Coding of Video and Audio with Initialization Fragments

Abstract

A new file format for coded video data is provided. A decoder may identify patterns in the coded video data in order to make the decoding process and/or display of data more efficient. Such patterns may be predefined and stored at the decoder, may be defined by each encoder and exchanged during terminal initialization, or may be transmitted and/or stored with the associated video data. Initialization information associated with the fragments of video data may also provide for carouseling initialization updates such that the initialization fragments may indicate either that the initialization information should be updated or that the decoder should be re-initialized. Additionally, media files or segments may be broken into fragments and each segment may have an index to provide for random access to the media data of the segment.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A video coding method, comprising:
 for a sequence of video frames, coding the sequence of frames;   identifying a pattern in a characteristic of the frames; and   transmitting the pattern on a channel with the sequence of frames.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic includes a coding mode for each frame. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic includes a coding order for the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic includes a display order for the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic includes a character sync for each frame in the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic includes a display duration for each frame in the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pattern has a length shorter than the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pattern repeats within the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of patterns shorter than the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pattern has a length greater than the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying further comprises: matching the sequence of frames to a pattern in a default pattern table. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: exchanging the default pattern table during a handshake procedure between an encoder and a decoder 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said transmitting further comprises including an indication that the default pattern table contains the characteristic pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: defining the characteristic pattern with an initialization table. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said transmitting further comprises: transmitting the initialization table on the channel with the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         16 . A method for decoding a sequence of coded frames comprising:
 identifying a pattern of frames in the sequence of frames;   matching the pattern of frames to a pattern defined in an initialization table; and   decoding frames in the pattern of frames using values defined in the initialization table for the pattern.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: exchanging the initialization table during a handshake procedure between an encoder and a decoder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: receiving the initialization table on the channel with the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: receiving a pattern identifier on the channel with the sequence of frames. 
     
     
         20 . A method for accessing a media segment comprising:
 accessing an initialization block for the media segment, the initialization block identifying a plurality of movie fragments in the media segment; and   with the identification provided in the initialization block, accessing a fragment of the media segment.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said initialization block further defines at least one characteristic of the media segment. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said fragment of the media segment includes a change to be applied to the at least one characteristic defined in the initialization block. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said fragment further defines at least one characteristic of media data in the fragment. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said characteristic is a size of the fragment. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said characteristic is a duration of the media data. 
     
     
         26 . A method for decoding streaming media data, comprising:
 receiving at a decoder a first initialization fragment for the media data, the first fragment having a first major version number and a first minor version number;   receiving at a decoder a second initialization fragment for the media data, the second fragment having a second major version number and a second minor version number;   if the first major version number and the second major version number are different, re-initializing the decoder with the second fragment;   if the first major version number and the second major version number are the same, and the first minor version number and second minor version number are different, updating initialization data at the decoder with information provided in the second fragment; and   if the first major version number and the second major version number are the same, and the first minor version number and second minor version number are the same, discarding the second fragment.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said updating initialization data further comprises:
 applying a change to the initialization data of the first fragment according to the information provided in the second fragment, wherein the information provided in the second fragment includes a difference between the initialization data for the first fragment and the updated information.