Apparatus and method for constant quality optimization for adaptive streaming

Abstract

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus has an interface for receiving media information, wherein the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments. Moreover, the apparatus has a processor for selecting one or more selected segments from the plurality of the media data segments depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on an available data rate of a communication resource. The interface is configured to transmit a request requesting the one or more selected segments. Moreover, the interface is configured to receive the one or more selected segments being transmitted on the communication resource.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an interface for receiving media information, wherein the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments, and   a selector for selecting one or more selected segments from the plurality of the media data segments depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on an available data rate of a communication resource,   wherein the interface is configured to transmit a request requesting the one or more selected segments, and   wherein the interface is configured to receive the one or more selected segments being transmitted on the communication resource.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an index or an instant of time is assigned to each of the plurality of media data segments,   wherein each of the plurality of media data segments is assigned to exactly one of a plurality of data streams,   wherein each of the plurality of media data segments is assigned to exactly one of one or more selection groups,   wherein the index or the instant of time of each of the media data segments of each selection group of the one or more selection groups is equal to the index or the instant of time of every other media data segment of said selection group,   wherein each of the one or more selection groups comprises exactly one media data segment from each of the plurality of data streams,   wherein the index or the instant of time of each of the media data segments of each data stream differs from the index or the instant of time of every other media data segment of said data stream, and   wherein the selector is configured to select, depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on the available data rate of the communication resource, at least one of the media data segments from each of the one or more selection groups as the one or more selected segments.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the selector is configured to select, depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on the available data rate of the communication resource, exactly one of the media data segments from each of the one or more selection groups as the one or more selected segments. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the plurality of data streams form an order, and   wherein the selector is configured to select the at least one of the media data segments from each of the one or more selection groups, depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on the available data rate of the communication resource, and depending on the order of the plurality of data streams.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the selector is configured to not select a second media data segment of a second one of the data streams from a selection group of the one or more selection groups, if a first media data segment of a first one of the data streams from said selection group is not also selected by the selector, or if said first media data segment of said first one of the data streams from said selection group has not been previously selected by the selector, wherein said first one of the data streams precedes the second one of the data streams in the order of the data streams. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of media data segments is assigned to exactly one of two or more selection groups,   wherein each of the two or more selection groups comprises exactly one media data segment from each of the plurality of data streams, and   wherein the selector is configured to select, depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on the available data rate of the communication resource, at least one of the media data segments from each of the two or more selection groups as the one or more selected segments.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the selector is configured to select the one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, so that an average of the segment data rates of the one or more selected segments is smaller than or equal to the available data rate. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the selector is configured to select the one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, so that a first average of the segment data rates of the one or more selected segments is smaller than or equal to the available data rate, and so that a first sum of the quality values of the one or more selected segments indicates a higher quality than a second sum of the quality of values of another selection of one or more media data segments, wherein a second average of the segment data rates of the media data segments of said another selection is also smaller than or equal to the available data rate. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the selector is configured to select the one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, so that the quality value of each of the one or more selected segments is greater than a threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the quality value indicated by the media information for each media data segment of the plurality of media data segments is a first quality value of said media data segment, and wherein the media information further indicates a second quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments, and   wherein the selector is configured to select the one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, so that the first quality value of each of the one or more selected segments is greater than a first threshold value, and so that the second quality value of each of the one or more selected segments is greater than a second threshold value.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the quality value of each of the plurality of segment descriptions depends on a peak signal-to-noise ratio, or depends on a structured similarity value, or depends on a mean opinion score, or depends on a quality metric retrieved by perceptual evaluation of video quality, or depends on a quality metric retrieved by a media delivery index, or depends on a quantization parameter of one of the plurality of media data segments. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the interface is configured to receive a first file comprising a first portion of the media information, said first portion indicating the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, and   wherein the interface is configured to receive a second file comprising a second portion of the media information, said second portion indicating the quality values of the plurality of media data segments.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor for generating media information so that the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments, and   an interface for transmitting the media information,   wherein the interface is configured to receive a request requesting one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, and   wherein the interface is configured to transmit the one or more selected segments when the request requesting the one or more requested segments is received.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the media information so that the quality value of each of the plurality of segment descriptions, being comprised by the media information, depends on a peak signal-to-noise ratio, or depends on a structured similarity value, or depends on a mean opinion score, or depends on a quality metric retrieved by perceptual evaluation of video quality, or depends on a quality metric retrieved by a media delivery index, or depends on a quantization parameter of one of the plurality of media data segments. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the quality value indicated by the media information for each media data segment of the plurality of media data segments is a first quality value of said media data segment, and   wherein the processor is configured to generate the media information so that the media information further indicates a second quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the processor is configured to generate a first file comprising a first portion of the media information, said first portion indicating the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments,   wherein the processor is configured to generate a second file comprising a second portion of the media information, said second portion indicating the quality values of the plurality of media data segments, and   wherein the interface is configured to transmit the first file and the second file.   
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 an apparatus according to  claim 1 , and   an apparatus for transmitting selected segments, comprising: a processor for generating media information so that the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments, and an interface for transmitting the media information, wherein the interface is configured to receive a request requesting one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, and wherein the interface is configured to transmit the one or more selected segments when the request requesting the one or more requested segments is received,   wherein the processor of the apparatus for transmitting selected segments is configured to generate media information so that the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments,   wherein the interface of the apparatus for transmitting selected segments is configured to transmit the media information to the apparatus according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the interface of the apparatus according to  claim 1  is configured to receive the media information from the apparatus for transmitting selected segments,   wherein the selector of the apparatus according to  claim 1  is configured to select one or more selected segments from the plurality of the media data segments depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on an available data rate of a communication resource,   wherein the interface of the apparatus according to  claim 1  is configured to transmit a request requesting the one or more selected segments,   wherein the interface of the apparatus for transmitting selected segments is configured to receive the request requesting one or more selected segments from the plurality of available segments,   wherein the interface of the apparatus for transmitting selected segments is configured to transmit the one or more selected segments when the request requesting the one or more requested segments is received, and   wherein the interface of the apparatus according to  claim 1  is configured to receive the one or more selected segments being transmitted on the communication resource.   
     
     
         18 . A bit stream comprising:
 segment data rate information indicating one or more segment data rates for the plurality of media data segments, and   quality information indicating one or more quality values for the plurality of media data segments.   
     
     
         19 . The bit stream according to  claim 18 , wherein the bit stream comprises at least two quality values for each of the plurality of media data segments. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising:
 receiving media information, wherein the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments,   selecting one or more selected segments from the plurality of the media data segments depending on the segment data rates of the plurality of media data segments, depending on the quality values of the plurality of media data segments and depending on an available data rate of a communication resource,   transmitting a request requesting the one or more selected segments, and   receiving the one or more selected segments being transmitted on the communication resource.   
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 generating media information so that the media information indicates a segment data rate for each of a plurality of media data segments and further indicates a quality value for each of the plurality of media data segments,   transmitting the media information,   receiving a request requesting one or more selected segments from the plurality of media data segments, and   transmitting the one or more selected segments when the request requesting the one or more requested segments is received.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for implementing the method of  claim 20  when said computer program is run by a computer. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for implementing the method of  claim 21  when said computer program is run by a computer.