1. A method for transferring real-time video stream of at least one video source through communication network, wherein said stream is compressed using standard codec technique, said method comprising the step of:
dividing each video frame into a predetermined number of slices, wherein each slice is compressed separately;
transmitting a reference frame relating to at least one video frame slice.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference frame is transmitted only in a single timeframe in a sequence of timeframes
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining the size of each slice in accordance with the desired image motion resolution at each region of the video frame.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the size of the slices are determined in accordance with the region of interest of the video frame.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the region of interest is compressed separately and transmitted within a separate video stream wherein at least partial area of the region of interest includes at least one slice.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference frame of each slice is transmitted in a different timeframe.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein at each timeframe only one reference frame is transmitted, wherein all other slices in this timeframe are transmitted as non-referential frames.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of regulating the transmission of reference frame in accordance with the frame content.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of compounding together the compressed video frame slices before transmitting them over a communication network.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of reassembling the video frame slices from the transmitted slices and decompressing the video stream.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of filtering the recomposed video frame for improving image video quality.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of applying an optimization algorithm for calculating the transmission timing of each slice of the video frame.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining buffer size in accordance with the size of frame slices.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two video streams from different sources are transmitted simultaneously further comprising the step of transmitting the reference frame of one video source at the same stream of a second video source stream.
15. A system for transferring real-time video stream through communication network, wherein said stream is compressed using standard codec technique, said system comprised of:
a slicer module for dividing each video frame into a predetermined number of slices;
a codec module for compressing each slice separately;
a controller module for transmitting segmented reference frame relating to at least one video frame slice.
16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a multiplexer module for compounding the video frame slices.
17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a de-multiplexer module for decompounding the video frame slices.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the compression module generates an independent slice image per each video slice.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the compression module is applied separately to the slices of the region of interest.
20. The system of claim 15 further comprising a frame composer module for assembling the decompressed slices into a reconstructed video frame.
21. The system of claim 15 wherein the reconstructed video frame maintains approximately at least some of the features of the original video stream.
22. The system of claim 15 further comprising a frame composer module for assembling the decompressed slices and regions of interest into a reconstructed video frame.
23. The system of claim 15 further comprising a processing module for providing a processed decoded video stream on which video filters can be activated on the whole frame eliminating the slicing artifacts.
24. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the modules of said system is implemented as Field-Programmable Gate Array.
25. The system of claim 15 further comprising a video stabilizer wherein said stabilizer is activated separately on each video frame slice.
26. The system of claim 15 further comprising an inter-slice information processing module providing an improved bit rate variance performance.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, comprising:
a steering device installed on the boat to be manipulated by an operator;
a swivel shaft installed in the outboard motor and connected to the propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat;
an actuator installed in the outboard motor and connected to the swivel shaft to rotate the swivel shaft relative to the boat;
a steering angle sensor generating a signal indicative of a steering angle inputted through the steering device by the operator;
a steered angle sensor generating a signal indicative of a steered angle of the outboard motor;
a speed sensor generating a signal indicative of a moving speed of the boat; and
a controller connected to the actuator, the steering angle sensor, the steered angle sensor and the speed sensor, and controlling the actuator in such a manner that the steered angle of the outboard motor relative to the steering angle becomes a predetermined ratio determined based on the moving speed of the boat.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined ratio is changed such that the steered angle of the outboard motor relative to the steering angle decreases with increasing moving speed of the boat.
3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined ratio is changed such that the steered angle of the outboard motor relative to the steering angle decreases with increasing moving speed of the boat, whereby a speed of steering at a high boat moving speed is smaller than that at a low boat moving speed.
4. A steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller with a rudder at its lower portion powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat, comprising:
a steering device installed on the boat to be manipulated by an operator;
a swivel shaft installed in the outboard motor and connected to the propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat;
an actuator installed in the outboard motor and connected to the swivel shaft to rotate the swivel shaft relative to the boat;
a steering angle sensor generating a signal indicative of a steering angle inputted through the steering wheel by the operator;
a switch to be manipulated by the operator and generating a signal indicative of an instruction to change the steered angle of the outboard motor when manipulated; and
a controller connected to the actuator, the steering angle sensor and the switch, and controlling the actuator to rotate the swivel shaft so as to steer the outboard motor to an angle in response to inputted steering angle when the switch is not manipulated, while controlling the actuator to change the steered angle when the switch is manipulated.
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the switch is a neutral switch that generates the signal indicative of the instruction to change the steered angle of the outboard motor to be restored to a neutral position that allows the boat to advance straightforward, and the controller controls the actuator to change the steered angle to the neutral position when the switch is manipulated.
6. A system according to claim 5, further including
a speed sensor generating an output indicative of a moving speed of the boat;
and the controller inputs the output of the speed sensor and controls the actuator to change the steered angle to the neutral position if the moving speed of the boat is less than a predetermined value when the switch is manipulated.
7. A system according to claim 4, wherein the switch is a steered-angle-reversal switch that generates the signal indicative of the instruction to change the steered angle of the outboard motor in a reversed direction that allows the boat to turn in an opposite direction, and the controller controls the actuator to change the steered angle to the reverse direction when the switch is manipulated.
8. A system according to claim 7, further including
a speed sensor generating an output indicative of a moving speed of the boat;
and the controller inputs the output of the speed sensor and controls the actuator to change the steered angle to the reverse direction if the moving speed of the boat is less than a predetermined value when the switch is manipulated.
9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the controller controls the actuator to change the steered angle to the reverse direction to a maximum angle when the switch is manipulate.