James W Kaye

US Patent:

7016407, Mar 21, 2006

Filed:

Apr 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/837496

Inventors:

James E. Kaye - Pleasanton CA, US
Paul E. Haskell - Saratoga CA, US
Arthur C. Manansala - Tracy CA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 7/12

US Classification:

37524001, 375240, 37524002, 37524012

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for bit rate allocation, or statistical multiplexing, in a multi-channel video data encoder. A pre-processor in each channel determines a bit rate need prior to compression and encoding. A control processes the bit rate need in each channel to arrive at an allocated bit rate for each channel. The video data is then compressed and encoded according to the allocated bit rate. The bit rate demand accounts for various characteristics of the current picture data in each channel, including spatial activity, temporal activity, image size, frame rate, scene change, brightness, flash, fade, and horizontal pixel resolution. The system also biases the bit rate allocation according to inter-frame distance, whether the average spatial activity level is below a lower threshold, whether the inter-frame distance is above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold, whether the quantization of previous frames is above an upper threshold, the length of the Group of Pictures (GOP), and a user-selectable priority factor. The system also allocates any surplus bit rate among the channels to avoid having unused bandwidth.

US Patent:

20060062293, Mar 23, 2006

Filed:

Nov 10, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/271181

Inventors:

James Kaye - Pleasanton CA, US
Paul Haskell - Saratoga CA, US
Arthur Manansala - Tracy CA, US

International Classification:

H04N 11/04
H04N 11/02
H04B 1/66
H04N 7/12

US Classification:

375240030, 375240010

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for bit rate allocation, or statistical multiplexing, in a multi-channel video data encoder. A pre-processor in each channel determines a bit rate need prior to compression and encoding. A control processes the bit rate need in each channel to arrive at an allocated bit rate for each channel. The video data is then compressed and encoded according to the allocated bit rate. The bit rate demand accounts for various characteristics of the current picture data in each channel, including spatial activity, temporal activity, image size, frame rate, scene change, brightness, flash, fade, and horizontal pixel resolution. The system also biases the bit rate allocation according to inter-frame distance, whether the average spatial activity level is below a lower threshold, whether the inter-frame distance is above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold, whether the quantization of previous frames is above an upper threshold, the length of the Group of Pictures (GOP), and a user-selectable priority factor. The system also allocates any surplus bit rate among the channels to avoid having unused bandwidth.

US Patent:

20130101052, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 19, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/276581

Inventors:

James E. Kaye - Pleasanton CA, US

Assignee:

HARMONIC INC. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04N 7/26

US Classification:

37524026, 375E07015

Abstract:

Systems, method, and computer program products for providing multi-channel variable bit-rate video compression are described. In some implementations, video channels can be allocated with bit rates that are set based on a predefined video compression quality. More specifically, each channel can generate a table describing the set of video compression quality values each corresponding to a bit rate value that can be used to achieve that video compression quality value. To generate the table or pre-compression coding information, encoders of the system described herein can pre-encode each input signal at multiple, different bit rates, and record the video compression quality value achievable at each of the bit rates. The system also can use lesser number of encoders for pre-encoding, supplemented by data interpolation, to generate the pre-compression coding information, requiring less processing algorithm but at an expense of lower accuracy.

US Patent:

62597337, Jul 10, 2001

Filed:

Jun 16, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/097645

Inventors:

James E. Kaye - Pleasanton CA
Paul E. Haskell - Saratoga CA
Arthur C. Manansala - Tracy CA

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 712

US Classification:

375240

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for bit rate allocation, or statistical multiplexing, in a multi-channel video data encoder. A pre-processor in each channel determines a bit rate need prior to compression and encoding. A control processes the bit rate need in each channel to arrive at an allocated bit rate for each channel. The video data is then compressed and encoded according to the allocated bit rate. The bit rate demand accounts for various characteristics of the current picture data in each channel, including spatial activity, temporal activity, image size, frame rate, scene change, brightness, flash, fade, and horizontal pixel resolution. The system also biases the bit rate allocation according to inter-frame distance, whether the average spatial activity level is below a lower threshold, whether the inter-frame distance is above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold, whether the quantization of previous frames is above an upper threshold, the length of the Group of Pictures (GOP), and a user-selectable priority factor. The system also allocates any surplus bit rate among the channels to avoid having unused bandwidth.