Abstract: A video system includes an encoder for generating a compressed bit stream in response to a received video signal. A transitional location is located in the bit stream that includes skip macro-block encoding, where the transitional location provides an indication where a linear relationship starts to exist between a length of the encoded bit stream and a length of a number of skipped macro-blocks. The skipped macro-blocks in the bit stream before the transitional location are encoded using a predetermined nonlinear relationship between the length of the encoded bit stream and the length of the number of skipped macro-blocks, whereas skipped macro-blocks in the bit stream are encoded using a linear relationship between the length of the encoded bit stream and the length of the number of skipped macro-blocks.

Abstract: Several methods and systems for facilitating multimedia data encoding are disclosed. In an embodiment, a plurality of picture buffers associated with multimedia data are received in an order of capture associated with the plurality of picture buffers. Buffer information is configured for each picture buffer from among the plurality of picture buffers comprising at least one of a metadata associated with the corresponding picture buffer and one or more encoding parameters for the corresponding picture buffer. A provision of picture buffers in an order of encoding is facilitated based on the configured buffer information.

Abstract: This invention is a method of video encoding. The number N macroblocks stored in a temporary buffer depends upon an estimated number of motion vectors. N macroblocks of current and prior frame data is transferred to the temporary buffer. The invention determines for each macroblock whether to be inter frame predicted or intra frame predicted. The inter and intra macroblocks are separately encoded based upon this determination and stored in an output buffer. Output macroblocks are output from the output buffer in raster scan order. This technique permits the process to loop over differing number of macroblocks in differing parts of the encoding process. Entropy encoding complexity from separating inter and intra macroblock encoding is avoided by separating a symbol generation phase from an encoding phase.

Abstract: The method, system, and apparatus of linear temporal reference scheme having non-reference predictive frames is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a temporal reference scheme includes creating a non-reference predictive frame and a reference predictive frame from a reference frame, increasing a quantization factor of the non-reference predictive frame by a threshold value, and decreasing the quantization factor of the reference predictive frame by the threshold value. The method may include toggling between the temporal reference scheme and another temporal reference scheme in which there may be no non-reference predictive frames and only reference predictive frames based on a scenario. The method may also include calculating a target bit rate across a communication channel through a bit rate calculation algorithm that considers a bandwidth capacity across the communication channel.

Abstract: Several techniques aimed at reducing computational complexity when encoding uses bi-predictively encoded frames (B-frames) are implemented in a video encoder. In an embodiment, B-frames are not used as reference frames for encoding P-frames and other B-frames. Non-use of B-frames allows a de-blocking filter used in the video encoder to be switched off when reconstructing encoded B-frames, and use of a lower complexity filter for fractional-resolution motion search for B-frames. In another embodiment, cost functions used in motion estimation for B-frames are simplified to reduce computational complexity. In one more embodiment, fractional pixel refinement in motion search for B-frames is simplified. In yet another embodiment, predictors used in motion estimation for a macro-block in a P-frame are selected from a B-frame that uses a same reference frame as the P-frame.

Abstract: The method, system, and apparatus of linear temporal reference scheme having non-reference predictive frames is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a temporal reference scheme includes creating a non-reference predictive frame and a reference predictive frame from a reference frame, increasing a quantization factor of the non- and reference predictive frame by a threshold value, and decreasing the quantization factor of the reference predictive frame by the threshold value. The method may include toggling between the temporal reference scheme and another temporal reference scheme in which there may be no non-reference predictive frames and only reference predictive frames based on a scenario. The method may also include calculating a target bit rate across a communication channel through a bit rate calculation algorithm that considers a bandwidth capacity across the communication channel.

Abstract: This invention is a method of video encoding. The number N macroblocks stored in a temporary buffer depends upon an estimated number of motion vectors. N macroblocks of current and prior frame data is transferred to the temporary buffer. The invention determines for each macroblock whether to be inter frame predicted or intra frame predicted. The inter and intra macroblocks are separately encoded based upon this determination and stored in an output buffer. Output macroblocks are output from the output buffer in raster scan order. This technique permits the process to loop over differing number of macroblocks in differing parts of the encoding process. Entropy encoding complexity from separating inter and intra macroblock encoding is avoided by separating a symbol generation phase from an encoding phase.