Method and Apparatus for Manipulating MPEG Video

Abstract

A computer implemented method of manipulating and displaying an MPEG stream is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a computer implemented method comprises defining a spatial location across a series of pictures of an MPEG stream; and for each picture of the series of pictures in the MPEG stream, partially decoding the picture to determine an area of the picture falling within the spatial location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a network to connect a first computer to a plurality of computers;   the first computer
 to construct a plurality of MPEG substreams from a source MPEG stream, 
 to transmit each of the plurality of MPEG substreams to a corresponding computer of the plurality of computers; and 
 each of the plurality of computers to display one of the plurality of MPEG substreams. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the first computer to synchronize display of the plurality of MPEG substreams. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of nodes to decode one of the plurality of MPEG substreams with a conventional MPEG decoder. 
 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus comprising:
 a network to connect a client to a plurality of nodes;   the client to assign a region of an MPEG encoded picture to at least one of said plurality of nodes, the region being smaller than the picture; and   each of the plurality of nodes to display its assigned region of the picture.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the client to assign each of the plurality of regions comprises:
 the client transmitting one of the plurality of regions to at least one of the plurality of nodes. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein each of the plurality of nodes display its region of the picture in synchronization. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the client to assign each of the plurality of regions comprises:
 dividing the MPEG encoded picture into a plurality of new MPEG compliant pictures, each of the plurality of new MPEG compliant pictures forming the MPEG encoded picture when combined. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein each of the plurality of nodes to display its region of the picture comprises:
 each of the plurality of nodes partially decoding the MPEG encoded picture; and 
 each of the plurality of nodes further decoding its region of the MPEG encoded picture. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 connecting a first computer to a plurality of computers;   constructing a plurality of MPEG substreams from a source MPEG stream on the first computer;   transmitting each of the plurality of MPEG substreams to a corresponding computer of the plurality of computers; and   displaying on each of the plurality of computers to one of the plurality of MPEG substreams.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 synchronizing display of the plurality of MPEG substreams using the first computer. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 decoding on each of the plurality of nodes of the plurality of MPEG substreams with a conventional MPEG decoder suing the first computer. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 connecting a client to a plurality of nodes;   assigning a region of an MPEG encoded picture to at least one of said plurality of nodes, the region being smaller than the picture; and   displaying on each of the plurality of nodes its assigned region of the picture.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  including transmitting from the client one of the plurality of regions to at least one of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein each of the plurality of nodes display its region of the picture in synchronization. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the client to assign each of the plurality of regions comprises:
 dividing the MPEG encoded picture into a plurality of new MPEG compliant pictures, each of the plurality of new MPEG compliant pictures forming the MPEG encoded picture when combined. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein each of the plurality of nodes to display its region of the picture comprises:
 each of the plurality of nodes partially decoding the MPEG encoded picture; and 
 each of the plurality of nodes further decoding its region of the MPEG encoded picture.