Robert O Eifrig

US Patent:

6570922, May 27, 2003

Filed:

Nov 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/198867

Inventors:

Limin Wang - San Diego CA
Ajay Luthra - San Diego CA
Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 712

US Classification:

37524012, 37524013

Abstract:

A rate control system suitable for use with a digital video transcoder, such as one conforming to the MPEG standard. The proposed rate control system starts coding with any reasonable set of assumed Group of Pictures (GOP) parameters, thereby avoiding a processing delay of about one GOP which would otherwise be incurred to extract the complete GOP structure information from a pre-compressed bit stream. In addition, the system avoids the need to store the data corresponding to the GOP, thereby reducing the memory required for transcoding. Encoding of a first picture in a sequence or GOP begins without a priori knowledge of the picture type of subsequent pictures. A reasonable set of GOP parameters is assumed to determine an encoding bit budget. The bit budget is gradually corrected as successive pictures are coded according to their picture types. Changes in the GOP structure of pre-compressed bitstreams can be addressed, for example, when switching channels, inserting commercials, and the like.

US Patent:

6748020, Jun 8, 2004

Filed:

Oct 25, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/696533

Inventors:

Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA
Fan Ling - Santa Clara CA
Xuemin Chen - San Diego CA

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 712

US Classification:

37524026, 382236, 3484231

Abstract:

A digital video transcoder-multiplexer (transmux) architecture that is fully software-implemented. The transmux includes transcoder processing elements (TPEs) that may use a very long instruction word (VLIW) media processor for performing transcoding, and de-assembly and re-assembly at a transport stream level, and a co-processor for providing de-assembly and re-assembly at an elementary stream level. The processors operate in parallel, at least in part, to optimize throughput and provide processing load balancing. A transmux architecture that is fully software implemented is provided to allow upgrading to handle new functions, fix hardware or software problems, test new processes, adapt to changing customer requirements, and so forth.

US Patent:

RE38563, Aug 10, 2004

Filed:

Nov 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/995997

Inventors:

Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA 92126
Xuemin Chen - San Diego CA 92129
Ajay Luthra - San Diego CA 92130

International Classification:

G06K 946

US Classification:

382236, 382238

Abstract:

A system for coding of digital video images such as bi-directionally predicted video object planes (B-VOPs), in particular, where the B-VOP and/or a reference image used to code the B-VOP is interlaced coded. For a B-VOP macroblock which is co-sited with a field predicted macroblock of a future anchor picture, direct mode prediction is made by calculating four field motion vectors, then generating the prediction macroblock. The four field motion vectors and their reference fields are determined from (1) an offset term of the current macroblocks coding vector, (2) the two future anchor picture field motion vectors, (3) the reference field used by the two field motion vectors of the co-sited future anchor macroblock, and (4) the temporal spacing, in field periods, between the current B-VOP fields and the anchor fields. Additionally, a coding mode decision process for the current MB selects a forward, backward, or average field coding mode according to a minimum sum of absolute differences (SAD) error which is obtained over the top and bottom fields of the current MB.

US Patent:

RE38564, Aug 10, 2004

Filed:

Dec 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/028007

Inventors:

Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA
Xuemin Chen - San Diego CA
Ajay Luthra - San Diego CA

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

G06K 936

US Classification:

382236, 348578

Abstract:

A motion estimation and compensation technique is provided for interlaced digital video such as video object planes (VOPs). Predictor motion vectors for use in differentially encoding a current field coded macroblock are obtained using the median of motion vectors of surrounding blocks or macroblocks. When a surrounding macroblock is itself interlaced coded, an average motion vector for that macroblock is used, with fractional pixel values being mapped to the half-pixel. When the current block is not interlaced coded but a surrounding block is, the field motion vectors may be used individually or averaged. In a repetitive padding technique for an interlaced coded VOP, the even and odd lines of the VOP and surrounding block are grouped. Within each field, exterior pixels are padded by setting them to the value of the nearest boundary pixel, or to an average of two boundary pixels. The lines are then reordered to provide a single padded reference VOP image.

US Patent:

7020198, Mar 28, 2006

Filed:

Apr 22, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/131414

Inventors:

Limin Wang - San Diego CA, US
Ajay Luthra - San Diego CA, US
Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 7/12
H04N 11/04
H04N 11/02

US Classification:

37524015, 37524013, 37524012

Abstract:

A rate control system suitable for use with a digital video transcoder, such as one conforming to the MPEG standard. The proposed rate control system starts coding with any reasonable set of assumed Group of Pictures (GOP) parameters, thereby avoiding a processing delay of about one GOP which would otherwise be incurred to extract the complete GOP structure information from a pre-compressed bit stream. In addition, the system avoids the need to store the data corresponding to the GOP, thereby reducing the memory required for transcoding. Encoding of a first picture in a sequence or GOP begins without a priori knowledge of the picture type of subsequent pictures. A reasonable set of GOP parameters is assumed to determine an encoding bit budget. The bit budget is gradually corrected as successive pictures are coded according to their picture types. Changes in the GOP structure of pre-compressed bitstreams can be addressed, for example, when switching channels, inserting commercials, and the like.

US Patent:

7840119, Nov 23, 2010

Filed:

Sep 25, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/256044

Inventors:

Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA, US
Walter Anderes - San Diego CA, US
Bridget Diane Kimball - Encinitas CA, US
Paul Douglas Baker - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 7/26
H04N 5/93
H04N 5/91

US Classification:

386111, 386112, 386 52, 386 68, 386 4, 386 5, 386 6, 386 7

Abstract:

A display device with personal versatile recorder capabilities is provided which is capable of processing progressive I-slice refreshed MPEG data streams to enable trick play mode features. The display device comprises a receiver for receiving a progressive I-slice refreshed MPEG data stream having I-slices distributed over multiple P-frames. The display device further comprises a syntax parser for parsing the data stream to locate I-slices which make up an I-frame. A storage device is provided for storing the data stream. The display device also comprises an interface for receiving a command for a trick play mode feature. A processor associated with the syntax parser recovers the located I-slices from the storage device and assembles the recovered I-slices into one or more constructed I-frames. A decoder is provided for decoding the constructed I-frames to enable the trick play mode features.

US Patent:

8351514, Jan 8, 2013

Filed:

Jan 18, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/037439

Inventors:

Mandayam A. Narasimhan - San Diego CA, US
Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04N 7/12

US Classification:

37524026, 37524012, 3752402

Abstract:

A method, protocol and apparatus for transporting Advanced Video Coding (AVC) content, e. g. , using MPEG-2 systems is disclosed. Specifically, the present method is related to the carriage of various flavors of AVC streams in a uniform fashion over MPEG-2 systems (e. g. , both transport and program streams). The method includes generating the AVC content from an input stream, and thereafter transporting the AVC content in a transport stream or a program stream over MPEG-2. The AVC content is generated in accordance with at least one constraint that is associated with the transport stream or the program stream.

US Patent:

8503541, Aug 6, 2013

Filed:

Jan 18, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/037446

Inventors:

Mandayam A. Narasimhan - San Diego CA, US
Robert O. Eifrig - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Motorola Mobility LLC - Libertyville IL

International Classification:

H04N 7/12

US Classification:

37524028, 37524012, 37524001

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for determining timing information from an MPEG-2 stream carrying Advanced Video Coding (AVC) content is disclosed. The method includes receiving an initial access unit from the MPEG-2 stream, and determining whether the MPEG-2 stream contains a temporal picture order count (POC) parameter. If the temporal POC parameter is contained in the MPEG-2 stream, the temporal POC parameter is used to compute a presentation time stamp (pts) for a next presentation unit (m).