Media stream selective decode based on window visibility state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9407961-B2
Application number	US-201213618193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods may determine a visibility state of an application window associated with a media stream, and selectively decode a media stream based on a visibility state. One or more decode operations with respect to media content, such as video content, may be prevented if a visibility state indicates that at least a portion of an application window includes a blocked state. One or more decode operations with respect to media content, such as video content, may be permitted if a visibility state indicates that at least a portion of an application window includes a visible state. The systems and methods result in benefits to resource utilization, such as processor utilization, power consumption, and so on.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a media stream including video content;
determining, by a processor, a visibility state of an application window that is to be associated with the media stream and that is to be rendered on a display of an apparatus; and
selectively decoding, by a processor, the media stream based on the visibility state of the application window, wherein the selectively decoding comprises:
preventing one or more decode operations with respect to the video content in response to determining that the visibility state of the application window indicates the video content is displayed and is observable by an observer via the application window but the video content is not being viewed by the observer, wherein an indication that the video content is not being viewed by the observer is based on motion sensor data from the apparatus that indicates at least a portion of the application window is being blocked from view by motion of the application window relative to the observer that is to include the application window physically moving in excess of a threshold motion value; and
permitting, when the application window is an uppermost application window of z-ordering application windows and includes no transparency, the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content in response to determining that the visibility state of the application window indicates the uppermost application window is not being blocked based on motion sensor data from the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media stream further includes audio content corresponding to the video content, and the decoding permits one or more decode operations with respect to the audio content when the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content are prevented.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoding is to prevent one or more decode operations with respect to the video content when the visibility state of the application window indicates that the video content is displayed and is observable via the application window, but the video content is not being viewed by the observer in response to a determination that at least a portion of the application window is being blocked from view by at least one other application window via an arrangement of the other application window relative to the application window.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the decoding permits the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content when the visibility state of the application window includes a visible state that indicates the video content is displayed and is observable via the application window and the video content is being viewed by the observer based on a determination that the portion of the application window is visible to the observer in response to one or more of a change in the arrangement that is to cause the portion of the application window to no longer be blocked from view by the other application window and a change of motion of the application window relative to the observer that is to no longer include the application window physically moving in excess of the threshold motion value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoding permits one or more decode operations with respect to the video content based on motion sensor data from the apparatus that is to indicate the application window is visible to the observer in response to a change of motion of the application window relative to the observer that is to no longer include the application window physically moving in excess of the threshold motion value.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor cause the processor to:
receive a media stream including video content;
determine a visibility state of an application window that is to be associated with the media stream and that is to be rendered on a display of an apparatus; and
selectively decode the media stream based on the visibility state of the application window, wherein the selectively decode comprises:
to prevent one or more decode operations with respect to the video content in response to a determination that the visibility state of the application window is to indicate the video content is displayed and is observable by an observer via the application window but the video content is not being viewed by the observer, wherein an indication that the video content is not being viewed by the observer is to be based on motion sensor data from the apparatus that is to indicate at least a portion of the application window is being blocked from view by motion of the application window relative to the observer that is to include the application window physically moving in excess of a threshold motion value; and
to permit, when the application window is to be an uppermost application window of z-ordering application windows and is to include no transparency, the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content in response to a determination that the visibility state of the application window is to indicate the uppermost application window is not being blocked based on motion sensor data from the apparatus.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the media stream further includes audio content corresponding to the video content, and when executed the one or more instructions configure a processor to permit one or more decode operations with respect to the audio content when the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content are prevented.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein when executed the one or more instructions configure a processor to determine a z-ordering of the application window and at least one other application window, a transparency of the application window and the other application window, and a location of the application window and the other application window.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein when executed the one or more instructions configure a processor to determine that a portion of the application window is further blocked by a physical object including a garment of the observer.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein when executed the one or more instructions configure a processor to prevent one or more decode operations with respect to the video content when the visibility state of the application window indicates that the video content is displayed and is observable via the application window, but the video content is not being viewed by the observer in response to a determination that at least a portion of the application window is being blocked from view by at least one other application window via an arrangement of the other application window relative to the application window.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the one or more decode operations are to be prevented when the portion of the application window that is blocked exceeds a threshold value including a threshold block value indicative of an amount the application window is blocked by the other application window.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein when executed the one or more instructions configure a processor to permit the one or more decode operations with respect to the video content when the visibility state of the application window is to include a visible state that indicates the video content is displayed and is observable by the observer via the application window and the video content is being viewed by the observer based on a determination that the portion

Assignees

• Weast John C
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Weast John C

Classifications

• H04N21/4438

  Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface · CPC title

• H04N21/4542 Primary

  Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes · CPC title

• H04N21/44218

  Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45) · CPC title

• H04N21/439

  Processing of audio elementary streams · CPC title