Video Stream Merging for Multi-Screen Decoding Performance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current processors in handheld and non-personal computers often face decoding performance losses and increased control logic when handling multiple video streams due to the need for time division decoding, which is not supported by all chips, leading to inefficiencies in displaying multiple sub video screens simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that merge multiple sub video streams into a single stream according to layout information, generating an indication message with picture size, slice group, and start position parameters, allowing the terminal to decode and display multiple sub video screens without switching between streams, using H.264 standard modes such as slice_group_map_type=2 or 6 for efficient decoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If time division decoding is used to handle multiple streams, then multiple streams can be decoded simultaneously, but decoding performance is lost and control logic is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-stream decoding capabilityVSAvoiddecoding performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple sub video streams into a single stream by arranging slices from different substreams in a unified sequence. This allows the terminal to decode only one stream at a time while still displaying multiple sub video screens, eliminating the need for time division and its associated performance losses and control logic complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If time division decoding is used to handle multiple streams, then multiple streams can be decoded simultaneously, but additional control logics are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-stream decoding capabilityVSAvoidcontrol logic
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple substreams into a single unified stream with a unified slice sequence. This simplifies the terminal's decoding process to handle only one stream at a time, while the server-side arrangement of slices in the indication message provides the necessary control information for displaying multiple sub video screens, thereby reducing terminal control logic complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If multiple substreams are decoded separately, then layout information can be preserved, but stream switching is required which causes performance loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelayout information integrityVSAvoiddecoding performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary arrangement of slices from multiple substreams into a unified sequence before encoding. The server organizes slices in advance according to the desired layout, creating a pre-arranged single stream that maintains layout information integrity while eliminating the need for stream switching during decoding, thus preserving decoding performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2739040B1Method and apparatus for processing video stream
Publication Date: 2017.11.15 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2739040B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2739040B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6
  • EP2739040B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for processing a video stream. The method includes: acquiring a request message from a terminal, where the request message carries address information of multiple sub video screens; according to the address information, acquiring multiple substreams corresponding to the multiple sub video screens in a one-to-one manner; merging the multiple substreams into a single stream, and generating an indication message used to indicate a picture parameter of the single stream; and sending the single stream and the indication message to the terminal, so that the terminal decodes the single stream and displays decoded multiple sub video screens according to the indication message. In the embodiments of the present invention, by merging the multiple substreams into the single stream, the terminal is capable of displaying the multiple sub video screens by decoding the single stream, so that decoding switchover between the multiple substreams is not required, and therefore, decoding performance of the terminal can be improved.