Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing parallel histogram calculation with application to palette table derivation are disclosed. An encoder calculates a first histogram for a first portion of pixel component value bits of a block of pixels. Then, the encoder selects a first number of the highest pixel count bins from the first histogram. Also, the encoder calculates a second histogram for a second portion of pixel component value bits of the block. The encoder selects a second number of the highest pixel count bins from the second histogram. A third histogram is calculated from the concatenation of bits assigned to the first and second number of bins, and the highest pixel count bins are selected from the third histogram. A palette table is derived based on these highest pixel count bins selected from the third histogram, and the block of pixels is encoded using the palette table.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for calculating multi-pass histograms for palette table derivation are disclosed. An encoder calculates a first histogram for a first portion of most significant bits (MSBs) of pixel component values of a block of an image or video frame. Then, the encoder selects a given number of the highest pixel count bins from the first histogram. The encoder then increases the granularity of these selected highest pixel count bins by evaluating one or more additional bits from the pixel component values. A second histogram is calculated for the concatenation of the original first portion MSBs from the highest pixel count bins and the one or more additional bits, and the highest pixel count bins are selected from the second histogram. A palette table is derived based on these highest pixel count bins selected from the second histogram, and the block is encoded using the palette table.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for implementing a hierarchical and partitional integer motion estimation search (IMES) architecture using a search engine that is configurable based on a content of a plurality of frames in a video sequence. For example, the techniques include identifying, based on the plurality of frames, one or more search parameters for the hierarchical and partitional motion estimation, where the one or more search parameters are based on a content indicative of motion features tracked across the video sequence. The hierarchical and partitional motion estimation, which includes at least one decimated motion estimation search followed by a full-pixel level search, is performed based on the one or more identified search parameters to determine an integer (or pixel-level) motion vector.

Abstract: An encoder implements a residual-free palette encoding mode in which a block of pixels is used to derive a palette table having a number of palette colors less than a number of pixel colors in the block of pixels, and to derive a color map representing each pixel of the block with a corresponding index number associated with a palette color that most closely matches the pixel's color. The calculations of residuals representing errors between the predicted palette colors and the actual pixel colors are omitted during the encoding process, thereby facilitating implementation of less complex palette mode encoder hardware at the expense of slight loss of color accuracy. Moreover, when multiple encoding modes are available, the encoder can employ the residual-free palette encoding mode when the rate-distortion cost or other cost of using this mode is determined to be the lowest cost of the plurality of encoding modes.

Abstract: An adaptive bidding system for networked advertising. A bid request is received from an exchange over a network. Each bid request represents the opportunity to bid on an advertising opportunity. A processing time limit is determined based at least in part on a network latency measurement and an exchange reported timeout. The execution of one or more tasks is initiated by the adaptive bidding system. A response is determined from one or more results which are available before the processing time limit expires. The execution of any tasks that have not completed execution before the processing time limit expires are terminated. The response is provided to the exchange.

Abstract: Still frame detection for single pass video data, including: determining that an average quantization parameter of a frame of video data falls below a quantization parameter threshold; determining whether an amount of skipped macroblocks in the frame meets a skipped macroblock threshold; and responsive to the amount of skipped macroblocks exceeding the skipped macroblock threshold, identifying the frame as a still frame.

Abstract: An adaptive bidding system for networked advertising. A bid request is received from an exchange over a network. Each bid request represents the opportunity to bid on an advertising opportunity. A processing time limit is determined based at least in part on a network latency measurement and an exchange reported timeout. The execution of one or more tasks is initiated by the adaptive bidding system. A response is determined from one or more results which are available before the processing time limit expires. The execution of any tasks that have not completed execution before the processing time limit expires are terminated. The response is provided to the exchange.

Abstract: An encoding method is provided which includes receiving a plurality of images, obtaining values of elements in a portion of the images, sorting the elements according to different values of the elements, sorting the elements according to a number of occurrences of the different values and encoding the elements using a subset of the different values having corresponding numbers of occurrences that are higher than corresponding numbers of occurrences of other values. Examples also include a processing device and method for use with palette mode encoding in which the elements are a portion of pixels in images and the values are color values of the portion of pixels in the images.

Abstract: A technique for determining an adaptive quantization parameter offset for a block of encoded video includes obtaining a rate control factor for the quantization parameter, determining a content-based quantization parameter factor for the quantization parameter, determining an adaptive variance based quantization offset based on content-based quantization parameter factors for a frame prior to the current frame, and combining the rate control factor, the content-based quantization parameter factor, and the adaptive offset to generate the quantization parameter.

Abstract: An adaptive bidding system for networked advertising. A bid request is received from an exchange over a network. Each bid request represents the opportunity to bid on an advertising opportunity. A processing time limit is determined based at least in part on a network latency measurement and an exchange reported timeout. The execution of one or more tasks is initiated by the adaptive bidding system. A response is determined from one or more results which are available before the processing time limit expires. The execution of any tasks that have not completed execution before the processing time limit expires are terminated. The response is provided to the exchange.

Abstract: Techniques for encoding and decoding media content, and more specifically to selecting filter coefficients for filtering coding artifacts from the encoded media content are described. The filter coefficients are selected by an encoder for a given frame based on a statistical record of one or more previous frames in a data stream. The statistical record indicates the effectiveness of different sets of filter coefficients in reducing encoding artifacts for the one or more previous frames. By employing the statistical record to select filter coefficients for the next frame in the data stream, the encoder is able to select the filter coefficients relatively quickly, reducing encoding latency while ensuring that a decoder is able to effectively decode the encoded frames.

Abstract: Still frame detection for single pass video data, including: determining that an average quantization parameter of a frame of video data falls below a quantization parameter threshold; determining whether an amount of skipped macroblocks in the frame meets a skipped macroblock threshold; and responsive to the amount of skipped macroblocks exceeding the skipped macroblock threshold, identifying the frame as a still frame.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for generating a model for determining a quantization strength to use when encoding video frames are disclosed. A pre-encoder performs multiple encoding passes using different quantization strengths on a portion or the entirety of one or more pre-processed video frames. The pre-encoder captures the bit-size of the encoded output for each of the multiple encoding passes. Then, based on the multiple encoding passes, the pre-encoder generates a model for mapping bit-size to quantization strength for encoding video frames or portion(s) thereof. When the encoder begins the final encoding pass for one or more given video frames or any portion(s) thereof, the encoder uses the model to map a preferred bit-size to a given quantization strength. The encoder uses the given quantization strength when encoding the given video frame(s) or frame portion(s) to meet a specified bit-rate for the encoded bitstream.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for reducing latency when consuming an encoded video bitstream in real-time are disclosed. A video encoder encodes a video bitstream and writes chunks of the encoded bitstream to a bitstream buffer. Prior to the encoder completing the encoding of an entire frame, or an entire slice of a frame, a consumer module consumes encoded chunks of the bitstream. In one implementation, to enable pipelining of the consumption with the encoding, the encoder updates a buffer write pointer with an indication of the amount of data that has been written to the bitstream buffer. The consumer module retrieves encoded data from the bitstream buffer up to the location indicated by the buffer write pointer. In this way, the consumer module is able to access and consume encoded video data prior to the encoder finishing encoding an entire frame or an entire slice of the frame.

Abstract: An encoding method is provided which includes receiving a plurality of images, obtaining values of elements in a portion of the images, sorting the elements according to different values of the elements, sorting the elements according to a number of occurrences of the different values and encoding the elements using a subset of the different values having corresponding numbers of occurrences that are higher than corresponding numbers of occurrences of other values. Examples also include a processing device and method for use with palette mode encoding in which the elements are a portion of pixels in images and the values are color values of the portion of pixels in the images.

Abstract: Techniques for encoding and decoding media content, and more specifically to selecting filter coefficients for filtering coding artifacts from the encoded media content are described. The filter coefficients are selected by an encoder for a given frame based on a statistical record of one or more previous frames in a data stream. The statistical record indicates the effectiveness of different sets of filter coefficients in reducing encoding artifacts for the one or more previous frames. By employing the statistical record to select filter coefficients for the next frame in the data stream, the encoder is able to select the filter coefficients relatively quickly, reducing encoding latency while ensuring that a decoder is able to effectively decode the encoded frames.

Abstract: An encoder encodes an image portion by recursively partitioning the portion into a partitioning hierarchy of levels. The top level has a single block representing the entire portion and each lower level has four smaller blocks representing a corresponding larger block at a higher level. A palette table is generated for each bottom-level block based on the pixels of the associated block. For each successively higher level, the encoder generates a palette table for each current-level block by selecting palette colors based on the palette colors from the four palette tables for the associated four blocks at the next-lowest level. A color index map is then generated based on a final palette table selected from the palette tables generated for the partitioning hierarchy. A representation of the portion is then encoded using the final palette table and the color index map to generate a corresponding segment of an encoded bitstream.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for reducing latency when consuming an encoded video bitstream in real-time are disclosed. A video encoder encodes a video bitstream and writes chunks of the encoded bitstream to a bitstream buffer. Prior to the encoder completing the encoding of an entire frame, or an entire slice of a frame, a consumer module consumes encoded chunks of the bitstream. In one implementation, to enable pipelining of the consumption with the encoding, the encoder updates a buffer write pointer with an indication of the amount of data that has been written to the bitstream buffer. The consumer module retrieves encoded data from the bitstream buffer up to the location indicated by the buffer write pointer. In this way, the consumer module is able to access and consume encoded video data prior to the encoder finishing encoding an entire frame or an entire slice of the frame.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing parallel histogram calculation with application to palette table derivation are disclosed. An encoder calculates a first histogram for a first portion of pixel component value bits of a block of pixels. Then, the encoder selects a first number of the highest pixel count bins from the first histogram. Also, the encoder calculates a second histogram for a second portion of pixel component value bits of the block. The encoder selects a second number of the highest pixel count bins from the second histogram. A third histogram is calculated from the concatenation of bits assigned to the first and second number of bins, and the highest pixel count bins are selected from the third histogram. A palette table is derived based on these highest pixel count bins selected from the third histogram, and the block of pixels is encoded using the palette table.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for calculating multi-pass histograms for palette table derivation are disclosed. An encoder calculates a first histogram for a first portion of most significant bits (MSBs) of pixel component values of a block of an image or video frame. Then, the encoder selects a given number of the highest pixel count bins from the first histogram. The encoder then increases the granularity of these selected highest pixel count bins by evaluating one or more additional bits from the pixel component values. A second histogram is calculated for the concatenation of the original first portion MSBs from the highest pixel count bins and the one or more additional bits, and the highest pixel count bins are selected from the second histogram. A palette table is derived based on these highest pixel count bins selected from the second histogram, and the block is encoded using the palette table.