Video Stream Codec Detection via Packet Flow and Payload Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting video stream codecs in building security systems are computationally intensive and unwieldy, requiring large equipment and are inefficient for law enforcement monitoring due to the lack of a priori knowledge of encoders used, especially as the number of cameras increases, leading to increased communication link bit rates.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for codec detection in video streams that processes packet headers and payloads using codec-specific tests to determine flow and payload structures, enabling rapid and efficient identification of codecs, and optionally repackaging or modifying video data for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brute force methods are used to detect codecs by running multiple encoders in parallel, then codec detection reliability is improved, but device complexity and computational intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the codec detection process into multiple independent stages: (1) extracting packet headers and identifying flow characteristics, (2) analyzing payload structures to determine candidate formats, (3) applying codec-specific tests to validate hypotheses, and (4) creating associations between flows and detected codecs. This segmentation allows systematic evaluation of multiple codecs without requiring all encoders to run simultaneously, reducing device complexity while maintaining detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by first extracting and analyzing packet headers to identify flow characteristics, then using this information to guide subsequent payload analysis. This preliminary processing narrows down the search space for codec detection, allowing the system to focus computational resources on the most likely codecs rather than exhaustively testing all possibilities, thereby reducing overall complexity.
2Measurement precision
If brute force methods are used to detect codecs, then detection accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the detection process to specific local characteristics of each packet flow. Instead of uniformly processing all packets the same way, the system analyzes header structures, payload formats, and flow patterns specific to each codec type, applying appropriate detection algorithms and thresholds locally to optimize both accuracy and efficiency for each particular codec being detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the results of codec-specific tests on packet payloads are used to validate or reject hypotheses about the codec type. This feedback loop allows the system to efficiently eliminate incorrect codec candidates early in the process, reducing the number of computational operations required while maintaining high detection accuracy through iterative verification.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of cameras increases, then video monitoring capability is improved, but communication link bit rate and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal codec detection framework that can handle multiple camera types and encoding formats through a single integrated system. The same packet processing logic, flow analysis mechanisms, and codec-specific test suite work across different camera models and networks, allowing the system to scale from few to many cameras without proportionally increasing complexity, as the universal detector adapts to various encoding schemes through standardized procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for carrying out the method receiving packets, each of the packets comprising a header and a payload. For a particular packet among the packets, the method includes processing at least the header of the particular packet to determine a flow associated with the particular packet; attempting to determine a payload structure based on the flow, the payload structure associated with transport of coded video data in the payload of the particular packet; and if the attempting is successful, repackaging coded video data contained in the payload of the particular packet into a new packet and forwarding the new packet to an external system or storing the new packet in memory.