Abstract: A hybrid video encoding method and system using a software engine and a hardware engine. The software engine receives coding unit data associated with a current picture, and performs a first part of the video encoding operation by executing instructions. The first part of the video encoding operation generates an inter predictor and control information corresponding to the coding unit data of the current picture. The first part of the video encoding operation stores the inter predictor into an off-chip memory. The hardware engine performs a second part of the video encoding operation according to the control information. The second part of the video encoding operation receives the inter predictor, and subtracts the inter predictor from the coding unit data to generate a residual signal.

Abstract: A method for performing image processing control and an associated apparatus are provided, where method may include the steps of: performing image coding on image information of at least one frame to generate encoded data of the at least one frame, wherein in the encoded data, a specific frame of the at least one frame includes a plurality of tiles, and each tile of the plurality of tiles includes a plurality of superblocks; and generating a bitstream carrying the encoded data of the at least one frame, wherein at least a partition type and a transform size of each superblock within a specific tile of the plurality of tiles are derivable from information corresponding to the specific tile within the encoded data, having no need to derive the partition type and the transform size from information corresponding to another tile of the plurality of tiles within the encoded data.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: receiving an omnidirectional image/video content corresponding to a viewing sphere, generating a sequence of projection-based frames according to the omnidirectional image/video content and an octahedron projection layout, and encoding, by a video encoder, the sequence of projection-based frames to generate a bitstream. Each projection-based frame has a 360-degree image/video content represented by triangular projection faces packed in the octahedron projection layout. The omnidirectional image/video content of the viewing sphere is mapped onto the triangular projection faces via an octahedron projection of the viewing sphere. An equator of the viewing sphere is not mapped along any side of each of the triangular projection faces.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: receiving a current input frame having a 360-degree image/video content represented in a 360-degree Virtual Reality (360 VR) projection format, applying content-oriented rotation to the 360-degree image/video content in the current input frame to generate a content-rotated frame having a rotated 360-degree image/video content represented in the 360 VR projection format, encoding the content-rotated frame to generate a bitstream, and signaling at least one syntax element via the bitstream, wherein the at least one syntax element is set to indicate rotation information of the content-oriented rotation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video encoding or decoding for a video encoding or decoding system applied to multi-face sequences corresponding to a 360-degree virtual reality sequence are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, at least one face sequence of the multi-face sequences is encoded or decoded using face-independent coding, where the face-independent coding encodes or decodes a target face sequence using prediction reference data derived from previous coded data of the target face sequence only. Furthermore, one or more syntax elements can be signaled in a video bitstream at an encoder side or parsed from the video bitstream at a decoder side, where the syntax elements indicate first information associated with a total number of faces in the multi-face sequences, second information associated with a face index for each face-independent coded face sequence, or both the first information and the second information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video encoding or decoding for a video encoding or decoding system applied to multi-face sequences corresponding to a 360-degree virtual reality sequence are disclosed. According the present invention, one or more multi-face sequences representing the 360-degree virtual reality sequence are derived. If Inter prediction is selected for a current block in a current face, one virtual reference frame is derived for each face of said one or more multi-face sequences by assigning one target reference face to a center of said one virtual reference frame and connecting neighboring faces of said one target reference face to said one target reference face at boundaries of said one target reference face. Then, the current block in the current face is encoded or decoded using a current virtual reference frame derived for the current face to derive an Inter predictor for the current block.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of processing cube face images are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more discontinuous boundaries within each assembled cubic frame are determined and used for selective filtering, where the filtering process is skipped at said one or more discontinuous boundaries within each assembled cubic frame when the filtering process is enabled. Furthermore, the filtering process is applied to one or more continuous areas in each assembled cubic frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus or video coding or processing for an image sequence corresponding to virtual reality (VR) video are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, a padded area outside one cubic face frame boundary of one cubic face frame is padded to form a padded cubic face frame using one or more extended cubic faces, where at least one boundary cubic face in said one cubic face frame has one padded area using pixel data derived from one extended cubic face in a same cubic face frame.

Abstract: A method and system for encoding a group of coding blocks and packetizing the compressed data into slices/packets with hard-limited packet size are disclosed. According to the present invention, a packetization map for at least a portion of a current picture is determined. The packetization map associates coding blocks in at least a portion of the current picture with one or more packets by identifying a corresponding group of coding blocks for each packet of said one or more packets. The corresponding group of coding blocks for each packet is then encoded according to the packetization map and the size of each packet is determined. The packet size is checked. If any packet size exceeds a constrained size, a new packetization map is generated and the corresponding group of coding blocks for each packet is encoded according to the new packetization map.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for partially decoding video frames when a sub-region of the video is selected for viewing. The method identifies and decodes data units and pixel blocks of video frames needed to display the sub-region while bypassing data units and pixel blocks that are identified as unnecessary for displaying the sub-region. A video encoder receives a video frame comprising a plurality of cubic surfaces in a first configuration corresponding to a full sized 360VR image. Each cubic surface corresponds to a different surface of a cube. The encoder reformats the received video frame by rearranging the plurality of cubic surfaces according to a second configuration that is different than the first configuration. The second configuration re-arranges the six surfaces of a cubic 360VR image in order to fully utilize the line buffer and allow the line buffer to be narrower than the full sized 360VR image.

Abstract: A hybrid video encoding method and system using a software engine and a hardware engine. The software engine receives coding unit data associated with a current picture, and performs a first part of the video encoding operation by executing instructions. The first part of the video encoding operation generates an inter predictor and control information corresponding to the coding unit data of the current picture. The first part of the video encoding operation stores the inter predictor into an off-chip memory. The hardware engine performs a second part of the video encoding operation according to the control information. The second part of the video encoding operation receives the inter predictor, and subtracts the inter predictor from the coding unit data to generate a residual signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transcoding a compressed bitstream are disclosed. The system receives a first compressed bitstream generated by applying first entropy encoding to a set of tokens. The first compressed bitstream is decoded into the set of tokens using first entropy decoding corresponding to the first entropy encoding. The set of tokens is then re-encoded into a second compressed bitstream using second entropy encoding, where the second entropy encoding and the first entropy encoding use different statistics, different initial states, or both. The system may further comprising determining one or more modified or optimal probability models associated with the set of tokens, where the second entropy encoding is based on the modified or optimal probability models.

Abstract: A motion estimation method for determining a resultant motion vector. The motion estimation method includes: performing a first searching operation starting from an initial motion vector to determine an intermediate motion vector, wherein the first searching operation is performed according to a first searching principle; and performing a second searching operation starting from the intermediate motion vector, to determine the resultant motion vector, wherein the second searching operation is performed according to a second searching principle. The first searching operation is a rough search, while the second searching operation is a fine search.

Abstract: A method for encoding a frame divided into a plurality of tiles includes: storing encoding-related information derived from blocks in a last block row of a first tile of the frame into a storage device; reading the encoding-related information from the storage device; and performing entropy encoding upon blocks in a first block row of a second tile of the frame based at least partly on the encoding-related information read from the storage device. The first block row of the second tile is vertically adjacent to the last block row of the first tile. The entropy encoding of the first block row of the second tile is started before entropy encoding of the last block row of the first tile is accomplished.

Abstract: A method for performing image processing control and an associated apparatus are provided, where method may include the steps of: performing image coding on image information of at least one frame to generate encoded data of the at least one frame, wherein in the encoded data, a specific frame of the at least one frame includes a plurality of tiles, and each tile of the plurality of tiles includes a plurality of superblocks; and generating a bitstream carrying the encoded data of the at least one frame, wherein at least a partition type and a transform size of each superblock within a specific tile of the plurality of tiles are derivable from information corresponding to the specific tile within the encoded data, having no need to derive the partition type and the transform size from information corresponding to another tile of the plurality of tiles within the encoded data.

Abstract: A device for detecting a display mode of a video signal having first pixels corresponding to a first field, second pixels corresponding to a second field, and third pixels corresponding to a third field, includes a pixel converter, a measurement circuit, and a decision circuit. The pixel converter converts the second pixels to generate converted pixels. The measurement circuit generates measurement values related to differences between a converted pixel, a first pixel, and a third pixel. The decision circuit determines the display mode of the video signal according to the first, second, and third measurement values.

Abstract: An air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus comprises a hollow tube used for delivering warm and humid air and is wrapped by a heating device on its outer peripheries. The heating device includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member, where the first connecting member is disposed at one lateral side of the heating device while the second connecting member is disposed at another lateral side of the heating device for attaching the heating device to the outer peripheries of the tube. Air in the tube is heated by means of a heating element within the heating device.

Abstract: A method of scaling up an image. The method converts a source image with M*N pixels into a target image with KM*HN pixels and includes the steps of: choosing a pixel from the source image as a processing pixel; analyzing the character of the processing pixel according to values of a plurality of pixels neighboring the processing pixel, and choosing a tilt pattern as a characteristic pattern; calculating a pixel compensation matrix according to the characteristic pattern, the pixel value of the processing pixel, and the values of the pixels neighboring the processing pixel; calculating K*H target pixel values as the target image according to the pixel value of the processing pixel and its corresponding pixel compensation matrix; and repeating the above-mentioned steps until all the pixels of the source image are processed.

Abstract: A method of scaling up an image. The method converts a source image with M*N pixels into a target image with KM*HN pixels and includes the steps of: choosing a pixel from the source image as a processing pixel; analyzing the character of the processing pixel according to values of a plurality of pixels neighboring the processing pixel, and choosing a tilt pattern as a characteristic pattern; calculating a pixel compensation matrix according to the characteristic pattern, the pixel value of the processing pixel, and the values of the pixels neighboring the processing pixel; calculating K*H target pixel values as the target image according to the pixel value of the processing pixel and its corresponding pixel compensation matrix; and repeating the above-mentioned steps until all the pixels of the source image are processed.

Abstract: A device for detecting a display mode of a video signal having first pixels corresponding to a first field, second pixels corresponding to a second field, and third pixels corresponding to a third field, includes a pixel converter, a measurement circuit, and a decision circuit. The pixel converter converts the second pixels to generate converted pixels. The measurement circuit generates measurement values related to differences between a converted pixel, a first pixel, and a third pixel. The decision circuit determines the display mode of the video signal according to the first, second, and third measurement values.