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`(12) United States Patent
`US 6,557,001 B1
`(10) Patent N0.:
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`Dvir et al.
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`(45) Date of Patent: Apr. 29, 2003
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`USOO6557001B1
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`(56)
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`(54) METHOD FOR ENHANCING VIDEO
`COMPRESSION THROUGH AUTOMATIC
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`DATA ANALYSIS AND PROFILE SELECTION
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`(75)
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`Inventors: Ira Dvir, Tel AViV (IL); Y0av Medan,
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`Haifa (IL)
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`( * ) Notice:
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`(73) Assignee: Moonlight Cordless Ltd., Ramat Gan
`(IL)
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`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
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`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
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`U'S'C' 154(b) by 0 days.
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`(21) Appl. N05 09/438,500
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`Filed:
`NOV_ 12 1999
`(22)
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`Related US. Application Data
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`(63)
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`Continuation—in—part of application No. 09/197,441, filed on
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`Nov. 23, 1998.
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`(51)
`G06F 17/30
`Int Cl 7
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`707/101
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`"""""""""""
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`(58) Field of Search ......................... 707/3, 101, 104.1,
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`707/500, 5001; 370/465; 375/240; 345/502,
`723; 709/200, 217, 231
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`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`................. 345/723
`5,706,290 A *
`1/1998 Shaw et al.
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`2,3233%) :1 *
`3:111 --~~~~~1~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7037432445
`3/388;
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`aw et a .
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`*
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`* cited by examiner
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`Primary Examiner—Diane D. Mizrahi
`Assistant Examiner—Apu Mofiz
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`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Fer—G. E' EhrhCh Ltd'
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`(57)
`ABSTRACT
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`A system and method for rapid Video data compression and
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`transmission for a Wireless remote monitor. The compres-
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`sion method is adjusted according to the type of software
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`application which generated the Video data, and according to
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`the characteristics of the data itself. Preferably, the type and
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`profile of Video data compression is selected by a profile
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`manager, which detects the characteristics of the Video data
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`to determine the character of the data, and then which selects
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`the Video data compression method and profile according to
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`the Video data character. The compression method and
`system may be used with a device for remotely displaying
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`information from a monitor of a main computer and for
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`d full
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`Video display card
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`38
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`AN Mpeg
`interface
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`converter
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`Digital sound to
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`Internal implementation
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`Page 1 0f 12
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1014
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`Sheet 1 0f5
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`US 6,557,001 B1
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`"Fl“:
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`Compression
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`Profile
`Manager
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`Fig. 1a
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`Sample rasters
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`determine at least one
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`match parameter to
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`profile (step 3)
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`compress data (step 4) Fig. 1b
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`US 6,557,001 B1
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`
`1
`METHOD FOR ENHANCING VIDEO
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`COMPRESSION THROUGH AUTOMATIC
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`DATA ANALYSIS AND PROFILE SELECTION
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`This is a Continuation-in-Part pending Appliction of US.
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`patent application Ser. No. 09/197,441, filed Nov. 23, 1998,
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`which is currently pending and the specification for which is
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`hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
`FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE
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`INVENTION
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`The present invention relates to a system and method for
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`multimedia data compression and transmission,
`thereby
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`enabling a large amount of multimedia information to be
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`rapidly transmitted for display by a remote display device
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`with low bandwidth requirements. Such multimedia infor-
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`mation may optionally include video stream data and/or
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`audio stream data, for example.
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`Computers are becoming more popular as home enter-
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`tainment devices and for the organization and display of
`information for the consumer. In addition to the functions of
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`earlier computers, computers today can play music stored in
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`on a CD, on magnetic storage medium or on the DVD
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`storage medium, as well as displaying video streams and
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`enabling “chats” to take place through the Internet.
`In
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`addition, consumers can now perform a variety of tasks
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`“online” through the computer, such as order groceries from
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`The computer itself has been sufficiently adapted for the
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`except for portability. The typical household computer is a
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`“desktop” computer which is not very portable. However,
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`database or otherwise interacting with the computer from a
`remote location would be more efficient if the computer
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`could easily be moved from room to room. Thus, desktop
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`computers are not sufficiently portable for such tasks.
`A more useful solution would enable the consumer to
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`view the display of the monitor of the computer for video
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`interacting with the computer anywhere in the house, as a
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`remote application. The entire computer would not need to
`be moved about from room to room, but only those portions
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`which are required for controlling the computer and for
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`displaying information on the monitor. Unfortunately, those
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`remote computing solutions which are available only enable
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`partial control, and do not permit portions of the computer
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`to be operated in a fully remote and independent fashion,
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`while still remaining tied to the CPU of the computer but
`without the necessity for an additional network connection.
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`The remote computing device disclosed and claimed in
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`pending US. patent application Ser. No. 09/197,441, incor-
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`porated by reference as if fully set forth herein, overcomes
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`these problems by providing a fully remote, independently
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`operatable device for displaying information on the monitor
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`of a remote mobile platform and for controlling the CPU of
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`the remote computer. However, in order to be fully practi-
`cable and realizable, the disclosed device must be able to
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`receive video data sufficiently rapidly in order for
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`monitor display to be rapidly refreshed, and to receive the
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`audio stream data rapidly for playing such data through
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`speakers in a responsive manner, without requiring the user
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`display of a particular type of information and the actual
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`monitor, particularly for such a device which is not con-
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`nected to the controlling CPU through a wire or cable
`network, are limited in terms of the amount of bandwidth.
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`Such a limitation is typically 100—1,600 Mbps. Therefore,
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`multimedia data compression methods are required in order
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`to compress a larger amount of data into the bandwidth
`available for transmission. However, current multimedia
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`data compression methods are most efficient when adjusted
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`for the type of multimedia data being transmitted. If a
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`to determine, as this method could be adjusted to the type of
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`multimedia data. For devices and applications in which
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`pression method must be determined separately for each
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`The remote monitor of pending US. patent application
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`Ser. No. 09/197,441 is an example of a device which must
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`routinely receive multiple different types of video data. All
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`is video data, but could range from a display of a GUI
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`program, to streaming video data for a DVD movie. Each
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`different type of display data therefore requires a different
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`type of video data compression method for the most efficient
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`compression of the transmitted data.
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`Currently, each multimedia data compression method
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`must be manually adjusted for the particular type of multi-
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`media data. Clearly, such manual adjustments are not suit-
`able for the remote monitor device, which may rapidly
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`display multiple types of multimedia data. Therefore, a
`better solution would enable the type of multimedia data
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`compression method to be automatically selected according
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`to the type of multimedia data which is to be displayed on
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`the remote monitor. Unfortunately, such a solution is not
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`Therefore, there is an unmet need for, and it would be
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`highly useful to have, a method and a system for automati-
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`cally selecting a particular type of multimedia data com-
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`pression method, according to the type of multimedia data
`which is to be transmitted, such that manual intervention is
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`not required, and such that the multimedia data is efficiently
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`compressed.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`The present invention is of a system and method for rapid
`multimedia data compression and transmission for a wire-
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`less remote monitor. The method of multimedia data com-
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`pression according to the present
`invention adjusts the
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`compression method according to the type of software
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`application which generated the multimedia data, and hence
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`according to the characteristics of the data itself. Preferably,
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`the type of multimedia data compression is selected by a
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`profile manager, which detects the characteristics of the
`multimedia data to determine the character of the data, and
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`then which selects the multimedia data compression profile,
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`including the compression method according to the charac-
`ter of the data.
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`According to the present invention, there is provided a
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`method for compressing multimedia data, the steps of the
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`method being performed by a data processor, the method
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`comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of different
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`multimedia data compression procedures, each of the com-
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`pression procedures being associated with a profile of char-
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`acteristics of the multimedia data; (b) receiving the multi-
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`media data to be compressed to form received data; (c)
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`determining at least one characteristic of the received data;
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`(d) selecting a profile according to the at least one charac-
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`teristic; and (e) compressing the received data according to
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`a compression procedure associated with the profile.
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`According to another embodiment of the present
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`there is provided a method for compressing
`invention,
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`multimedia data, the steps of the method being performed by
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`a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a)
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`analyzing each type of multimedia data to determine at least
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`one characteristic of each type of multimedia data;
`(b)
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`associating one of a plurality of different multimedia data
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`compression procedures with each type of multimedia data
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`according to the at
`least one characteristic for optimal
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`compression of the multimedia data to form the compression
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`profile; (c) receiving the multimedia data for compression to
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`form compressed data; and (d) selecting the compression
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`profile for compressing the compressed data.
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`Hereinafter, the term “computer” indicates any type of
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`electronic device which is capable of performing
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`computations, including, but not limited to, personal com-
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`puters (PC) having an operating system such as DOS,
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`WindowsTM, OS/2TM or Linux; MacintoshTM computers;
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`computers having JAVATM-OS or BeOSTM as the operating
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`system; thin client computers; and graphical workstations
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`such as the computers of Sun MicrosystemsTM and Silicon
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`Graphics”, and other computers having some version of the
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`UNIX operating system such as AIXTM or SOLARISTM of
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`Sun MicrosystemsTM; a PalmPilotTM, a PilotPCTM, or any
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`other handheld device, portable device for data processing
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`such as a PDA (personal data assistant), or embedded system
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`or device; or any other known and available operating
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`system and computational device. Hereinafter,
`the term
`“WindowsTM” includes but is not limited to Windows95TM,
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`Windows 3.xTM in which “x” is an integer such as “1”,
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`Windows NTTM, Windows98TM, Windows CETM,
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`Windows2000TM, and any upgraded versions of these oper-
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`ating systems by Microsoft Corp. (USA).
`The method of the present
`invention could also be
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`described as a plurality of instructions being performed by
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`a data processor, such that
`the method of the present
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`invention could be implemented as hardware, software,
`firmware or a combination thereof. For
`the present
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`invention, a software application could be written in sub-
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`stantially any suitable programming language, which could
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`easily be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art. The
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`programming language chosen should be compatible with
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`the computer according to which the software application is
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`executed. Examples of suitable programming languages
`include, but are not limited to, C, C++ and Java.
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`Hereinafter,
`the term “CPU” (central processing unit)
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`includes those portions of the computer which control the
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`remainder of the computer, including the peripherals. As
`defined herein, the CPU includes the control unit and the
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`arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), as well as other compo-
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`nents such as memory and temporary buffers which are
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`required for the operation of the control unit and the ALU.
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`Other types of microprocessors or data processors are spe-
`cifically excluded from the term “CPU” as herein defined.
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`Hereinafter, the term “speaker” is defined to include any
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`type of device for producing an audible sound stream for a
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`user, including an earphone.
`Hereinafter, a “locally connectable” video card is a video
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`card which is capable of controlling a monitor or other
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`display device which is attached to the computer in which
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`the video card is located, regardless of whether the computer
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`actually has such a monitor or other display device attached.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`The invention is herein described, by way of example
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`only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
`wherein:
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`FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram illustrating an
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`exemplary system according to the present invention for
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`compressing video or multimedia data, while FIG. 1B is a
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`flowchart of an exemplary method for analyzing the data;
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`FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an
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`exemplary wireless multimedia platform monitor according
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`to the present invention; and
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`FIGS. 3A—3C are schematic block diagrams which illus-
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`trate three different embodiments of a complete wireless
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`system according to the present invention.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
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`EMBODIMENTS
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`The present invention is of a system and method for rapid
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`multimedia data compression and transmission for a wire-
`less remote monitor. The method of multimedia data com-
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`pression according to the present
`invention adjusts the
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`compression method according to the type of software
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`application which generated the multimedia data, and hence
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`according to the characteristics of the data itself. Preferably,
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`the type of multimedia data compression is selected by a
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`profile manager, which detects the characteristics of the
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`multimedia data to determine the profile of the data, and then
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`which selects the multimedia data compression method
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`according to the profile.
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`The principles and operation of the system and method
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`according to the present invention may be better understood
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`with reference to the drawings and the accompanying
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`description.
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`Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1A is a schematic
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`block diagram illustrating an exemplary system according to
`the present invention, while FIG. 1B is a flowchart of an
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`exemplary method according to the present
`invention.
`Although FIGS. 1A and 1B are drawn toward video com-
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`pression methods,
`it
`is understood that
`this is for the
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`purposes of description only, without any intention of being
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`limiting in any way.
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`As shown in FIG. 1A, a system 1 features a plurality of
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`software applications 3 for producing different
`types of
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`display data. Software applications 3 are operated by an
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`operating system 5. The display data must be compressed
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`according to a suitable video compression method before
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`transmission decompression and display, for example by the
`remote monitor of FIG. 2, and for the systems of FIGS.
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`3A—3B.
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`In order for the data to be suitably compressed, the video
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`compression method must be selected to be compatible with
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`the particular type of data produced by each software
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`application 3. Therefore, operating system 5 feeds the dis-
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`play data to a compression profile manager 7. The process is
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`controlled by a separate reporting device driver 9,
`for
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`causing operating system 5 to report
`the type of each
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`software application 3 which is running to compression
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`profile manager 7. Preferably, reporting device driver 9 also
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`causes operating system 5 to report the screen resolution to
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`compression profile manager 7.
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`Once compression profile manager 7 has received the
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`pertinent information concerning the type of video display
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`Page 8 of 12
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`5
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`data which is being produced, compression profile manager
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`7 can select the particular type of video compression method
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`for compressing the display data. Compression profile man-
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`ager 7 has a plurality of compression profiles, each of which
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`is suitable for a particular type of display data which is
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`produced by a particular software application 3. As each
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`type of display data is passed from operating system 5,
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`compression profile manager 7 selects a suitable compres-
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`sion profile for compressing the video data, according to the
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`characteristics of the display data, as described in greater
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`detail with regard to FIG. 1B. Alternatively, the user can
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`manually select a compression profile from a plurality of
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`such profiles provided by compression profile manager 7.
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`Once the proper compression profile for the display data
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`is selected, the actual process of compression is performed
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`by an MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) encoder 11 or
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`other type of compression algorithm. It is understood that
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`although the present invention is described with regard to a
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`particular type of video data compression method, namely
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`the MPEG group of compression methods, this is only for
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`the purposes of description and is not intended to be limiting
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`in any way.
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`For example, different compression profiles would be
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`required for television video stream, a word processing
`screen stream, a three-dimensional video game video
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`stream, and so forth. Preferably, an automatic video content
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`analysis method would be employed to analyze the type of
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`video data and would select a particular compression profile
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`according to the type of video data. A preferred implemen-
`tation of such an automatic method is given in FIG. 1B. In
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`step 1, the video data to be transmitted is analyzed. For
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`example, groups of rasters of the video data are optionally
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`sampled for analysis. Preferably, each such group is a block
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`of 8x8 pixels.
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`In step 2, at least one parameter is determined for each
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`sample. Preferably, the parameter includes, but is not limited
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`to, a number of unique colors in the screen, a presence of
`static dark thin rows of pixels or large static blocks, and a
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`level of motion in the screen between one frame and the next
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`frame. More preferably, a plurality of such parameters is
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`analyzed.
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`the plurality of parameters is matched to a
`In step 3,
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`particular compression profile, which is then selected by
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`compression profile manager 7. For example, the presence
`of thousands of unique colors in a frame with considerable
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`movement between frames, as well as unchanged black
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`stripes at the bottom and top of each frame, would indicate
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`that a DVD movie is being transmitted. The appropriate
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`compression profile for the DVD movie would then be
`selected.
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`The compression profile would be adjusted according to
`such factors as the maximum resolution, refresh rate and
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`color handling. Optionally and preferably, for text data, a
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`variable bit rate is used for the compression, since the
`amount of text data which must be transmitted at any
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`particular moment is itself variable. Therefore, the MPEG
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`compression methods are preferred for the present invention
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`as they feature different profiles and levels which are
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`adjusted according to these different factors. The MPEG
`encoder is also preferred as it enables noise to be filtered
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`through different “filters”, such as low-pass, median and
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`deinterlacing filters. The motion vector may also be set, for
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`example by enlarging or minimizing the search area of the
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`data which has changed position within the frame.
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`Regardless of the level and profile, the MPEG format uses
`three different types of frames: I, B and P frames. The I
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`US 6,557,001 B1
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`6
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`frame is the initial or “intra-frame” and is required. The B
`frame is a bi-directional frame, while the P frame is a
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`predictable frame. The B and P frames are optional, and B
`frames can be removed without P frames.
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`These different types of frames are organized into groups.
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`For example, a video stream compressed according to the
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`MPEG method could feature a 3 frame group, such as IBP
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`for example, or a 9 frame group, such as IBBPBBPBB for
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`example, or even a 12 frame group, such as IPPPPPPPPPPP
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`for example. In each group, there is a single I frame, while
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`the number of B and P frames in each group may vary, or
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`even may be deleted altogether. In addition, the number of
`frames per second, the motion vectors, the resolution, and
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`the filters, may all optionally be adjusted in order to produce
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`each compression profile.
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`An exemplary compression profile for a television video
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`stream would feature a main level, main profile MPEG-2
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`compression method with frame groups of 12 frames: IBB
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`PBB PBB PBB. The method would feature progressive
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`encoding, or deinterlacing, and low pass filtering. The
`motion vectors would be 32x32 for the P frames and 16x16
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`for the B frames.
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`On the other hand, an exemplary compression profile for
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`a word processing screen stream at a 800x600 resolution
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`would be high profile, high level variable MPEG-2 stream
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`with frame groups of 9 frames: IBB PBB PBB. In cases
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`where flawless quality is necessary all of the B frames could
`be omitted, such that a rate of 30 frames per second becomes
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`a rate of 10 tripled frames per second. The motion vectors
`are 24x24 for the P frames and 8x8 for the B frames. No
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`filters are applied.
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`For the 3-D video game video data, an exemplary com-
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`pression profile would optionally feature a high profile, high
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`level MPEG-2 compression method at 60 frames per second,
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`thereby halving the delay caused by the compression process
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`itself. Preferably, the compression method would feature
`groups of 18frames: IBPBPBPBPBPBPBPBPB. All of the B
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`frames are deleted, such that a frame rate of 60 frames per
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`second becomes a rate of 30 doubled frames per second. The
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`motion vectors are 48x48 for the P frames and 8x8 for the
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`B frames.
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`In step 4, the compression profile is set to determine the
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`particular video compression method for compressing the
`video data. The data is then compressed and transmitted.
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`Of course, the previously described system and method
`could be extended to other types of multimedia data, such as
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`audio stream data for example. Alternatively, as previously
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`described,
`the compression profile could be manually
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`selected by the user, or alternatively could be determined
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`automatically according to the identity of the software
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`application which is producing the video data and/or other
`types of multimedia data. Two or more of the elements of
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`automatic analysis according to a software module or other
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`set of electronically executed instructions, manual selection
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`by the user, and selection according to the identity of the
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`software application which produces the multimedia data,
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`can also optionally be combined. Optionally and most
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`preferably, the user is able to manually override any auto-
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`matically selected compression profile, and to replace such
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`an automatically selected compression profile with a differ-
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`ent compression profile. Preferably, such a replacement is
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`enabled through a GUI (graphical user interface) element,
`preferably with the use of a macro command. Aruler or other
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`display of macro buttons such as “tv” “dvd” “text” or
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`“graphics” could be used for controlling these macro com-
`mands.
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`Page 9 of 12
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`Page 9 of 12
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