Abstract: Video decoding and encoding with in-loop processing of reconstructed video are disclosed. At the decoder side, a flag is received from the video bitstream and according to the flag, information associated with in-loop filter parameters is received either from a data payload in the video bitstream to be shared by two or more coding blocks or individual coding block data in the video bitstream. At the encoder side, information associated with the in-loop filter parameters is incorporated either in a data payload in a video bitstream to be shared by two or more coding blocks or interleaved with individual coding block data in the video bitstream according to a flag. The data payload in the video bitstream is in a picture level, Adaptation Parameter Set (APS), or a slice header.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loop processing of reconstructed video in an encoder system are disclosed. The loop processing comprises an in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The filter parameters for the adaptive filter are derived from the pre-in-loop video data so that the adaptive filter processing can be applied to the in-loop processed video data without the need of waiting for completion of the in-loop filter processing for a picture or an image unit. In another embodiment, two adaptive filters derive their respective adaptive filter parameters based on the same pre-in-loop video data. In yet another embodiment, a moving window is used for image-unit-based coding system incorporating in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The in-loop filter and the adaptive filter are applied to a moving window of pre-in-loop video data comprising one or more sub-regions from corresponding one or more image units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of inter-layer and the inter-view adaptive Intra prediction (IL-AIP and IV-AIP) for a video coding system are disclosed. The video data is configured into a Base Layer (BL) and an Enhancement Layer (EL) for the inter-layer video coding system, and the video data is configured into a Base View (BV) and an Enhancement View (EV) for the inter-view video coding system. The adaptive Intra predictor for the to-be-processed block in the EL or the EV is derived based on the BL or the BV. For inter-layer and inter-view adaptive LM Intra prediction, the LM adaptive Intra predictor for the to-be-processed chroma block in the EL or the EV is derived based on the BL or the BV.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing in-loop reconstructed video using an in-loop filter is disclosed. In the recent HEVC development, adaptive loop filtering (ALF) is being adopted to process in-loop reconstruction video data, where ALF can be selectively turned ON or OFF for each block in a frame or a slice. An advanced ALF is disclosed later that allows a choice of multiple filter sets that can be applied to the reconstructed video data adaptively. In the present disclosure, pixels of the in-loop reconstructed video data are divided into a plurality of to-be-filtered regions, and an in-loop filter from a filter set is determined for each to-be-filtered region based on a rate-distortion optimization procedure. According to one embodiment of the present invention, computation of cost function associated with the rate-distortion optimization procedure is related to correlation values associated with original video data and the in-loop reconstructed video data.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method operates by receiving neighboring reconstructed first-color pixels and current reconstructed first-color pixels of a current first-color block and receiving neighboring reconstructed second-color pixels of a current second-color block collocated with the current first-color block. The method then determines linear model (LM) parameters according to a linear model for one or more LM Intra modes. The method then receives input data associated with current second-color pixels of the current second-color block and generates a cross-color Intra predictor from the current reconstructed first-color pixels of the current first-color block using the LM parameters associated with a LM Intra mode selected from said one or more LM Intra modes. Finally, the method applies cross-color Intra prediction encoding or decoding to the current second-color pixels of the current second-color block using the cross-color Intra predictor for the selected LM Intra mode.

Abstract: A method for cross-color Intra prediction using the LM Intra mode using multi-row or multi-column neighboring reconstructed pixels for LM parameter derivation or using only top pixels or left pixels of neighboring pixels is disclosed. Multiple LM Intra modes can be used. For example, three LM Intra modes can be used and the LM parameters for the three LM Intra modes can be determined based on only the top pixels, only the left pixels and both the top pixels and left pixels of neighboring reconstructed pixels respectively. To remove the need for additional buffer requirement for deriving the LM parameters based on using multi-row or multi-column neighboring reconstructed pixels, the current method re-uses existing buffers, where the buffers are used for deblocking. A syntax element can be used to indicate one of the multi-LM modes selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing of coded video using in-loop processing are disclosed. The method operates by receiving input data to said in-loop processing, wherein the input data corresponds to reconstructed coding units of the picture; configuring the input data into multiple filter units; selecting a filter from a candidate filter set comprising at least two candidate filters associated with said in-loop processing for one of said multiple filter units; applying said in-loop processing to said one of said multiple filter units using the selected filter to generate a processed filter unit, wherein when said one of said multiple filter units comprises at least two reconstructed coding units, the selected filter is applied to all of said at least two reconstructed coding units; and providing processed video data comprising the processed filter unit. The apparatus provide circuits to carryout the operations of the method.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sample adaptive offset (SAO) to restore intensity shift of processed video data are disclosed. In an encoder side, the processed video data corresponding to reconstructed video data, deblocked-reconstructed video data, or adaptive loop filtered and deblocked-reconstructed video data are partitioned into regions smaller than a picture. The region partition information is signaled in a video bitstream located in a position before intensity offset values syntax. At the decoder side, the processed video data is partitioned into regions according to the partition information parsed from the bitstream at a position before intensity offset values syntax. Region-based SAO is applied to each region based on the intensity offset for the category of the region-based SAO type selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus receives input data for in-loop processing, where the input data corresponds to reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units of the picture. The input data is divided into multiple filter units and each filter unit includes one or more boundary-aligned reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units. A candidate filter is then selected from a candidate filter set for the in-loop processing. The candidate filter set comprises at least two candidate filters the said in-loop processing corresponding to adaptive loop filter (ALF), adaptive offset (AO), or adaptive clipping (AC). The in-loop processing is then applied to one of the filter units to generate a processed filter unit by using the candidate filter selected to all boundary-aligned reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units in said one of the filter units.

Abstract: A method of adaptive loop filtering for reconstructed video to improve the performance is disclosed. In one embodiment, a loop filter is selected from one or more candidate filters including a circular symmetrical filter candidate. The candidate filters also may include a ½-symmetry filter candidate and a flag is used to select between different symmetries. In another embodiment, a priority-based block filter merge is disclosed. A filter merge list consisting of no more than a first number of filter candidates selected from corresponding filters used by corresponding set members in the neighboring block set is generated according to a priority order of the set members in the neighboring block set. In yet another embodiment, the loop filter is shared by reconstructed video in multiple image units of a same group. The filter merge groups are identified by differences of consecutive group indices.

Abstract: A method of adaptive loop filtering with implicit sample-based On/Off control for reconstructed video to improve the performance is disclosed. In one embodiment, each pixel of the video data associated with the reconstructed current image unit is classified into a first group and a second group. Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) is then applied to these pixels belonging to the first group. For pixels in the second group, ALF is not applied. The image unit may correspond to one coding tree block (CTB) or one coding tree unit (CTU). Various classification means for classifying each pixel into a first group or a second group have also been disclosed. The adaptive loop filtering with implicit sample-based On/Off control may also be used as an additional mode in a system supporting block-based On/Off control.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sample adaptive offset (SAO) compensation of reconstructed video data are disclosed. In one embodiment, the relation between the current pixel and said one or more neighboring pixels is stored so that the SAO compensated current pixel can replace the current pixel without buffering the to-be-processed pixels for classification. The SAO process may be performed on a region by region basis to adapt to the local characteristics of the picture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scalable video coding are disclosed, wherein the video data is configured into a Base Layer (BL) and an Enhancement Layer (EL) and wherein the EL has higher spatial resolution or better video quality than the BL. According to embodiments of the present invention, information from the base layer is exploited for coding the enhancement layer. The information coding for the enhancement layer includes CU structure, motion information, motion information, MVP/merge candidates, intra prediction mode, residual quadtree information, texture information, residual information, context adaptive entropy coding, Adaptive Lop Filter (ALF), Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO), and deblocking filter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing reconstructed video using in-loop filter in a video coding system are disclosed. The method uses chroma in-loop filter indication to indicate whether chroma components are processed by in-loop filter when the luma in-loop filter indication indicates that in-loop filter processing is applied to the luma component. An additional flag may be used to indicate whether the in-loop filter processing is applied to an entire picture using same in-loop filter information or each block of the picture using individual in-loop filter information. Various embodiments according to the present invention to increase efficiency are disclosed, wherein various aspects of in-loop filter information are taken into consideration for efficient coding such as the property of quadtree-based partition, boundary conditions of a block, in-loop filter information sharing between luma and chroma components, indexing to a set of in-loop filter information, and prediction of in-loop filter information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing information in a video decoding system are disclosed. The method derives reconstructed data for a picture from a bitstream, where the picture is partitioned into multiple slices. An information-sharing flag is parsed from the bitstream associated with a current reconstructed slice. If the information-sharing flag indicates information sharing, shared information is determined from a part of the bitstream not corresponding to the current reconstructed slice, and in-loop filtering process is applied to the current reconstructed slice according to the shared information. If the information-sharing flag indicates filter no information sharing, individual information is determined from a part of the bitstream corresponding to the current reconstructed slice, and in-loop filtering process is applied to the current reconstructed slice according to the individual information. A method for a corresponding encoder is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for cross-color Intra prediction using the LM Intra mode using multi-row or multi-column neighboring reconstructed pixels for LM parameter derivation or using only top pixels or left pixels of neighboring pixels is disclosed. Multiple LM Intra modes can be used. For example, three LM Intra modes can be used and the LM parameters for the three LM Intra modes can be determined based on only the top pixels, only the left pixels and both the top pixels and left pixels of neighboring reconstructed pixels respectively. To remove the need for additional buffer requirement for deriving the LM parameters based on using multi-row or multi-column neighboring reconstructed pixels, the current method re-uses existing buffers, where the buffers are used for deblocking. A syntax element can be used to indicate one of the multi-LM modes selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing of coded video using in-loop processing are disclosed. Input data to the in-loop processing is received and the input data corresponds to reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units of the picture. The input data is divided into multiple filter units and each filter unit includes one or more boundary-aligned reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units. A candidate filter is then selected from a candidate filter set for the in-loop processing. The candidate filter set comprises at least two candidate filters the said in-loop processing corresponding to adaptive loop filter (ALF), adaptive offset (AO), or adaptive clipping (AC). The in-loop processing is then applied to one of the filter units to generate a processed filter unit by using the candidate filter selected to all boundary-aligned reconstructed or reconstructed-and-deblocked coding units in said one of the filter units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of inter-layer and the inter-view adaptive Intra prediction (IL-AIP and IV-AIP) for a video coding system are disclosed. The video data is configured into a Base Layer (BL) and an Enhancement Layer (EL) for the inter-layer video coding system, and the video data is configured into a Base View (BV) and an Enhancement View (EV) for the inter-view video coding system. The adaptive Intra predictor for the to-be-processed block in the EL or the EV is derived based on the BL or the BV. For inter-layer and inter-view adaptive LM Intra prediction, the LM adaptive Intra predictor for the to-be-processed chroma block in the EL or the EV is derived based on the BL or the BV.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loop processing of reconstructed video in an encoder system are disclosed. The loop processing comprises an in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The filter parameters for the adaptive filter are derived from the pre-in-loop video data so that the adaptive filter processing can be applied to the in-loop processed video data without the need of waiting for completion of the in-loop filter processing for a picture or an image unit. In another embodiment, two adaptive filters derive their respective adaptive filter parameters based on the same pre-in-loop video data. In yet another embodiment, a moving window is used for image-unit-based coding system incorporating in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The in-loop filter and the adaptive filter are applied to a moving window of pre-in-loop video data comprising one or more sub-regions from corresponding one or more image units.

Abstract: For sample adaptive offset, classification may be used to classify the pixels into multiple categories and pixels in each category are offset compensated using an offset value for the category. The classification may be based on values of the current pixel and its neighboring pixels before SAO compensation. Therefore, the SAO compensated pixel cannot be written back to the current pixel location until the category for all pixels are determined. An embodiment of the present invention stores the relation between the current pixel and said one or more neighboring pixels so that the SAO compensated current pixel can replace the current pixel without buffering the to-be-processed pixels for classification. The SAO process may be performed on a region by region basis to adapt to the local characteristics of the picture. Rate-distortion optimization (RDO) is often used to guide the mode decision, such as region splitting/region merging decision.