Method and system for distribution of information contents and corresponding computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258145-B2
Application number	US-82205310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2010
Priority date	Jun 25, 2009
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

The interfacing of coded media data packets in the transfer from and to a peer-to-peer network envisages that the data packets are included in groups of packets that may have lengths different from one another. Each group of data packets is encapsulated in a group of chunks of given length. The media data is made available in the network as a multiplicity of different descriptions of a multiple-description coding of one and the same media content. The terminals of the peer-to-peer network are configured for accessing selectively the multiplicity of different descriptions of said media contents, combining them with one another, or else accessing one of the different descriptions in substitution for another preserving access to the media contents. The data may be made available as base layer and at least one enhancement layer of one and the same media content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
transferring to or from a Peer-to-Peer network, encoded media data packets in groups of packets, said groups of data packets having different lengths with respect to each other, and
encapsulating the groups of data packets in groups of chunks, respectively, with each chunk being of fixed length larger than a length of a data packet of the respective group and including one or more of: said data packets and/or fragments of said data packets, the transferring and encapsulating being implemented with at least one computer processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said data packets convey sequences of groups of pictures and wherein each of said groups of data packets includes data packets corresponding to images included in a same group of pictures.

3. A method comprising:
transferring to or from a Peer-to-Peer network, encoded media data packets in groups of packets, said groups of data packets having different lengths with respect to each other; and
encapsulating the groups of data packets in groups of chunks, respectively, with each chunk being of fixed length and including one or more of: said data packets and/or fragments of said data packets, the transferring and encapsulating being implemented with at least one computer processor, wherein said data packets convey sequences of groups of pictures, each of said groups of data packets includes data packets corresponding to images included in a same group of pictures, said data packets convey sequences of video images that include random access point images to be decoded independently of any preceding image in a same sequence and said groups of pictures include images between a pair of random access point images plus one random access point image of the pair.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data packets have been encoded by a coding scheme providing a plurality of representations of same media content and wherein said groups of data packets and said groups of chunks are arranged in a plurality of layers corresponding to said plurality of representations provided by said encoding.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said coding scheme is a multiple description coding scheme providing a plurality of descriptions of same media content.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said coding scheme is a layered coding scheme over a plurality of layers and wherein said groups of data packets and said groups of chunks are arranged over a plurality layers corresponding to the plurality of layers of said layered coding scheme.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said layered coding scheme is a coding scheme including a base layer and at least one enhancement layer of said base layer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said base layer and said at least one enhancement layer are linked to each other by a prediction mechanism wherein each of the plurality of layers of said layered coding scheme, other than said base layer, is encoded as a function of at least one respective lower layer.

9. The method of claim 4 , comprising associating with said groups of chunks a chunk mask representative of a correspondence between individual chunks in the associated group of chunks and said plurality of layers corresponding to said plurality of representations.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said chunk mask indicates how many chunks in the associated group of chunks correspond to a given layer out of said plurality layers corresponding to said plurality of representations.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising providing said chunk mask in the headers of said groups of chunks as made available in said Peer-to-Peer network.

12. The method of claim 4 , comprising arranging chunks in an associated group of chunks according to a synchronization law, the arranging including arranging sequentially chunks corresponding to different representations of the same media content.

13. The method of claim 4 , comprising arranging chunks in the groups of chunks are arranged according to a synchronization law, the arranging including arranging sequentially chunks related to a same representation.

14. The method of claim 4 , comprising making available said groups of chunks in said Peer-to-Peer network as a scAIAble bitstream, with the groups of chunks related to the individual representations of the same media content being selectively extractable from said scAIAble bitstream.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing said encoded media data packets between terminals of said Peer-to-Peer network comprising:
making said encoded media data packets available as a plurality of different descriptions of a multiple description coding of a given media content, and
configuring said terminals in said Peer-to-Peer network to access selectively said plurality of different descriptions of said media content; and
accessing one of said plurality of different descriptions in substitution of another one of said plurality of different descriptions to preserve access to said media content.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising combining a first one and at least one second one of said plurality of different descriptions.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the accessing one of said plurality of different descriptions in substitution of another comprises:
detecting an intervening unavailability of a first one of said plurality of different descriptions of said media content; and
accessing a second one of said plurality of different descriptions as a substitute of said first one of said plurality of different descriptions to preserve access to said media content.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said encoded media data packets convey video image sequences including random access points-type images to be reproduced independently of previous images in a respective sequence, and further comprising configuring said terminals of said Peer-to-Peer network to switch access from the one to the other of said plurality of different descriptions of said media content in correspondence with one of said random access points-type images.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising making said media content available in the form of different descriptions which, when combined with each other, improve representation of said media content.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
making said media content available as a plurality of different descriptions of a multiple description coding starting from a source by:
detecting a request by one of said terminals, which is to be reached from said source through a given path in said Peer-to-Peer network, to access at least a first and second description of said plurality of different descriptions to be combined with each other; and
once said request is detected, causing a set of terminals in said Peer-to-Peer network arranged along said given path to use said second description as a substitute to said first description.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing said encoded media data packets between the terminals of said Peer-to-Peer network by:
making said encoded media data packets available as a base layer and at least one enhancement layer of a layered coding of a given media content, and
configuring said terminals in said Peer-to-Peer network to selectively access said base layer and said at least one enhancement layer and combine said base layer and said at least one enhancement layer.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising

Assignees

• Alfonso Daniele
• Anselmo Tea
• Capovilla Nicola
• Sentinelli Alexandro
• Kumar Amit
• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Alfonso Daniele
• Anselmo Tea
• Capovilla Nicola
• Sentinelli Alexandro
• Kumar Amit

Classifications

• H04L12/6418 Primary

  Hybrid transport · CPC title