Abstract: A method for bandwidth adjustment for real-time video transmission is disclosed herein. The method comprises transmitting, by a sender, a first portion of the video bitstream encoded using a current bitrate and transmitted as a series of data packets, receiving, by the sender, a back channel message from the receiver, wherein the back channel message comprises receiver-side bandwidth parameters determined by the receiver in response to receiving the series of data packets, determining, by the sender, round trip delay data based on a sender-side time stamp difference of sending and receiving of the series of data packets, adjusting, by the sender using the processor, the current bitrate for encoding the video bitstream based on the receiver-side bandwidth indicators and the roundtrip delay data, and transmitting, to the receiver, a second portion of the video bitstream encoded using the adjusted current bitrate.

Abstract: A method for initial estimation of bandwidth for real-time video transmission is disclosed herein. The method comprises encoding, by the sender using a processor, a first portion of the video bitstream comprising an I-frame, transmitting, by the sender starting from a first point in time, the encoded first portion of the video bitstream as a series of data packets having a packet size based on a predetermined encoder bitrate, receiving, by the sender and at a second point in time, a message from the receiver, wherein the received message comprises a parameter indicative of a total number of bits received by the receiver, determining, by the sender using the processor, an initial estimated bandwidth, based on the received parameter, the first and second points in time, and a round trip delay between the sender and the receiver, and transmitting, to the receiver, a second portion of the video bitstream encoded using the initial estimated bandwidth.

Abstract: A method for initial estimation of bandwidth for real-time video transmission is disclosed herein. The method comprises determining a round trip delay between a video sender and a video receiver, transmitting, by the sender starting from a first point in time, a series of data packets having a packet size based on a predetermined encoder bitrate, receiving, by the sender and at a second point in time, a message from the receiver, wherein the received message comprises a parameter indicative of a total number of bits received by the receiver, determining, by the sender using a processor, an initial estimated bandwidth, based on the received parameter, the first and second points in time, and the round trip delay, and transmitting, to the receiver, a video bitstream using the initial estimated bandwidth. The method can be implemented during a process of establishing a call between the sender and the receiver.

Abstract: A method for bandwidth adjustment for real-time video transmission is disclosed herein. The method comprises transmitting, by a sender, a first portion of the video bitstream encoded using a current bitrate and transmitted as a series of data packets, receiving, by the sender, a back channel message from a receiver, wherein the back channel message comprises receiver-side bandwidth parameters determined by the receiver in response to receiving the series of data packets, wherein the receiver-side bandwidth parameters comprise at least one of an accumulated time difference parameter, a received bitrate parameter, a packet loss ratio parameter, a bandwidth indicator parameter, and a FEC ratio parameter, adjusting, by the sender using the processor, the current bitrate for encoding the video bitstream based on the receiver-side bandwidth parameters, and transmitting, to the receiver, a second portion of the video bitstream encoded using the adjusted current bitrate.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods for decoding and encoding a video stream having multiple frames are disclosed. When decoding, a decoder can receive messages from an encoder that permit the decoder to determine network parameters including bandwidth to be returned to the encoder at back channel messages to permit the encoder to determine optimal encoding parameters given the network parameters. Back channel messages can be exchanged between decoder and encoder while the video stream is being decoded to permit the encoder to adapt encoding parameters to changing network conditions.

Abstract: Encoding and decoding is accomplished herein using a reference picture list. Reference frames are identified with picture numbers and are assigned to reference picture buffers when used for encoding. The picture numbers associated the reference frames in the reference picture buffers are ranked. Reordering can occur to assign short word lengths to those reference frames used frequently for prediction. The resulting encoded reference picture list is sent to a decoder. The decoder decodes the reference picture list. By comparing picture numbers in the reference picture list with picture numbers of reference picture buffers of the decoder, the encoder and decoder buffers can remain in sync even under packet loss conditions. For example, the decoder can use the decoded reference picture list to determine missing and unused reference frames.

Abstract: Method for connecting multiple devices associated with an Internet of Things (IoT) network is provided. The method includes the steps of associating a first device identifier of a first device with a first account name and a second device identifier of at least a second device with a second account name, where each device is associated with at least one device identifier for each account name, authenticating each device with a server associated with the IoT network using the corresponding account name and the associated device identifier, determining whether the first account name and the second account name belong to the same group in response to authenticating the first device and the second device and connecting the first device and the second device for management and information exchange based on the determination whether the first and second account names belong to the same group.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for management of an Internet of Things (IoT) network are herein disclosed as comprising, in an implementation, authenticating a first device associated with a first account name and a second device associated with a second account name with a server associated with the IoT network, connecting the authenticated first device and the authenticated second device over a communication system, and communicating data between the first device and the second device connected to the communication system by generating, by the first device, data representative of a data type using a component of one of the first device and the second device and transmitting, using the communication system, the data to the second device. The communicated data may be video data, image data, audio data, alert data, or location data generated using components associated with the first device.

Abstract: Conditional predictive multi-symbol run-length coding may include generating a differential residual block based on a residual block and a reconstructed residual block, entropy encoding the differential residual block by determining a symbol order for a plurality of symbols in the differential residual block, grouping the plurality of symbols into at least a first group and a second group based on the symbol order, run-length encoding the plurality of symbols in the differential residual block, by on a condition that a first symbol from the plurality of symbols is associated with the first group, encoding a second symbol from the plurality of symbols, and on a condition that the first symbol is associated with the second group, modifying the second symbol and encoding the modified second symbol.

Abstract: Encoding and decoding a video image having a plurality of frames using a two-step quantization and coding process are disclosed. A block of a frame are encoded by identifying pixels having certain spatial characteristics, forming a second block from the block while replacing the identified pixels with a single pixel value, such as an average of the remaining original pixels. The second block is encoded, such as by transformation and quantization, and placed into a bitstream. The second block is decoded and subtracted from the original block to generate a difference block. The difference block is encoded, such as by quantization, and is placed in the bitstream. At a decoder, both blocks are decoded and combined to reconstruct the original block.

Abstract: Encoding and decoding is accomplished herein using a multi-reference picture buffer. Reference frames are assigned to reference picture buffers when used for encoding and are identified with picture IDs unique relative to other picture IDs currently associated with the reference picture buffers. The maximum picture number used as the picture ID can be based on a number of reference picture buffers available to encode and decode the frames plus a value based on an expected error rate. The picture IDs can be assigned based on a least recently used policy. When a reference frame is no longer needed for encoding and decoding, a picture ID number associated with the reference frame can be released for re-assignment to a new reference frame.

Abstract: A block of a frame of a video stream can be encoded using lossless coding that generates a transform domain residual block and a spatial domain difference block. The compression ratio of the coding may be improved by selecting an optimal quantization value on a per-block basis. The optimal quantization value can be selected by quantizing a residual block resulting from prediction of the block using a plurality of candidate quantization values and selecting the candidate quantization value that results in the fewest number of bits for the quantized residual block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing object-based intra-prediction encoding and decoding is disclosed. Implementations of object-based intra-prediction encoding and decoding include segmenting a current block into a first portion and at least a second portion; generating, for at least some of a plurality of pixels in the first portion, corresponding predicted values according to at least a first intra-prediction mode; generating, for at least some of a plurality of pixels in the second portion, corresponding predicted values according to at least a second intra-prediction mode; and encoding the current block using the predicted values of the first portion and the predicted values of the second portion.

Abstract: Blocks of a frame of a video stream can be encoded using lossless intra-prediction encoding. The compression ratio of lossless intra-prediction encoding can be improved by performing lossy encoding on the intra-predicted residual. The encoded residual is then decoded and the reconstructed residual is subtracted from the original residual. The resulting difference residual is encoded using lossless encoding and included in the output bitstream along with the lossy encoded residual, permitting the block to be decoded with no loss at a decoder.

Abstract: A method for encoding a frame having a plurality of blocks in a video stream using transform-domain intra prediction is disclosed. The method includes generating, using a two-dimensional transform, a set of transform coefficients for a current block; generating, using a one-dimensional transform, a set of transform coefficients for previously coded pixel values in the frame; determining, using the set of transform coefficients for the previously coded pixel values, a set of transform coefficients for a prediction block; determining a residual based on the difference between the set of transform coefficients for the current block and the set of coefficients for the prediction block; and encoding the residual.

Abstract: Coding a video stream having a plurality of frames is disclosed. A frame of a video stream is processed to determine if direct motion prediction can be applied to the macroblocks of the frame. Macroblocks to which direct motion can be applied are grouped into superblocks. The distribution of superblock size and configuration is analyzed to determine variable-length codes that can vary for each frame or segment encoded using direct prediction superblocks, thereby reducing the number of bits used to indicate superblock encoding in the encoded video stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scalable buffer remote access is provided. Scalable buffer remote access may include generating, at a client device, a scalable display buffer request indicating a portion of a display area of an operating environment of a host device and a scaling factor ratio, transmitting the scalable display buffer request to the host device, receiving rendered content including a scaled rendering of a representation of the portion of the display area of the host device, presenting a client display window including the rendered content as a window into the display area of the operating environment of the host device, receiving a zoom indication, and presenting an updated client display window based on the rendered content and the zoom indication or based on updated rendered content received from the host device.

Abstract: A method includes performing, by a microprocessor of a computing device, a coding to obtain a residual of a residual data block from an original data block. The method includes pre-defining a default order of symbols in the residual data block. The method includes re-ordering the symbols in the residual data block in an order other than the default order, such that a first set of most frequently used symbols are in a first location and a second set of least frequently used symbols are in a second location, producing a multi-symbol run-length code based on a group of symbols from the first set of most frequently used symbols, and detecting the second set of least frequently used symbols based on the multi-symbol run-length code.

Abstract: Second-order orthogonal spatial intra-prediction may include generating a reconstructed frame by generating a plurality of reconstructed blocks by decoding a portion of the current encoded frame, generating a decoded residual block by decoding a current block from the current encoded frame, identifying a current pixel location in the current block, identifying reconstructed pixels in respective reconstructed blocks, wherein first and second reconstructed pixels are at respective oblique angle to the current pixel location, and a third reconstructed pixel at the second oblique angle to the first reconstructed pixel or at the first oblique angle to the second reconstructed pixel, determining a predictor pixel for the current pixel location using a difference between the third reconstructed pixel and a sum of the first reconstructed pixel and the second reconstructed pixel, and identifying a reconstructed pixel as a sum of the predictor pixel and a corresponding residual pixel.

Abstract: Edge-selective intra coding may include encoding a first input block, generating a first reconstructed block by decoding the first encoded block, determining a reconstruction error block based on a difference between the first input block and the first reconstructed block, identifying a second input block from the first input frame, and determining a plurality of refined context pixels. Determining a plurality of refined context pixels may include identifying a plurality of context pixels from the reconstruction error block, generating a plurality of encoded context pixels by encoding the plurality of context pixels, generating a plurality of reconstructed context pixels by decoding the plurality of encoded context pixels, and adding at least a portion of the reconstruction error block and the plurality of reconstructed context pixels. The method may include generating a second encoded block by encoding the second input block based on the plurality of refined context pixels.