Patent ID: 8238441
Filing Date: 2012-08-07
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for transmitting a transmitted representation of a media stream over a bandwidth limited medium, the method comprising the steps of: determining, by an analyzer of a transmission system, a plurality of compression functions of statistically distinct compression levels, wherein applying a compression function on the media stream produces a compressed representation of the media stream; determining a relationship between valid values of compressed representations of the media stream; defining the statistically most compressed representation of the media stream as a base layer media stream; defining enhancement data for representing a relationship between valid values of the compressed representations of the media stream; compressing, by a base layer and enhancement layer generator of a transmission system, the media stream by applying the compression functions, thereby producing a plurality of compressed representations of the media stream; determining if enhancement data is required for reconstructing a compressed representation of the media stream; generating an enhancement data layer, in response to the determination; determining an available bandwidth of the bandwidth limited medium; generating a transmitted representation of the media stream, the transmitted representation of the media stream comprises the base media layer and at least one successive enhancement data layer, wherein the aggregate bandwidth of the base media layer and the at least one successive enhancement data layer does not exceed the available bandwidth of the bandwidth limited medium; and providing, by the transmission system, the transmitted representation of the media stream to the bandwidth limited medium; wherein each compressed representation of the media stream comprising a plurality of symbols; the symbols of a p'th compressed representation of the media stream are defined as a p'th media layer symbol; wherein for each symbol of the original media layer and for each value of p between 2 and k executing the steps of: converting the original media layer to a (p−1)'th media layer symbol and to a p'th media layer symbol; whereas the base media layer symbol defined as the I'th media layer symbol; determining whether a generation of a p'th layer enhancement data symbol is required for reconstructing the p'th media layer symbol; and generating a p'th layer enhancement data symbol, in response to the determination; wherein the method comprises generating a p'th layer enhancement data in response to previous layer enhancement data and to symbols of the media stream being associated with symbols of both the p'th and the (p−1)'th compressed representation of the media stream.