Video Frame Dependency Structure for Artifact Concealment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video communication systems suffer from frame loss artifacts due to inherent lossiness of communication channels, leading to distorted images and inability to identify and conceal corrupted frames effectively.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that communicate and utilize a frame dependency structure to identify and mitigate frame loss artifacts by encoding sequence numbers and referral frame numbers in packets, allowing the receiving component to reconstruct dependencies and conceal corrupted frames, thereby improving video quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If frame loss is allowed to occur in real-time video communication, then transmission speed and bandwidth efficiency are improved, but video quality deteriorates due to artifacts and distorted images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission speedVSAvoidvideo quality
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding dependency information (referral frame numbers) in advance within each video frame data structure before transmission. This allows the receiving end to proactively identify and handle frame loss by comparing received frame sequences against the pre-encoded dependency relationships, enabling artifact concealment through selective freezing of corrupted frames and their dependent frames, thus maintaining video quality without sacrificing transmission speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If all frames are transmitted without selective concealment, then video completeness is improved, but perceived video quality deteriorates due to display of corrupted frames with artifacts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo frame completenessVSAvoidperceived video quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of frame loss into a beneficial artifact concealment mechanism. By encoding dependency relationships between frames, the system identifies which frames are affected by loss and intentionally freezes them (along with their dependent frames) to prevent display of corrupted images. This transforms the problem of frame loss into an opportunity for intelligent error concealment, improving perceived video quality while maintaining complete frame transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Measurement precision

If dependency information is encoded in each packet, then frame loss identification capability is improved, but data overhead and communication bandwidth increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe loss detection accuracyVSAvoidbandwidth overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by encoding dependency information selectively rather than redundantly. Each frame contains referral frame numbers indicating only the specific frames it depends on, rather than encoding complete dependency matrices or redundant checksums for all frames. This partial encoding provides sufficient information for the receiver to identify affected frames and implement artifact concealment, achieving good frame loss detection accuracy with minimal bandwidth overhead

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2160897B1Mechanisms to conceal real time video artifacts caused by frame loss
Publication Date: 2018.12.19 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2160897B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2160897B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2160897B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate describing, communicating, utilizing, etc. a frame dependency structure in connection with real time video communication. For example, a protocol can be employed to communicate the dependency structure from a sender to a receiver. Moreover, a mechanism on a receiver side can detect frame(s) that will be rendered with artifacts if displayed due to previous frame loss; this mechanism can leverage receiver side knowledge concerning the dependency structure of the of the frames.