Abstract: Video processing methods and apparatuses in a video encoding or decoding system for processing out-of-bounds nodes in a current picture. An out-of-bounds node is a coding tree node with a block region across a current picture boundary. The video processing method or apparatus determines an inferred splitting type, applies the inferred splitting type to split the out-of-bounds node into child blocks, adaptively splits each child block into one or multiple leaf blocks, and encodes or decodes the leaf blocks in the out-of-bounds node inside the current picture. The inferred splitting type for partitioning out-of-bounds nodes in an inter slice, picture, or tile is the same as the inferred splitting type for partitioning out-of-bounds nodes in an intra slice, picture, or tile.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding using Multi-hypothesis (MH) are disclosed. If an MH mode is used for the current block: at least one MH candidate is derived using reduced reference data by adjusting at least one coding-control setting; an Inter candidate list is generated, where the Inter candidate list comprises said at least one MH candidate; and current motion information associated with the current block is encoded using the Inter candidate list at the video encoder side or the current motion information associated with the current block is decoded at the video decoder side using the Merge candidate list. The coding control setting may correspond to prediction direction setting, filter tap setting, block size of reference block to be fetched, reference picture setting or motion limitation setting.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for block partition are disclosed. If a cross-colour component prediction mode is allowed, the luma block and the chroma block are partitioned into one or more luma leaf blocks and chroma leaf blocks. If a cross-colour component prediction mode is allowed, whether to enable an LM (Linear Model) mode for a target chroma leaf block is determined based on a first split type applied to an ancestor chroma node of the target chroma leaf block and a second split type applied to a corresponding ancestor luma node. According to another method, after the luma block and the chroma block are partitioned using different partition tress, determine whether one or more exception conditions to allow an LM for a target chroma leaf block are satisfied when the chroma partition tree uses a different split type, a different partition direction, or both from the luma partition tree.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video coding incorporating Deep Neural Network are disclosed. A target signal is processed using DNN (Deep Neural Network), where the target signal provided to DNN input corresponds to the reconstructed residual, output from the prediction process, the reconstruction process, one or more filtering processes, or a combination of them. The output data from DNN output is provided for the encoding process or the decoding process. The DNN can be used to restore pixel values of the target signal or to predict a sign of one or more residual pixels between the target signal and an original signal. An absolute value of one or more residual pixels can be signalled in the video bitstream and used with the sign to reduce residual error of the target signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding using block partition are disclosed. According to the present invention, a partition structure corresponding to recursively partitioning a current block into smaller TU (transform unit) blocks until the partition structure reaches a maximum allowed split depth or until a block size of at least one of smaller TU blocks is a supported core transform size, where the current block is partitioned into final smaller TU blocks according to the partition structure. A transform coding process is applied to the current block according to the partition structure, where the transform coding process is skipped for at least one of the final smaller TU blocks. A flag can be signalled for the current block to indicate whether the current block is allowed to skip the transform coding process for said at least one of the final smaller TU blocks.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for locking a digital asset. In one implementation, the system may include a first computer node that reads a private data store associated with the first computer node and/or reads a distributed ledger to confirm a digital asset is unlocked and can be transferred from the first computer node. The first computer node cryptographically signs and sends a proposed digital lock to a second computer node. When activated, the digital lock prevents transfer of the digital asset from the first computer node to another computer node that is not the second computer node. The first computer node also reads a distributed ledger to confirm the distributed ledger contains the digital lock in an activated state. The first computer node transfers the digital asset from the first computer node to the second computer node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding using a target Merge mode comprising a triangle Merge mode are disclosed. According to this method, a current block is partitioned into a first region and a second region using the target partition. A candidate list is determined. Two candidates are determined for the two regions by deriving two target candidates from the candidate list. When a selected target candidate is a uni-prediction candidate, the selected target candidate is used as one candidate; and when the selected target candidate is a bi-prediction candidate, motion information associated of the selected target candidate with List 0 or List 1 is used as one candidate. The current block or current motion information associated with the current block is encoded or decoded according to the candidate list. The candidate list is used to derive the first candidate and the second candidate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of entropy coding of coding symbols using Context-Based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coder (CABAC) are disclosed. According to the present invention, CABAC encoding or decoding is applied to a current bin of a binary data of a current coding symbol according to a current probability for a binary value of the current bin and a current range associated with the current state of arithmetic coder. An LPS probability index corresponding to an inverted current probability or the current probability is derived depending on whether the current probability is greater than 0.5. A range index is derived for identifying one range interval containing the current range. An LPS range is then derived using one or more mathematical operations comprising calculating a multiplication of a first value related to the LPS probability index and a second value related to the range index n.

Abstract: Exemplary video processing methods and apparatuses for encoding or decoding a current block by bi-directional prediction are disclosed. L0 and L1 reference blocks are determined for the current block, and a motion vector refinement is applied to refine the L0 and L1 reference blocks using a motion estimation search performed on each processing unit in the current block. A bi-directional optical flow operation is early terminated according to a cost of each processing unit in the current block. The processing units for cost calculation in the motion vector refinement and the bi-directional optical flow early termination are unified. The bi-directional optical flow operation is applied to the current block to further refine the L0 and L1 reference blocks if the bi-directional optical flow operation is not early terminated. A final inter predictor is derived from the refined L0 and L1 reference blocks for encoding or decoding the current block.

Abstract: The techniques described herein relate to methods, apparatus, and computer readable media configured to encode or decode video data. A current block of video data is coded using affine prediction. A first set of candidates of a candidate list for the current block is generated, including determining one or more inherited candidates and deriving one or more constructed candidates. After generating the first set of candidates, it is determined whether the candidate list is full. Upon determining the candidate list is not full, the candidate list is filled by generating a second set of candidates of the candidate list, including one or more of generating one or more zero motion vector candidates, generating one or more additional derived candidates based on the plurality of associated neighboring blocks of the current block, and generating a temporal motion vector candidate based on a temporal collocated picture.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a range estimation system for the optical sensing system, and a method for the optical sensing system. The exemplary optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to emit a laser pulse towards an object. The optical sensing system further includes a range estimation system configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system. The range estimation system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a plurality of pulse samples based on the laser pulse returned from the object. The returned laser pulse has a substantially triangular waveform including a rising edge and a falling edge. The range estimation system further includes a processor. The processor is configured to generate synthesized pulse samples on the substantially triangular waveform based on the pulse samples.

Abstract: Video processing methods comprise receiving input data of a current block in a current picture, constructing a candidate list for the current block by including one or more History-based Motion Vector Predictor (HMVP) candidates, selecting one candidate from the candidate list, locating a reference block according to motion information of the selected candidate, and encoding or decoding the current block by predicting the current block using the reference block. The one or more HMVP candidates are fetched from a normal HMVP table if the current block is to be processed by a normal inter prediction mode, and the one or more HMVP candidates are fetched form a Current Picture Referencing (CPR) HMVP table if the current block is to be processed by a CPR mode. The two HMVP tables are separately maintained and updated.

Abstract: Video processing methods comprise receiving input data of a current block, checking whether the current block is a root block by considering one or more predefined criteria, applying a mode constraint, a chroma split constraint, or both the mode and chroma split constraints to the current block if the current block is set to be a root block, and encoding or decoding the current block. The mode constraint restricts all blocks split from the current block to be processed by a same prediction mode and the chroma split constraints prohibits chroma components of the current block to be further partitioned while allowing a luma component of the current block to be partitioned into smaller blocks.

Abstract: A video coder that uses a shared candidate list to encode or decode multiple blocks of pixels within a shared boundary is provided. The video coder identifies a shared boundary encompassing a plurality of blocks of pixels of a current picture in a video sequence. The video coder identifies one or more prediction candidates as a shared candidate list based on neighbors of a region defined by the shared boundary. The video coder codes one or more blocks of pixels encompassed by the shared boundary by using one or more prediction candidates selected from the shared candidate list.

Abstract: A video processing method comprises receiving input data of a current block, checking if the current block satisfies one or more predefined criteria, setting the current block to be a root block if the current block satisfies the predefined criteria, one or more color components of one or more blocks in the current block are not checked with the predefined criteria if the current block is a root block, encoding or decoding the one or more color components of one or more blocks in the current block using neighboring reconstructed samples of the one or more color components of the current block as reference samples if the current block is a root block. Each block in the current block is encoded or decoded using neighboring reconstructed samples of each block in the current block as reference samples if the current block is not a root block.

Abstract: A video decoder determines whether the current block is coded by using intra block copy mode. The video decoder identifies a list of one or more prediction candidates for the current block. When the current block is not coded by using intra block copy mode, one or more spatial neighbors of the current block that are positioned in a same MER as the current block are excluded from the list of prediction candidates. When the current block is coded by using intra block copy mode and the list of prediction candidates belongs to a predefined subset of multiple different candidate lists, at least one of the identified prediction candidates is a spatial neighbor of the current block that is positioned in the MER. The video decoder reconstructs the current block by using a prediction candidate selected from the list of prediction candidates to generate a prediction of the current block.

Abstract: According to a method for Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) processing of reconstructed video, multiple indicators are signaled in slice at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side, where the multiple indicators are Adaptive Parameter Set (APS) indices associated with temporal ALF filter sets for the ALF processing. A current indicator is determined from the multiple indicators, where the current indicator is used to select a current ALF filter set. Filtered-reconstructed pixels are derived for the current block by applying the current ALF filter to the current block. In another method, if the ALF processing applied at a target sample requires an outside sample on other side of a target virtual boundary from the target sample, the outside sample is replaced by a padded sample.

Abstract: A method for multiple transform selection (MTS) is provided. A video decoder receives data from a bitstream for a block of pixels to be decoded as a current block of a current picture of a video. The decoder sets a zero-out indication based on one or more non-zero coefficient indications of subblocks of the current block. When the zero-out indication indicates that a zero-out region has no non-zero coefficient, the decoder parses the bitstream for an MTS index. When the zero-out indication indicates that the zero-out region has at least one non-zero coefficient, the decoder sets the MTS index to a default value without parsing the MTS index from the bitstream. The decoder selects a transform mode according to the MTS index for the current block. The decoder reconstructs the current block by using the selected transform mode.

Abstract: A methods and apparatus for adaptive data dependency between corresponding blocks partitioned from separate partition trees according to an embodiment of the present invention are disclosed. The data dependency between different tree structures is allowed when the tree structures are mutually inclusive. When the splitting is not used in one tree or when splitting is used in one tree and the same splitting or no split is used in the other tree, the data dependency between different tree structures is allowed. When the splitting in different tree structures are different, then the data dependency between different tree structures is disallowed. For each leaf CU in chroma tree, it should include one or more complete luma leaf CUs or it is completely included in one luma leaf CU, when the data dependency between different tree structures is allowed. Otherwise, then the data dependency between different tree structures is disallowed.

Abstract: Methods of adaptive transform type based on transform unit (TU) size for enhancement layer (EL) coding and multiple motion candidates for EL coding based on corresponding base layer (BL) video data are provided. One method selects a transform type from multiple allowable transform types based on the TU size and applies the selected transform type to the transform units of the inter-layer prediction processed data. Another method derives multiple motion candidates for the EL video data coded in Merge mode or Inter mode based on motion information associated with the corresponding BL video data.