ethernet network interface that uses standard IP packets for communication. This allows the same network infrastructure to handle both video data transmission and control commands, eliminating the need for specialized hardware interfaces and reducing system complexity while maintaining coordination capabilities across multiple transcoder instances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an Ethernet network as an intermediary layer between the host CPU and transcoder SOC instances. Video streams and control commands are encapsulated in IP packets and transmitted through this standardized network medium, replacing direct proprietary connections. This intermediary approach simplifies the communication architecture and enables scalable connections without increasing interface complexity
2Ease of manufacture
If FPGA logic is used to convert video into MPEG transport stream, then video can be transmitted to transcoder instances, but product cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/FPGA-based video-to-MPEG conversion process with a software-based solution running on the transcoder SOC instances themselves. The instances receive video in various formats via Ethernet and perform format conversion and transcoding through software processors, eliminating the need for expensive FPGA logic while maintaining video stream compatibility
3Productivity
If host CPU coordinates transcoding of video between large number of transcoder SOC instances, then transcoding can be managed, but bottleneck occurs reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coordination function by distributing control capabilities to individual transcoder SOC instances. Each instance can independently receive control commands via IP packets and autonomously manage its own transcoding operations, reducing the coordination burden on the host CPU. This segmentation allows parallel processing across multiple instances without creating a central bottleneck
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method processes video in a system including a host computer processing unit (CPU) and a plurality of transcoder instances. The method receives, by a transcoder instance in the plurality of transcoder instances, first Internet Protocol (IP) packets from a host router coupled to the host CPU. The transcoder instance decapsulates the first IP packets to determine video from a payload of each of the first IP packets and generates a transport stream of video from the video from the payload. The transport stream is in a format in which the transcoder instance can perform a transcoding operation. The transport stream of video is processed by performing the transcoding operation on the transport stream of video. The transcoder instance then encapsulates the processed video from the transport stream of video in second IP packets and sends the second IP packets to a destination.