Method And System For Optimal Video Transcoding Based On Utility Function Descriptors

Abstract

Techniques for generating utility-based descriptors from compressed multimedia information are disclosed. A preferred method includes the steps of receiving least a segment of compressed multimedia information, determining two or more portions of utility based descriptor information based on one or more adaptation operations, each corresponding to a unique target rate, adapting the compressed multimedia segment by each the portions of utility based descriptor information to generate adapted multimedia segments, using a quality management method to generate measurement for each adapted multimedia segment, and generating a utility based descriptors based on the portions of utility based descriptor information and corresponding quality measurements.

1 - 48 . (canceled) 
   
   
       49 . A method of delivering varying qualities of audiovisual content to one or more users, comprising:
 for each user, determining a level of quality constraint;   receiving multimedia content to be transcoded;   using a computing apparatus, for each user, in real time, transcoding the multimedia content to meet the level of quality constraint for the respective user;   delivering the transcoded multimedia content to the respective user.   
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding includes spatial domain adaptation of the multimedia content. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding includes temporal adaptation of the multimedia content. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding includes object-based adaptation of the multimedia content. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding includes frame dropping. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding includes coefficient dropping. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the level of constraint includes spatial resolution. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the level of constraint includes computational capability. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the level of constraint includes bandwidth limitations. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein transcoding the multimedia content comprises two or more transcoding operations. 
   
   
       59 . A system for delivering varying qualities of audiovisual content to one or more users, comprising:
 an application receiving, for each user, a level of quality constraint;   An application receiving multimedia content to be transcoded;   an application transcoding the multimedia content to meet the level of quality constraint for each user in real time;   a network application delivering the transcoded multimedia content to the respective user.   
   
   
       60 . A method for adapting multimedia content to meet level of quality constraints in real-time, comprising:
 receiving one or more quality constraints from a user;   receiving multimedia content to be transcoded;   determining, using a computing apparatus, in real-time, one or more adaptation operations to be applied to the multimedia content to meet the one or more quality constraints;   and applying the one or more adaptation operations to meet the one or more quality constraints.   
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adaptation includes spatial domain adaptation. 
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adaptation includes temporal adaptation. 
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adaptation includes object-based adaptation. 
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adaptation includes frame dropping. 
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adaptation includes coefficient dropping. 
   
   
       66 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the level of constraint includes spatial resolution. 
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the level of constraint includes computational capability. 
   
   
       68 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the level of constraint includes bandwidth limitations. 
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein applying the adaptation operation comprises applying two or more adaptation operations. 
   
   
       70 . A system for adapting multimedia content to meet level of quality constraints in real-time, comprising:
 an application receiving one or more quality constraints from a user;   an application receiving multimedia content to be transcoded;   an application determining, in real-time, one or more adaptation operations to be applied to the multimedia content to meet the one or more quality constraints; and   applying the one or more adaptation operations to meet the one or more quality constraints.