Phillip A Lowe

US Patent:

6490250, Dec 3, 2002

Filed:

Mar 9, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/265486

Inventors:

Ronald E. Hinchley - San Jose CA
Govind Kizhepat - Sunnyvale CA
Phillip Lowe - Saratoga CA

Assignee:

Conexant Systems, Inc. - Newport Beach CA

International Classification:

H04J 314

US Classification:

370232, 370235, 370465

Abstract:

An integrated multimedia encoding system is disclosed. Multimedia encoders which are capable of adjusting bit rates receive multimedia data to compress the data. After compressing the data, the multimedia encoders adjust the bit rates of the elementary streams responsive to a control input. Bit rates are increased or decreased using delays or, for video data, by allocating more or less bits to each macroblock, frame or group of frames. A unified memory module is coupled to the multimedia encoders to store the multimedia elementary stream data, the Program or Transport stream data, and data from other sources as needed. The unified memory is capable of adjusting storage allocations responsive to the realtime requirements of the incoming multimedia streams and the outgoing Program or Transport stream data. A stream processor is coupled to the unified memory module and the multimedia encoders for multiplexing the elementary streams into a single stream, and monitoring the actual bit rate of the combined multimedia stream. Monitoring the actual bit rate as a function of number of bits passed over a period of time provides accurate feedback as to the system throughput.