Video Multiviewer Scaling with Distributed Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multiviewer systems face challenges in efficiently scaling multiple video streams, leading to hardware requirements that exceed mobile packaging environments, limited bandwidth, and increased form factor, while also lacking user flexibility and scalability.
Innovation Solution
A video multiviewer system with multiple video scalers operating in parallel for initial scaling in one dimension, coupled with a processing unit for additional scaling, and a display for multiple video windows, distributing the computational workload and reducing hardware demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If full input scaling is used to scale video streams completely before compression, then video streams can be scaled to various sizes, but hardware requirements become excessive and exceed mobile packaging environments
Solution Approach 1:
The scaling operation is divided into two stages: a first stage performed by a first scaler that performs initial scaling, and a second stage performed by a second scaler that performs additional scaling. This segmentation allows the system to achieve versatile scaling capabilities while reducing the hardware requirements of individual components compared to full input scaling.
Solution Approach 2:
The first scaler performs preliminary scaling of the video stream before it is compressed and combined into a transport stream. This preliminary action reduces the complexity of subsequent processing and allows the system to achieve scaling versatility without requiring excessive hardware resources for complete scaling operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cascading full scaler modules are used for scaling video streams, then multiple scaling operations can be performed, but system complexity increases and hardware requirements become burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The scaling function is segmented into two distinct scalers with different roles: the first scaler handles initial scaling operations, and the second scaler handles additional scaling. This segmentation simplifies system control compared to cascading multiple full scaler modules while maintaining versatile scaling capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The two scalers work together to provide multiple scaling operations and versatility in handling different video stream configurations. By combining the functionality of both scalers, the system achieves the adaptability of cascading modules without the corresponding increase in system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If destination scaling in hardware is used with scalers located downstream from routing devices, then video streams can be scaled at the display, but hardware consumption becomes inefficient and form factor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first scaler performs preliminary scaling operations on the video stream before it reaches the display, rather than waiting for destination scaling at the display itself. This preliminary action reduces the hardware consumption and form factor of the display system while maintaining ease of operation for display scaling.
Solution Approach 2:
The scaling function is segmented between the first scaler (performing initial scaling) and the second scaler (performing additional scaling), distributing the hardware requirements and reducing the form factor compared to destination scaling where all scaling must be handled by the display hardware.
4Ease of operation
If destination scaling in GPU is used with DMA module, then video streams can be rendered onto monitor, but support for multiple video streams is limited and bandwidth is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream processing is segmented into multiple parallel paths with the first scaler handling initial scaling for multiple streams and the second scaler handling additional scaling. This segmentation enables support for multiple video streams with high-resolution rendering, overcoming the limitations of GPU-based destination scaling with DMA modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The first scaler performs preliminary scaling operations on multiple video streams before they are processed further, reducing the bandwidth requirements and enabling support for multiple high-resolution streams that would be constrained by GPU-based destination scaling with limited DMA bandwidth.
Data Source
AI summary
A video multiviewer system may include a plurality of video scalers operating in parallel for generating initially scaled video streams by performing video scaling in at least one dimension on a plurality of video input streams. The video multiviewer system may also include a processing unit coupled downstream from the video scalers for generating additionally scaled video streams by performing additional video scaling on the initially scaled video streams, and a display cooperating with the processing unit for displaying multiple video windows based upon the additionally scaled video streams.