Patents by Inventor Ehsan Maani

Ehsan Maani has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11445192
    Abstract: The quantization parameters (QP) for Chroma are extended up to and more preferably to the same range as Luma QP (e.g., 0 to 51). Previous, values of Chroma QP only extended up to 39. Techniques are provided for determining extended Chroma QP values (e.g., for Cr and Cb) based on the Luma QP and picture level chroma offsets. In one preferred embodiment, slice level offsets are added making the method particularly well-suited for slice level parallel processing. The extension of Chroma QP enhances functionality, flexibility and friendliness of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard for various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Xu, Kazushi Sato, Ehsan Maani
  • Patent number: 11422635
    Abstract: A wearable device with an optical sensor is disclosed that can be used to recognize gestures of a user wearing the device. Light sources can be positioned on the back or skin-facing side of a wearable device, and an optical sensor can be positioned near the light sources. During operation, light can be emitted from the light sources and sensed using the optical sensor. Changes in the sensed light can be used to recognize user gestures. For example, light emitted from a light source can reflect off a wearer's skin, and the reflected light can be sensed using the optical sensor. When the wearer gestures in a particular way, the reflected light can change perceptibly due to muscle contraction, device shifting, skin stretching, or the distance changing between the optical sensor and the wearer's skin. Recognized gestures can be interpreted as commands for interacting with the wearable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ehsan Maani
  • Patent number: 11412255
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of using logical mode numbers during both prediction and coding in the bit stream, such as for high efficiency video coders (HEVC). These logical intra mode numbers are sorted based on angle which as a result leads to improved coding designs with fewer and smaller look-up tables, and a small gain in coding efficiency. Furthermore, by using this type of naming, the number of most probable modes (MPMs) can be readily extended since no additional tables are required. The use of three MPMs achieves a larger gain of 0.25% and 0.31% for the AI_HE and AI_LC cases, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 11190788
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 11184631
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Publication number: 20210195237
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of using logical mode numbers during both prediction and coding in the bit stream, such as for high efficiency video coders (HEVC). These logical intra mode numbers are sorted based on angle which as a result leads to improved coding designs with fewer and smaller look-up tables, and a small gain in coding efficiency. Furthermore, by using this type of naming, the number of most probable modes (MPMs) can be readily extended since no additional tables are required. The use of three MPMs achieves a larger gain of 0.25% and 0.31% for the AI_HE and AI_LC cases, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J. TABATABAI, JUN XU
  • Patent number: 11044488
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 11032561
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Publication number: 20210157414
    Abstract: A wearable device with an optical sensor is disclosed that can be used to recognize gestures of a user wearing the device. Light sources can be positioned on the back or skin-facing side of a wearable device, and an optical sensor can be positioned near the light sources. During operation, light can be emitted from the light sources and sensed using the optical sensor. Changes in the sensed light can be used to recognize user gestures. For example, light emitted from a light source can reflect off a wearer's skin, and the reflected light can be sensed using the optical sensor. When the wearer gestures in a particular way, the reflected light can change perceptibly due to muscle contraction, device shifting, skin stretching, or the distance changing between the optical sensor and the wearer's skin. Recognized gestures can be interpreted as commands for interacting with the wearable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventor: Ehsan Maani
  • Patent number: 11012712
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of using logical mode numbers during both prediction and coding in the bit stream, such as for high efficiency video coders (HEVC). These logical intra mode numbers are sorted based on angle which as a result leads to improved coding designs with fewer and smaller look-up tables, and a small gain in coding efficiency. Furthermore, by using this type of naming, the number of most probable modes (MPMs) can be readily extended since no additional tables are required. The use of three MPMs achieves a larger gain of 0.25% and 0.31% for the AI_HE and AI_LC cases, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali J Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Publication number: 20210006810
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J. TABATABAI, JUN XU
  • Publication number: 20200382780
    Abstract: The quantization parameters (QP) for Chroma are extended up to and more preferably to the same range as Luma QP (e.g., 0 to 51). Previous, values of Chroma QP only extended up to 39. Techniques are provided for determining extended Chroma QP values (e.g., for Cr and Cb) based on the Luma QP and picture level chroma offsets. In one preferred embodiment, slice level offsets are added making the method particularly well-suited for slice level parallel processing. The extension of Chroma QP enhances functionality, flexibility and friendliness of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard for various applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Jun Xu, Kazushi Sato, Ehsan Maani
  • Publication number: 20200304817
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J TABATABAI, JUN XU
  • Patent number: 10757432
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 10750176
    Abstract: The quantization parameters (QP) for Chroma are extended up to and more preferably to the same range as Luma QP (e.g., 0 to 51). Previous, values of Chroma QP only extended up to 39. Techniques are provided for determining extended Chroma QP values (e.g., for Cr and Cb) based on the Luma QP and picture level chroma offsets. In one preferred embodiment, slice level offsets are added making the method particularly well-suited for slice level parallel processing. The extension of Chroma QP enhances functionality, flexibility and friendliness of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard for various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Velos Media, LLC
    Inventors: Jun Xu, Kazushi Sato, Ehsan Maani
  • Publication number: 20200236379
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J TABATABAI, JUN XU
  • Publication number: 20200236380
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J TABATABAI, JUN XU
  • Patent number: 10721486
    Abstract: A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ehsan Maani, Ali Tabatabai, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 10721488
    Abstract: An enhanced prediction direction method and encoding syntax for B-pictures in state-of-the-art video compression. In bi-directional prediction, instead of using one motion vector (MV) from list 0 and one from list 1, both may be alternatively drawn from list 0 or list 1, and this information communicated to a decoder similarly configured for recognizing the generalized syntax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ehsan Maani
  • Publication number: 20200145693
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of using logical mode numbers during both prediction and coding in the bit stream, such as for high efficiency video coders (HEVC). These logical intra mode numbers are sorted based on angle which as a result leads to improved coding designs with fewer and smaller look-up tables, and a small gain in coding efficiency. Furthermore, by using this type of naming, the number of most probable modes (MPMs) can be readily extended since no additional tables are required. The use of three MPMs achieves a larger gain of 0.25% and 0.31% for the AI_HE and AI_LC cases, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: EHSAN MAANI, ALI J. TABATABAI, JUN XU