Video codec cuts bandwidth 80 percent; patent application filed

SALT LAKE CITY — Broadcast International announced that the patent for its core CodecSys video compression technology has been allowed by the U.S. Patent Office. CodecSys is based on artificial intelligence technology that dramatically cuts video bandwidth requirements over satellite, cable, IP and wireless media. The new technology will enable, for example, 12 HDTV channels to be broadcast over the same media that currently support only two — a bandwidth reduction of more than 80 percent.

The U.S patent is the seventh international patent allowed for the CodecSys technology. Patents have also been granted in Australia, Singapore, India, Korea, Malaysia and Russia. Broadcast International already has licensing agreements in place with IBM, Vanguard Software Solutions, Zenterio and Helius for the patented CodecSys technology. The agreement with IBM is a joint development effort to implement the CodecSys compression system on the IBM BladeCenter QS20 "Cell Blade" offering true, real-time video compression with HDTV quality.

The CodecSys software uses artificial intelligence technology to dynamically switch between optimized, expert codecs for specific video content, such as bright and dark, fast-motion or slow motion scenes, resulting in the highest video quality at the lowest possible bandwidth. Another major benefit of this approach is that new codecs can be readily incorporated as they become available, virtually "future-proofing" the newly patented approach. 

The United States Patent and Trademark Office allowed all pending claims of Broadcast International's patent application on the CodecSys video compression technology. The patent application covers any compression system in which a video stream is divided into multiple segments, and each segment is compressed using a number of different codecs to determine which codec produces the best video quality without exceeding a target data rate. The CodecSys inventors discovered that no single codec works best for all types of video. By testing multiple codecs and selecting an optimal codec for each video segment, the invention allows for much higher compression ratios without the usual decrease in video quality.