Power aware video decoding and streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11039151-B2
Application number	US-201916698512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for a mobile device to decode video based on available power and/or energy. For example, the mobile device may receive a media description file (MDF) from for a video stream from a video server. The MDF may include complexity information associated with a plurality of video segments. The complexity information may be related to the amount of processing power to be utilized for decoding the segment at the mobile device. The mobile device may determine at least one power metric for the mobile device. The mobile device may determine a first complexity level to be requested for a first video segment based on the complexity information from the MDF and the power metric. The mobile device may dynamically alter the decoding process to save energy based on the detected power/energy level.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for requesting a video stream from a video server based on power conditions, the WTRU comprising:
a memory; and
a processor configured to:
receive metadata for the video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a plurality of video segments, the metadata indicating a video decoding power consumption information for one or more complexity levels at which a first video segment can be requested;
determine a power reduction ratio for the first video segment relative to a previous video segment using the video decoding power consumption information indicated by the metadata;
determine to request the first video segment at a first complexity level of the one or more complexity levels based on the power reduction ratio; and
request the first video segment at the first complexity level.

2. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the video decoding power consumption information is provided per video segment in the metadata.

3. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the previous video segment was received by the WTRU at a second complexity level of the one or more complexity levels, and wherein the power reduction ratio is determined based on a power consumption associated with at least one of decoding or displaying the previous video segment at the second complexity level.

4. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the relative video decoding power consumption information for the one or more complexity levels at which the first video segment can be requested indicates relative amounts of energy that would be used to decode the first video segment at each of the one or more complexity levels, and wherein being configured to determine to request the first video segment at the first complexity level is further based on the video decoding power consumption information indicated in the metadata.

5. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine an amount of energy remaining in the WTRU; and
estimate, based on the amount of energy remaining in the WTRU, a power available for decoding the first video segment, wherein determining to request the first video segment at the first complexity level of the one or more complexity levels is further based on an estimated power available for decoding the first video segment.

6. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the processor being configured to determine to request the first video segment at the first complexity level comprises the processor being configured to determine the first complexity level such that decoding the first video segment results in using approximately an amount of energy to be allocated to the first video segment.

7. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the processor being configured to determine to request the first video segment at the first complexity level comprises the processor being configured to select the first complexity level based on a power expended while the previous video segment was decoded, a previous complexity level at which the previous video segment was requested, and a power allocated for decoding the first video segment.

8. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a region of the first video segment comprises high frequency components that exceed a high frequency threshold, and applying a first interpolation filter during motion compensation for the region on condition that the high frequency components exceed the high frequency threshold or applying a second interpolation filter for motion compensation for the region on a condition that the high frequency components do not exceed the high frequency threshold, wherein the second interpolation filter is associated with a lower cutoff frequency that the first interpolation filter.

9. The WTRU as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an amount of power consumed by the WTRU to decode the previous video segment.

10. A method for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to request a video stream from a video server, the method comprising:
receiving metadata for the video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a plurality of video segments, the metadata indicating a video decoding power consumption information for one or more complexity levels at which a first video segment can be requested;
determining a power reduction ratio for the first video segment relative to a previous video segment using the video decoding power consumption information indicated by the metadata;
determining to request the first video segment at a first complexity level of the one or more complexity levels based on the power reduction ratio; and
requesting the first video segment at the first complexity level.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the video decoding power consumption information for the one or more complexity levels at which the first video segment can be requested indicates relative amounts of energy that would be used to decode the first video segment at each of the one or more complexity levels, and wherein determining to request the first video segment at the first complexity level is further based on the video decoding power consumption information indicated in the metadata.

12. The method as in claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an amount of energy remaining in the WTRU; and
estimating, based on the amount of energy remaining in the WTRU, a power available for decoding the first video segment, wherein determining to request the first video segment at the first complexity level of the one or more complexity levels is further based on an estimated power available for decoding the first video segment.

13. A video server, the video server comprising:
a processor, and
a memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
generate metadata for a video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a plurality of video segments, and wherein the metadata indicates a video decoding power consumption information for a plurality of complexity levels at which a first video segment and a second video segment can be requested;
send the metadata to a video streaming device;
receive, from the video streaming device, a first request for the first video segment at a first complexity level of the plurality of complexity levels;
determine, based on the first request, to send the first video segment at the first complexity level;
receive a second request from the video streaming device for the second video segment at a second complexity level of the plurality of complexity levels; and
determine, based on the second request, to send the second video segment at the second complexity level.

14. The video server of claim 13 , wherein the video decoding power consumption information is provided per video segment in the metadata.

15. The video server of claim 13 , further configured to:
receive power information associated with the video streaming device, wherein the power information associated with the video streaming device indicates one or more of a power level, a power usage, a battery level, or an amount of energy allocated for decoding at least a portion of the video stream; and
encode one or more of the first video segment or the second video segment based on the power information.

16. The video server of claim 13 , wherein the video decoding power consumption information for the plurality of complexity levels at which the first video segment can be requested indicates relative amounts of energy that would be used to decode the first video segment at each of the plurality of complexity levels.

Assignees

• Vid Scale Inc

Inventors

• He Yuwen
• Ye Yan
• He Yong
• Mcclellan George W
• Ryu Eun Seok

Classifications

• H04L65/756

  adapting media to device capabilities · CPC title

• H04L65/613

  for the control of the source by the destination (control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637) · CPC title

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04N19/136

  Incoming video signal characteristics or properties · CPC title

• H04N21/23439

  for generating different versions · CPC title