Distribution and use of video statistics for cloud-based video encoding

Abstract

A method receives first and second copies of a video stream by first and second video processing devices, respectively, and processes the first and the second copies of the video stream to generate first and second statistical data for the video stream, respectively. The method transmits in first and second transmissions the first and the second copies of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data respectively from the first and the second video processing device to a third video processing device, and reads the first and the second statistical data from the first and the second transmissions by the third video processing device. The method then combines the first and the second statistical data with one copy of the video stream by the third video processing device, and transmits the one copy of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a video stream, comprising:
 receiving, at a first video processing device, a video stream, wherein the video stream includes first statistical data for the video stream that was generated by a second video processing device;   in response to receiving the video stream, generating, by the first video processing device, second statistical data for the video stream;   combining, by the first video processing device, the first statistical data and the second statistical data with a copy of the video stream to produce a second video stream; and   transmitting, from the first video processing device to a third video processing device, the second video stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first statistical data and the second statistical data include information indicating content detected in the video stream. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing the video stream using the first statistical data, wherein the first statistical data includes motion vector data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising reading the first statistical data from an in-band portion of the video stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein combining the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream comprises inserting the first statistical data and the second statistical data into an in-band portion of the copy of the video stream. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of the first statistical data using the second statistical data, wherein combining the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream comprises combining a remaining portion of the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the second statistical data comprises analyzing the video stream using the first statistical data. 
     
     
         8 . A system for processing a video stream, the system comprising:
 a hardware processor configured to:
 receive, at a first video processing device, a video stream, wherein the video stream includes first statistical data for the video stream that was generated by a second video processing device; 
 in response to receiving the video stream, generate, by the first video processing device, second statistical data for the video stream; 
 combine, by the first video processing device, the first statistical data and the second statistical data with a copy of the video stream to produce a second video stream; and 
 transmit, from the first video processing device to a third video processing device, the second video stream. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first statistical data and the second statistical data include information indicating content detected in the video stream. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to process the video stream using the first statistical data, wherein the first statistical data includes motion vector data. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to read the first statistical data from an in-band portion of the video stream. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to insert the first statistical data and the second statistical data into an in-band portion of the copy of the video stream. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
 remove a portion of the first statistical data using the second statistical data; and   combine a remaining portion of the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to analyze the video stream using the first statistical data. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for processing a video stream, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a first video processing device, a video stream, wherein the video stream includes first statistical data for the video stream that was generated by a second video processing device;   in response to receiving the video stream, generating, by the first video processing device, second statistical data for the video stream;   combining, by the first video processing device, the first statistical data and the second statistical data with a copy of the video stream to produce a second video stream; and   transmitting, from the first video processing device to a third video processing device, the second video stream.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first statistical data and the second statistical data include information indicating content detected in the video stream. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises processing the video stream using the first statistical data, wherein the first statistical data includes motion vector data. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises reading the first statistical data from an in-band portion of the video stream. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein combining the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream comprises inserting the first statistical data and the second statistical data into an in-band portion of the copy of the video stream. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises removing a portion of the first statistical data using the second statistical data, wherein combining the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream comprises combining a remaining portion of the first statistical data and the second statistical data with the copy of the video stream. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating the second statistical data comprises analyzing the video stream using the first statistical data.