Patent ID: 7406124
Filing Date: 2008-07-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of allocating bits to macroblocks of a picture in a video encoding process, where the bits are allocated at least in part according to a motion activity of the macroblocks, the method comprising the steps of: a. receiving a first group of pictures, each picture of said first group of pictures being selected from a group consisting of an I-picture, a P-picture, and a B-picture, wherein the macroblocks of an I-picture are intra coded, the macroblocks of a P-picture are either intra coded or forward predictively coded, and the macroblocks of a B-picture are either intra coded, or forward predictively coded, or backward predictively coded, or interpolated; b. retrieving a picture mode of said first group of pictures, said picture mode defining a sequence of said I-pictures, P-pictures, and B-pictures in said first group of pictures; c. determining a number N d. calculating values of complexity estimators X e. calculating a number R of bits allocated to said first group of pictures to be encoded remaining after encoding a respective I-picture, P-picture or B-picture, wherein R=R the R f. calculating an initial target number of bits T wherein bit_rate corresponds to a bit rate of a data transmission channel, wherein picture_rate corresponds to a number of pictures per second transmitted via said data transmission channel, and wherein K allocating a respective virtual buffer for each of said I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures in said first group of pictures; calculating virtual buffer fullness d updating a respective virtual buffer fullness d wherein d wherein B wherein T wherein the variable MACT represents the sum of the motion activity of all of the macroblocks in the pictures of the first group of pictures, and wherein the variable Mact_sum