Power and computational load management techniques in video processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9565467-B2
Application number	US-201113290063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2011
Priority date	Aug 19, 2008
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for managing power consumption and computational load on a processor during video processing and decoding are provided. One representative embodiment discloses a method of processing a data stream that includes video data. According to the method, one or more protocols used to create the data stream are identified. The various parsing and decoding operations required by the protocol are then identified and managed based on the available electrical power or available processing power. Another representative embodiment discloses a method of processing a data stream that includes video data. According to the method, one or more protocols used to create the data stream are identified. The various parsing and decoding operations required by the protocol are then identified and managed based on a visual quality of the video or a quality of experience.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of processing a data stream, comprising: receiving a data stream by a receiver:
identifying a protocol used to create the data stream by the receiver: identifying a plurality of operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver, wherein the operations of the plurality of operations are in a first order:
evaluating an amount of electrical power and a processing resource by the receiver, wherein the evaluation is based at least in part on the protocol used to create the data stream;
prioritizing the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver based on the evaluation and on at least one-decodable unit in the data stream; and selectively performing some operations of the plurality of the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver in a second order that is based on the prioritization, wherein the second order is different than the first order;
wherein the first order is a serial order and the second order is a non-serial order.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise parsing operations and decoding operations.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein prioritizing the operations based on the evaluation comprises prioritizing the operations based on a projected electrical power requirement and a projected processing power requirement of each of the operations.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises video data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the protocol used to create the data stream comprises identifying a transport protocol and a video coding protocol used to create the data stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the data stream provides for at least a minimum video quality for an acceptable quality of experience (QoE).

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising negotiating communications between a server and a connected device based on the amount of electrical power and the processing resource.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the connected device transmits data to the server regarding a bandwidth capacity of the connected device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the connected device transmits data to the server regarding a status of the connected device.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the connected device sends instructions to the server to adjust the amount of information being transmitted from the server to the connected device based on the amount of electrical power and the processing resource.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to compress video data.

12. A wireless communications apparatus for processing a data stream, comprising:
a receiver; a transmitter;
at least one processing means for:
receiving a data stream by the receiver;
identifying a protocol used to create the data stream by the receiver;
identifying a plurality of operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver, wherein the operations of the plurality of operations are in a first order;
evaluating an amount of electrical power and a processing resource by the receiver, wherein the evaluation is based at least in part on the protocol used to create the data stream;
prioritizing the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver based on the evaluation and on at least one decodable unit in the data stream; and
selectively performing some operations of the plurality of the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver in a second order that is based on the prioritization, wherein the second order is different than the first order; and a memory;

wherein the first order is a serial order and the second order is a non-serial order.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the operations comprise parsing operations and decoding operations.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for prioritizing the operations based on the evaluation comprises means for prioritizing the operations based on a projected electrical power requirement and a projected processing power requirement of each of the operations.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the data stream comprises video data.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for identifying the protocol used to create the data stream comprises means for identifying a transport protocol and a video coding protocol used to create the data stream.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein processing the data stream provides for at least a minimum video quality for an acceptable quality of experience (QoE).

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising means for negotiating communications between a server and a connected device based on the amount of electrical power and the processing resource.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the connected device transmits data to the server regarding a bandwidth capacity of the connected device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the connected device transmits data to the server regarding a status of the connected device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the connected device sends instructions to the server to adjust the amount of information being transmitted from the server to the connected device based on the amount of electrical power and the processing resource.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to compress video data.

23. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive a data stream by a receiver:
identify a protocol used to create a data stream by the receiver;
identify a plurality of operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver, wherein the operations of the plurality of operations are in a first order;
evaluate an amount of electrical power and a processing resource by the receiver, wherein the evaluation is based at least in part on the protocol used to create the data stream;
prioritize the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver based on the evaluation and on at least one decodable unit in the data stream; and
selectively perform some operations of the plurality of the operations required by the protocol to decode the data stream by the receiver in a second order that is based on the prioritization, wherein the second order is different than the first order;
wherein the first order is a serial order and the second order is a non-serial.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the operations comprise parsing operations and decoding operations.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to prioritize the operations based on the evaluation comprises instructions that cause the processor to prioritize the operations based on a projected electrical power requirement and a projected processing power requirement of each of the operations.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the data stream comprises video data.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to identify the protocol used to create the data stream comprise instructions that cause the processor to identify a

Assignees

• Raveendran Vijayalakshmi R
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Raveendran Vijayalakshmi R

Classifications

• H04N19/127

  Prioritisation of hardware or computational resources · CPC title

• H04N19/42

  characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation (H04N19/635 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N21/4436

  Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver (power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418) · CPC title

• H04N19/00533

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N19/44

  Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder · CPC title