Method for optimizing portions of data from a plurality of data streams at a transcoding node

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods and systems thereof for optimizing portions of data from a plurality of data streams at a transcoding node. First, at least one storage location is provided on the transcoding node for storing at least one portion of data. Information about the portion of data is accessed. The information is then utilized for processing the portion of data without requiring access to any other data of the portion of data.

1 . A method for optimizing portions of data from a plurality of data streams at a transcoding node, said method comprising: 
 providing at least one storage location on said transcoding node for storing at least one portion of data received from at least one of said plurality of streams;    accessing information about said at least one portion of data; and    utilizing the information for processing the portion of data without requiring access to any other data of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 providing a plurality of storage locations on said transcoding node for storing at least one portion of data, wherein each of said plurality of storage locations relates to each of a plurality of data streams.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of storage locations are actual storage locations on the transcoding node.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of storage locations are virtual storage locations on the transcoding node.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information about said at least one portion of data comprises: 
 accessing a rate evaluation stored on a header of said at least one portion of data for determining the size of said at least one portion of data; and    accessing a distortion evaluation stored on said header of said at least one portion of data for determining the value of the data on said at least one portion of data; and    accessing an importance evaluation stored on the header of said at least one portion of data for determining the importance of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the processing of the portion of data comprises: 
 processing the data at said transcoding node by deleting a non-scalable portion of data based on the rate evaluation and stored evaluation of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 encrypting said at least one portion of data with an encryption format with scalable coding, said encryption and said scalable coding being represented in a header of said encrypted portion of data.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said editing of the portion of data further comprises: 
 processing the data at said transcoding node by truncating the scalable portion of data based on a scalable coding information stored in said header of said encrypted portion of data.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 encrypting said portion of data with an encryption format with scalable coding, said encrypting and said scalable coding being represented in said information about said portion of data.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said processing of the portion of data further comprises: 
 processing the data at the transcoding node by truncating the scalable portion of data based on the scalable coding and encrypting information stored in the information about said portion of data.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the information about said portion of data is encrypted with different encryption than said data of said portion of data.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 performing said processing across a plurality of different media streams to fairly share the resulting distortion across all of the streams.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 performing said processing across a plurality of different media streams to minimize the total distortion seen across all of the streams.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 performing said processing across a plurality of different media streams to minimize the maximum distortion that afflicts any single stream.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 performing said processing across a plurality of different media streams when said different streams have different quality of service requirements.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing is performed at a location selected from the group of location consisting of: a sender node, a mid-network node, and a receiving node.  
   
   
       17 . A transcoding node comprising: 
 an input for receiving portion of data from a plurality of data streams data stream;    at least one storage location for storing said at least one portion of data;    an evaluation logic for evaluating the layout of the portion of data based on information included with said portion of data;    a processing logic for processing said portion of data based on said evaluation logic; and    an output for transmitting said portion of data on at least one data stream.    
   
   
       18 . The transcoding node of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 a plurality of storage locations for storing said at least one portion of data, each of said plurality of storage locations related to one of said data streams.    
   
   
       19 . The transcoding node of  claim 17  wherein the evaluation logic evaluates a rate, distortion and importance of said at least one portion of data stored in the header information.  
   
   
       20 . The transcoding node of  claim 17  wherein the processing logic deletes a non-scalable portion of data based on said input received from said evaluation logic and based on said storage location.  
   
   
       21 . The transcoding node of  claim 17  wherein the processing logic truncates the scalable portion of data based on the scalable coding information evaluated by said evaluation logic.  
   
   
       22 . The transcoding node of  claim 17  wherein the processing logic truncates the scalable portion of data based on the encryption format evaluated by said evaluation logic.  
   
   
       23 . A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for optimizing portions of data from a plurality of data streams at a transcoding node, said method comprising: 
 causing a transcoding node to provide at least one storage location on said transcoding node for storing at least one portion of data;    accessing information about said at least one portion of data; and    utilizing the information for processing the portion of data without requiring access to any other data of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       24 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 23  further comprising: 
 causing a transcoding node to provide a plurality of storage locations on said transcoding node for storing at least one portion of data, wherein each of said plurality of storage locations relates to each of a plurality of data streams.    
   
   
       25 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 24  wherein the plurality of storage locations are virtual storage locations on the transcoding node.  
   
   
       26 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 23  wherein the accessing the header of said at least one portion of data comprises: 
 accessing a rate evaluation stored on said header of said at least one portion of data for determining the size of said at least one portion of data; and    accessing a distortion evaluation stored on said header of said at least one portion of data for determining the value of the data on said at least one portion of data; and    accessing an importance evaluation stored on the header of said at least one portion of data for determining the importance of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       27 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 26  wherein the evaluating of the portion of data comprises: 
 processing the data across the plurality of storage locations by deleting a non-scalable portion of data based on the rate evaluation and stored evaluation of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       28 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 23  wherein the processing of the portion of data comprises: 
 processing the data at the transcoding node by deleting a non-scalable portion of data based on the rate evaluation and stored evaluation of said portion of data.    
   
   
       29 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 23  wherein said evaluating of the portion of data further comprises: 
 processing said data at said transcoding node by truncating the scalable portion of data based on a scalable coding information stored in the header of said at least one portion of data.    
   
   
       30 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 23  wherein said evaluating of the portion of data further comprises: 
 processing said data at said transcoding node by truncating the scalable portion of data based on a encrypting stored in the header of said at least one portion of data.