Patent ID: 7020193

Claim:
A method for streaming enhancement layer video frame data on a variable bandwidth network, the enhancement layer video frame data having scalable coded residual temporal video frame data and scalable coded residual quality signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) video frame data, the method comprising: coding original uncoded video data with a non-scalable codec to generate base layer frame data; generating residual temporal and SNR video frame data from the original uncoded video data and the base layer frame data; coding the residual temporal and SNR video frame data with a scalable codec to generate the enhancement layer video frame data with the scalable coded residual temporal and SNR video frame data; allocating a bit-rate R BL for transmitting only the base layer frame data; allocating a first bit-rate range for transmitting only the scalable coded residual temporal frame data, the first bit-rate range ranging between R BL and R BL +k, wherein k is less than or equal to the bit rate R BL ; allocating a second bit-rate range for transmitting only the scalable coded residual temporal frame data and the scalable coded SNR frame data, the second bit-rate range ranging between R BL +k and a maximum bit-rate R MAX of the network; determining an available bit-rate of the variable bandwidth network; transmitting at least portions of the scalable coded residual temporal frame data, but not the scalable coded SNR frame data, when the available bit-rate is within the first bit-rate range; transmitting remaining portions of the scalable coded residual temporal frame data and at least portions of the scalable coded SNR frame data when the available bit-rate is within the second bit-rate range.