U.S. Patent Issued for Video Compression Technology

The new technology will enable, for example, twelve HDTV channels to be broadcast over the same media that currently support only two -- a bandwidth reduction of more than 80%. The CodecSys technology will likewise enable a new generation of bandwidth-intensive video applications such as real-time video chat and live streaming video to cell phones and iPhones -- applications that until now have been cost-prohibitive and impractical.

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 for the first time, true, real-time video compression with HDTV quality.

"This is an enormous step forward for the company and the industry as a whole," said Rod Tiede, Broadcast International CEO. "The demand for video is virtually unlimited. With computers, HDTVs and video-enabled cell phones, iPods and PDAs in the hands and homes of nearly every consumer, the only real obstacle is lack of bandwidth. Our patented CodecSys technology is the only approach that fundamentally removes the bandwidth barrier for both new and existing video applications. When you can deliver HD-quality video under 3Mbs, as we can with the CodecSys technology, the sky is literally the limit for both traditional and new video applications."

"The approach taken by Broadcast International's patent application is a true paradigm shift in video compression technology," said Kory D. Christensen of Stoel Rives, LLP, patent attorney for Broadcast International. "Traditional techniques have always relied on a single codec agreed upon by the sender and receiver of a video signal. Broadcast International has turned tradition on its head by allowing each segment of a video stream to be compressed using an optimal codec selected from a library of codecs. This approach leverages all the strengths of each codec while avoiding its weaknesses. The result is incredibly high quality video requiring less bandwidth than conventional, single codec techniques. The fact that CodecSys technology is so readily adaptable to parallel processing is exciting and will likely be the 'killer app' for the new multi-core processors in production and under development."

The CodecSys software utilizes 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 groundbreaking 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.

The patent application also covers real-time video compression in which different codecs are tested on a video segment in parallel, which is ideal for implementation in multiprocessing environments, such as IBM's Cell processor. Aside from applications in IPTV and video conferencing, the patented technology offers enormous opportunities in bandwidth-constrained applications, such as delivering high-quality video to cellular telephones and the next generation of wireless video iPods.