Patents Examined by Peter D Le
  • Patent number: 11979577
    Abstract: This application discloses a video decoding method, a video encoding method, and related apparatuses. The method includes: determining a current video frame; obtaining, from video frames that have been decoded, an energy parameter of an MV in a reference frame associated with the current video frame, the energy parameter including at least one of the following: an average value of the MV and a variance of the MV; determining, according to the energy parameter, a target resolution used for decoding the current video frame; and decoding the current video frame by using the target resolution. In this application, the technical problem of relatively low video encoding and decoding efficiency caused by complex processing operations in the related art is resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Xinwei Gao, Xunan Mao
  • Patent number: 11979547
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe apparatuses, systems, and methods related to data capture of objects and/or an environment. In one embodiment, a user can capture time-indexed three-dimensional (3D) depth data using one or more portable data capture devices that can capture time indexed color images of a scene with depth information and location and orientation data. In addition, the data capture devices may be configured to captured a spherical view of the environment around the data capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: AEMASS, INC.
    Inventor: Marshall Reed Millett
  • Patent number: 11974053
    Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging platform includes a stereoscopic camera configured to record left and right images of a target site. A robotic arm is operatively connected to the stereoscopic camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the stereoscopic camera relative to the target. The stereoscopic camera includes a lens assembly having at least one lens and defining a working distance. The lens assembly has at least one focus motor adapted to move the at least one lens to selectively vary the working distance. A controller is adapted to selectively execute one or more automatic focusing modes for the stereoscopic camera. The automatic focusing modes include a continuous autofocus mode adapted to maintain a focus of the at least one stereoscopic image while the robotic arm is moving the stereoscopic camera and the target site is moving along at least an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Terry
  • Patent number: 11968348
    Abstract: The usual coding order according to which the reference view is coded prior to the dependent view, and within each view, a depth map is coded subsequent to the respective picture, may be maintained and does lead to a sacrifice of efficiency in performing inter-view redundancy removal by, for example, predicting motion data of the current picture of the dependent view from motion data of the current picture of the reference view. Rather, a depth map estimate of the current picture of the dependent view is obtained by warping the depth map of the current picture of the reference view into the dependent view, thereby enabling various methods of inter-view redundancy reduction more efficiently by bridging the gap between the views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 11949879
    Abstract: This application relates to a video coding method and apparatus, a computer device, and a storage medium. The method includes: obtaining a current coding unit; obtaining target pixel gradient data through calculation according to a pixel value of a pixel in the current coding unit, the target pixel gradient data being obtained according to a difference between the pixel value of the pixel and a reference pixel value; determining a target division decision result corresponding to the current coding unit according to the target pixel gradient data; and performing video coding on the current coding unit according to the target division decision result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Jing Cui, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11943478
    Abstract: A method, decoder, and apparatus are provided. Responsive to a current block being a MIP predicted block, it is determined whether it has one or multiple transform blocks. A MIP weight matrix to be used to decode the current block is determined based on a MIP prediction mode. Responsive to the MIP predicted block having one transform block, the MIP predicted block is derived based on the MIP weight matrix and previously decoded elements in the bitstream. Responsive to the MIP predicted block having multiple transform blocks: deriving a first MIP predicted block is derived based on the MIP weight matrix and previously decoded elements in the bitstream and remaining MIP predicted blocks are derived based further on decoded elements in at least one decoded transform block of the current block. The MIP predicted block(s) are output for subsequent processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Zhi Zhang, Kenneth Andersson, Davood Saffar, Rickard Sjöberg, Jacob Ström, Ruoyang Yu
  • Patent number: 11936879
    Abstract: Methods for management of encoding complexity for image and video encoding, for example for algorithms belonging to the JPEG 2000 family of standards, where the encoding process targets a given compressed size (i.e. a total coded length) for the image or for each frame of a video sequence. Described are a set of methods for complexity constrained encoding of HTJ2K code-streams, involving collection of local or global statistics for each sub-band (not for each code-block), generation of forecasts for the statistics of sub-band samples that have not yet been produced by spatial transformation and quantization processes, and the use of this information to generate a global quantization parameter, from which the coarsest bit-plane to generate in each code-block can be deduced. Coded length estimates can be generated in a manner that enables latency and memory to be separately optimized against encoded image quality, while maintaining low computational complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KAKADU R & D PTY LTD
    Inventor: David Scott Taubman
  • Patent number: 11917249
    Abstract: A system to perform processing operations of input (video) streams, including is disclosed. The system consists of an input module, a stream type detection engine, a plurality of processing resources a resource monitoring engine, an attribution module, a dispatching module, and various other optional interface modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventors: Andre Slupik, Xavier Berard
  • Patent number: 11917209
    Abstract: A method of video decoding in a decoder is provided. A first template magnitude of a first transform coefficient in a specific frequency region of the transform block is determined. The first template magnitude is a first single value representing magnitudes of a first local template of the first transform coefficient. A first context model is identified for coding the syntax element of the first transform coefficient, the first context model being shared with at least a second transform coefficient in the specific frequency region of the transform block, a second template magnitude of the second transform coefficient having a second single value that belongs to a first subinterval. A first bin of the syntax element of the first transform coefficient and a second bin of the syntax element of the second transform coefficient is determined, from the coded bits, based on the first context model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Xiang Li, Shan Liu, Xin Zhao
  • Patent number: 11871902
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are technological solutions that are configured to limit sub-optimal visualization of the surgical field during robotic and manual laparoscopic surgery. Such technological solutions are configured to systematically assess cleanliness of an imaging element of a laparoscope (or other type of similar imaging apparatus) and take action for enabling or causing the imaging element to be cleaned. In preferred embodiments, assessment of the cleanliness of the imaging element provides information that can be used for enabling or causing cleaning of the imaging element to be performed in-vivo in either a manual, semi-autonomous or autonomous manner. In this manner such technological solutions advantageously enable the surgical field during surgery to be more efficiently and consistently maintained in an optimal condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, CLEARCAM INC.
    Inventors: Farshid Alambeigi, Alexander Cohen, Christopher R. Idelson, Christopher Rylander
  • Patent number: 11870977
    Abstract: Devices and methods of intra prediction of a block of a picture are provided. The method includes obtaining reference samples of a block, and determining a value of a predicted sample based on the reference samples and an intra prediction mode. The method further includes obtaining a value of a multiplier based on at least one dimension of the block, and normalizing the value of the predicted sample based on the value of the multiplier and a value of a shift. The intra prediction mode is INTRA_DC, or INTRA_BI, or horizontal intra prediction mode. By normalizing the value of the predicted sample based on the value of the multiplier and a value of a shift without division operation, the method could increase intra prediction efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Alexey Konstantinovich Filippov, Vasily Alexeevich Rufitskiy, Jianle Chen
  • Patent number: 11870998
    Abstract: A normal merge mode derivation unit further includes a merging candidate selector structured to add a merge motion vector difference defined by a direction index indicating a direction and a distance index indicating a distance to a motion vector of a merging candidate list, and select one candidate from the merging candidate list as a selected merging candidate on the basis of a merge index, in which, when the motion vector of the selected merging candidate is smaller than a distance indicated by an arbitrary index of the distance index, the merging candidate selector sets a direction of a merge motion vector difference defined by the distance index indicating a larger distance than the motion vector of the selected merging candidate as a diagonal direction, or changes the distance indicated by the distance index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurashige, Hideki Takehara, Hiroya Nakamura, Satoru Sakazume, Shigeru Fukushima, Toru Kumakura
  • Patent number: 11863743
    Abstract: A decoder comprises circuitry and memory. The circuitry, using the memory, in operation, determines a number of first pixels and a number of second pixels used in a deblocking filter process, wherein the first pixels are located at an upper side of a block boundary and the second pixels are located at a lower side of the block boundary, and performs the deblocking filter process on the block boundary. The number of the first pixels and the number of the second pixels are selected from among candidates, wherein the candidates include at least 4 and M larger than 4. Response to a location of the block boundary being a predetermined location, the number of the first pixels used in the deblocking filter process is limited to be 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kanoh, Takahiro Nishi, Tadamasa Toma, Kiyofumi Abe
  • Patent number: 11863786
    Abstract: A method of transmitting image data in an image display system, includes dividing the image data into framebuffers, and for each framebuffer: dividing the framebuffer into a number of vertical stripes, each stripe including one or more scanlines, dividing each vertical stripe into at least a first and a second block, each of the first and the second block comprising pixel data to be displayed in an area of the image, and storing first pixel data in the first block with a first resolution and second pixel data in the second block having a second resolution which is lower than the first resolution, transmitting the framebuffer over the digital display interface to a decoder unit, and unpacking the framebuffer, including upscaling the pixel data in the second block to compensate for the lower second resolution and optionally upscaling the pixel data in the first block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Varjo Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Mikko Strandborg, Oiva Arvo Oskari Sahlsten, Ville Miettinen
  • Patent number: 11856219
    Abstract: A proposed intermediate way of handling the renderable portion of the first view results in more efficient coding. Instead of omitting the coding of the renderable portion completely, even more efficient coding of multi-view signals entails merely suppressing the coding of the residual signal within the renderable portion, whereas the prediction parameter coding still takes place from the non-renderable portion of the multi-view signal across the renderable portion so that prediction parameters for the renderable portion may be exploited for predicting parameters for the non-renderable portion. The additional coding rate for transmitting the prediction parameters for the renderable portion may be kept low as this merely aims at forming a continuation of the parameter history across the renderable portion to serve as a basis for prediction parameters of other portions of the multi-view signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Sebastian Bosse, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand, Tobias Hinz
  • Patent number: 11856193
    Abstract: A decoder comprises circuitry and memory. The circuitry, using the memory, in operation, determines a number of first pixels and a number of second pixels used in a deblocking filter process, wherein the first pixels are located at an upper side of a block boundary and the second pixels are located at a lower side of the block boundary, and performs the deblocking filter process on the block boundary. The number of the first pixels and the number of the second pixels are selected from among candidates, wherein the candidates include at least 4 and M larger than 4. Response to a location of the block boundary being a predetermined location, the number of the first pixels used in the deblocking filter process is limited to be 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kanoh, Takahiro Nishi, Tadamasa Toma, Kiyofumi Abe
  • Patent number: 11856192
    Abstract: A decoder comprises circuitry and memory. The circuitry, using the memory, in operation, determines a number of first pixels and a number of second pixels used in a deblocking filter process, wherein the first pixels are located at an upper side of a block boundary and the second pixels are located at a lower side of the block boundary, and performs the deblocking filter process on the block boundary. The number of the first pixels and the number of the second pixels are selected from among candidates, wherein the candidates include at least 4 and M larger than 4. Response to a location of the block boundary being a predetermined location, the number of the first pixels used in the deblocking filter process is limited to be 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kanoh, Takahiro Nishi, Tadamasa Toma, Kiyofumi Abe
  • Patent number: 11843768
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting a reference picture index of a temporal merging candidate. An inter-picture prediction method using a temporal merging candidate can include the steps of: determining a reference picture index for a current block; and inducing a temporal merging candidate block of the current block and calculating a temporal merging candidate from the temporal merging candidate block, wherein the reference picture index of the temporal merging candidate can be calculated regardless of whether a block other than the current block is decoded. Accordingly, a video processing speed can be increased and video processing complexity can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, University-Industry Cooperation Group of Kyung Hee University
    Inventors: Hui Yong Kim, Gwang Hoon Park, Kyung Yong Kim, Sang Min Kim, Sung Chang Lim, Jin Ho Lee, Jin Soo Choi, Jin Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11843797
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for performing content-adaptive deblocking to improve the visual quality of video images compressed using block-based motion-predictive video coding. For instance, in certain embodiments of the disclosed technology, edge information is obtained using global orientation energy edge detection (“OEED”) techniques on an initially deblocked image. OEED detection can provide a robust partition of local directional features (“LDFs”). For a local directional feature detected in the partition, a directional deblocking filter having an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the LDF can be used. The selected filter can have a filter orientation and activation thresholds that better preserve image details while reducing blocking artifacts. In certain embodiments, for a consecutive non-LDF region, extra smoothing can be imposed to suppress the visually severe blocking artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyan Sun, Zhiwei Xiong, Feng Wu
  • Patent number: 11843769
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting a reference picture index of a temporal merging candidate. An inter-picture prediction method using a temporal merging candidate can include the steps of: determining a reference picture index for a current block; and inducing a temporal merging candidate block of the current block and calculating a temporal merging candidate from the temporal merging candidate block, wherein the reference picture index of the temporal merging candidate can be calculated regardless of whether a block other than the current block is decoded. Accordingly, a video processing speed can be increased and video processing complexity can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, University-Industry Cooperation Group of Kyung Hee University
    Inventors: Hui Yong Kim, Gwang Hoon Park, Kyung Yong Kim, Sang Min Kim, Sung Chang Lim, Jin Ho Lee, Jin Soo Choi, Jin Woong Kim