System and method for dynamically switching quality settings on a codec to maintain a target data rate

Abstract

A video compression system includes a compression module to compress each of a plurality of segments of an input signal using an initial quality setting. A rate calculation module calculates, for each compressed segment, a data rate for an output signal that would result from adding a compressed segment to the output signal. A selection module automatically selects, in response to the calculated data rate deviating from a target range, a quality setting for each segment that results in a data rate this is within the target range when a segment compressed using the automatically-selected quality setting is added to the output signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A video compression method comprising:
 using at least one processor to perform the steps of:
 compressing a segment of an input signal at least two times using at least two different automatically selected quality settings to produce at least two compressed segments; and 
 automatically selecting the highest quality compressed segment wherein an output signal containing the selected compressed segment will not exceed a target data rate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the automatically-selected quality setting comprises a quality quantizer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the automatically-selected quality setting comprises at least one of a frame size and a frame rate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the segment comprises a sub-frame. 
     
     
         5 . A video compression system comprising:
 a compression module configured to compress a segment of an input signal at least two times using at least two different automatically selected quality settings to produce at least two compressed segments; and   a selection module configured to automatically select the highest quality compressed segment, wherein an output signal containing the selected compress segment will not exceed a target data rate.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the automatically-selected quality setting comprises a quality quantizer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the automatically-selected quality setting comprises at least one of a frame size and a frame rate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the segment comprises a sub-frame. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:
 compressing a segment of an input signal at least two times using at least two different automatically selected quality settings to produce at least two compressed segments;   automatically selecting the compressed segment with the highest quality setting, such that, when the selected compressed segment is added to an output signal, the output signal will not exceed a target data rate; and   adding the selected compressed segment to the output signal.   
     
     
         10 . A video compression system comprising:
 means for compressing a segment of an input signal at least two times using at least two different automatically selected quality settings to produce at least two compressed segments;   means for automatically selecting the compressed segment with the highest quality setting, such that, when the selected compressed segment is added to an output signal, the output signal will not exceed a target data rate; and   means for adding the selected compressed segment to the output signal.