Method and Apparatus for Assessing the Quality of a Video Signal During Encoding or Compressing of the Video Signal

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This patent introduces a method and apparatus for evaluating the quality of a video signal during its encoding or compression. The key innovation is the inclusion of parameters related to the 'Group of Pictures' (GOP) structure, specifically the GOP length and key-frame rate, as additional factors in the quality estimation model. By analyzing standard encoding attributes such as bit rate, frame rate, resolution, codec type, content type, and more, and combining these with GOP-related parameters, the invention provides a more accurate, lightweight, and efficiently computed assessment of compressed video quality.

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• Real-time network monitoring of video quality for IPTV and video streaming services.
• Quality assurance and planning for internet video service providers and broadcasters.
• Integrating into video encoders or transcoders to adjust compression settings for optimal perceived quality.
• Automated probes in distributed video service networks to detect and report quality degradation.
• Service-level agreement (SLA) compliance monitoring between content providers and network operators.
• On-device applications for end-user video streaming quality assessment, including mobile devices and smart TVs.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables more accurate estimation of video quality as perceived by end-users, particularly during compression.
• Lightweight and efficient: can operate with minimal parsing of packet headers without full video decoding, saving computational resources.
• Supports both network planning (pre-deployment) and real-time service monitoring (live operations).
• Adapts to both interactive and non-interactive video content, making it versatile for different streaming applications.
• Helps providers maintain high-quality service and quickly identify encoding-related quality issues.
• Can be used in combination with packet-loss models for comprehensive end-to-end video quality estimation.

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Patent Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for assessing the quality of a video signal during encoding or compressing of the video signal, the method comprising the steps of: a) estimating the quality of the encoded or compressed video signal using one or more parameters; and b) using the length of the Group of Pictures, GOP, and/or GOP-length-related parameters as additional parameter(s) to adjust the estimated video signal quality.