Patents by Inventor John A. Tardif

John A. Tardif has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6868124
    Abstract: Transcoding of a video stream to reduce the size of the video stream with little, if any, loss in video quality after subsampling. After accessing a video stream of video pictures (i.e., video frames or fields), the blocks of the video picture are each subject to matrix pre-multiplication and post-multiplication. Such matrix multiplication does degrade the video quality if subsampling was not to occur. However, the pre-multiplication and post-multiplication matrices are calculated based on the subsampling matrices that will be used to ultimately subsample the video stream such that after subsampling eventually occurs, the matrix multiplications result in minimal loss of video quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft)
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20050053153
    Abstract: Transcoding of a video stream to reduce the size of the video stream with little, if any, loss in video quality after subsampling. After accessing a video stream of video pictures (i.e., video frames or fields), the blocks of the video picture are each subject to matrix pre-multiplication and post-multiplication. Such matrix multiplication does degrade the video quality if subsampling was not to occur. However, the pre-multiplication and post-multiplication matrices are calculated based on the subsampling matrices that will be used to ultimately subsample the video stream such that after subsampling eventually occurs, the matrix multiplications result in minimal loss of video quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Applicant: WebTV Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John Tardif
  • Patent number: 6850571
    Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: WebTV Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20040223546
    Abstract: Adaptive compensation for requantization. A reference picture is decoded. Another copy of the reference picture is then requantized and then decoded. Next, an error picture is calculated and stored. The error picture represents the difference between the reference picture as decoded without requantization and the reference picture as decoded with requantization. The error picture and the requantized reference picture are used to generate a predictive picture that at least partially compensates for generational error introduced by requantization. This compensation for error may be adaptively performed based on system conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: WEBTV NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20040218677
    Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventor: John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20040218678
    Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventor: John A. Tardif
  • Patent number: 6804299
    Abstract: Adaptive compensation for requantization. A reference picture is decoded. Another copy of the reference picture is then requantized and then decoded. Next, an error picture is calculated and stored. The error picture represents the difference between the reference picture as decoded without requantization and the reference picture as decoded with requantization. The error picture and the requantized reference picture are used to generate a predictive picture that at least partially compensates for generational error introduced by requantization. This compensation for error may be adaptively performed based on system conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Patent number: 6697126
    Abstract: Systems and methods for concealing video errors encountered in a frame of a static or moving image that can be used independently or in combination with conventional error concealment techniques, and can be used to conceal an error segment of any shape or location in a frame of a static or moving image. An error segment is identified. A first pixel set adjacent to the error segment and optionally one or more other pixel sets also adjacent to the error segment are selected corresponding the pixel set of the error segment and are flipped toward the error segment. The flipped pixel sets are then selectively weighted. Where only one pixel set is used, the flipped and weighted pixel set replaces the error segment to conceal the error segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: WebTV Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20030133512
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transcoding a video stream. An incoming video stream is spatially transcoded to reduce the bit rate of the video stream. The incoming video stream is decoded and the stream parameters are saved for use in generating the output video stream. The decoded video stream is resampled and the images are spatially reduced. Using the stream parameters of the incoming video stream, an outgoing video stream is generated. Some of the stream parameters are unchanged while others are re-computed for the outgoing video stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John Tardif
  • Publication number: 20030002581
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transcoding a transport stream or a video stream. A video stream includes a quantization matrix and a quantization scale that define how DCT frequency coefficients are quantized. A transport stream is transcoded by updating the quantization matrix and/or the quantization scale such that a new set of DCT frequency coefficients may be generated. Typically the quantization scale and/or the quantization matrix are updated such that the DCT frequency coefficients are more coarsely quantized such that their encoding consumes fewer bits. The quantization matrix can be updated such that select frequency coefficients are affected. Transcoding can operate at any level of the video stream, such as the frame level, the slice level, or the macroblock level. The bit rate of the video stream can therefore be adjusted or altered according to a current quantization level and a current bit rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, Andrew W. Walters, John A. Tardif, Padma Parthasarathy
  • Publication number: 20020196846
    Abstract: Transcoding of a video stream to reduce the size of the video stream with little, if any, loss in video quality after subsampling. After accessing a video stream of video pictures (i.e., video frames or fields), the blocks of the video picture are each subject to matrix pre-multiplication and post-multiplication. Such matrix multiplication does degrade the video quality if subsampling was not to occur. However, the pre-multiplication and post-multiplication matrices are calculated based on the subsampling matrices that will be used to ultimately subsample the video stream such that after subsampling eventually occurs, the matrix multiplications result in minimal loss of video quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20020191696
    Abstract: Adaptive compensation for requantization. A reference picture is decoded. Another copy of the reference picture is then requantized and then decoded. Next, an error picture is calculated and stored. The error picture represents the difference between the reference picture as decoded without requantization and the reference picture as decoded with requantization. The error picture and the requantized reference picture are used to generate a predictive picture that at least partially compensates for generational error introduced by requantization. This compensation for error may be adaptively performed based on system conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20020154696
    Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20020154700
    Abstract: Decimating MPEG or other video data by subsampling the output of an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) module. The decimation process is useful for reducing the volume of data that must be processed to display images on a display device, particularly when the volume of video data received at the decoder is greater than the amount needed to take advantage of the resolution of the display device. For example, high definition television data can be decimated for display on a standard television display device or in a picture-in-picture window, thereby reducing the amount of processing resources needed at the decoder and reducing the size of the frame buffers. Subsampling the output of the IDCT module reduces the volume of data and, for relatively static or constant pans, there is not a significant compounded loss of image quality as successive frames are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: John A. Tardif
  • Publication number: 20020109787
    Abstract: Systems and methods for concealing video errors encountered in a frame of a static or moving image that can be used independently or in combination with conventional error concealment techniques, and can be used to conceal an error segment of any shape or location in a frame of a static or moving image. An error segment is identified. A first pixel set adjacent to the error segment and optionally one or more other pixel sets also adjacent to the error segment are selected corresponding the pixel set of the error segment and are flipped toward the error segment. The flipped pixel sets are then selectively weighted. Where only one pixel set is used, the flipped and weighted pixel set replaces the error segment to conceal the error segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Shankar Moni, John A. Tardif