Patents by Inventor Heiko Schwarz

Heiko Schwarz 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).

  • Publication number: 20220321886
    Abstract: A decoder configured to decode residual levels, and sequentially dequantize the residual levels by selecting a quantizer out of a set of default quantizers depending on a current transition state, and updating the current transition state depending on a current residual level's characteristic obtained by an application of a binary function onto the current residual level, and depending on a quantization mode information contained in the data stream. The current transition state transitions, according to a surjective mapping which depends on the quantization mode information, from a domain of combinations of a set of one or more transition states with the current residual level's characteristic onto the set of one or more transition states, wherein a cardinality of the set of one or more transition states differs depending on the quantization mode information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Heiko SCHWARZ, Soenke SCHMIDT, Paul HAASE, Phan Hoang Tung NGUYEN, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Publication number: 20220321881
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect, an improved compression efficiency is achieved by letting a block-wise picture codec support a set of intra-prediction modes according to which the intra-prediction signal for a current block of a picture is determined by applying a set of neighboring samples of the current block onto a neural network. A second aspect of the present application is that, additionally or alternatively to the spending of neural network-based intra-prediction modes, the mode selection may be rendered more effective by the usage of a neural network dedicated to determine a rank or a probability value for each of the set of intra-prediction modes by applying a set of neighboring samples thereonto with the rank or probability value being used for the selection of one intra-prediction mode out of the plurality of intra-prediction modes including or coinciding with the set of intra-prediction modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathan PFAFF, Philipp HELLE, Dominique MANIRY, Thomas WIEGARD, Wojciech SAMEK, Stephan KALTENSTADLER, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Mischa SIEKMANN, Martin WINKEN
  • Patent number: 11463694
    Abstract: Block-based coding of a picture is done by providing an intra-prediction coding concept according to which a certain block of the picture is intra-prediction coded using a certain intra-coding mode by partitioning the predetermined block into partitions which are, for reconstruction purposes, sequentially subject to spatial prediction using the intra-prediction coding mode signaled for the certain block followed by correcting the thus obtained predictor using a prediction residual so that for preceding partitions a reconstruction of the samples is available to the decoder at the time of processing the next, then current, partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fraumhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Santiago De Luxán Hernández, Philipp Merkle, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 11457230
    Abstract: A video decoder is configured to decode a plurality of video frames which are subdivided into a set of one or more slices. The decoder evaluates slice type information indicating whether a slice is encoded using an independent coding mode having no prediction of video content of a current frame on the basis of a video content of a previous frame, or using a single-predictive mode having a prediction of a block of pixels on the basis of one block of pixels of a previous frame, or using a bi-predictive mode having a prediction of a block of pixels on the basis of two or more blocks of pixels of one or more previous frames, to select a mode of operation for decoding a slice. The video decoder includes an arithmetic decoder for providing a decoded binary sequence on the basis of an encoded representation of the binary sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Jan Stegemann, Heiner Kirchhoffer, Detlev Marpe, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Publication number: 20220303545
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining visual activity information for a predetermined picture block of a video sequence including a plurality of video frames, the plurality of video frames including a current video frame and one or more timely-preceding video frames, wherein the one or more timely-preceding video frames precede the current video frame in time, is provided. The apparatus is configured to receive the predetermined picture block of each of the one or more timely-preceding video frames and the predetermined picture block of the current video frame. Moreover, the apparatus is configured to determine the visual activity information depending on the predetermined picture block of the current video frame and depending on the predetermined picture block of each of the one or more timely-preceding video frames and depending on a temporal high-pass filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Sebastian BOSSE, Mischa SIEKMANN, Soeren BECKER, Johannes ERFURT, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Publication number: 20220303519
    Abstract: Embodiments are described which exploit a finding, according to which a higher compression rate or better rate/distortion ratio may be achieved by adopting or predicting second coding parameters used for encoding a second view of the multi-view signal from first coding parameters used in encoding a first view of the multi-view signal. In other words, the inventors found out that the redundancies between views of a multi-view signal are not restricted to the views themselves, such as the video information thereof, but that the coding parameters in parallelly encoding these views show similarities which may be exploited in order to further improve the coding rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas WIEGAND, Detlev MARPE, Karsten MUELLER, Philipp MERKLE, Gerhard TECH, Hunn RHEE, Heiko SCHWARZ
  • Publication number: 20220286665
    Abstract: A video coding method and apparatus for codes a video in a data stream using block-based predictive coding by deriving a collection of one or more primitive predictions for a block using a set of primitive prediction modes adapted for predicting blocks of a picture of the video. Each primitive prediction in the collection of primitive predictions is derived using a respective primitive prediction mode from the set of primitive prediction modes. A composite prediction signal for the block is composed by combining primitive predictions from the collection of one or more primitive predictions, and the block is predicted using the composite prediction signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Wiegand, Detlev Marpe, Heiko Schwarz, Martin Winken, Christian Bartnik, Jonathan Pfaff, Philipp Helle, Mischa Siekmann
  • Patent number: 11431352
    Abstract: An arithmetic encoder for encoding a plurality of symbols having symbol values is configured to derive an interval size information for an arithmetic encoding of one or more symbol values to be encoded based on a plurality of state variable values representing statistics of a plurality of previously encoded symbol values with different adaptation time constants. The arithmetic encoder is configured to map a first state variable value, or a scaled and/or rounded version thereof, using a lookup-table and to map a second state variable value, or a scaled and/or rounded version thereof using the lookup-table, in order to obtain the interval size information describing an interval size for the arithmetic encoding of one or more symbols to be encoded. Further arithmetic encoders, arithmetic decoders, video encoders, video decoder, methods for encoding, methods for decoding and computer programs are also disclosed which are based on the same concept and on other concepts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiner Kirchhoffer, Jan Stegemann, Detlev Marpe, Paul Haase, Stefan Matlage, Christian Bartnik, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Publication number: 20220248010
    Abstract: A video decoder for decoding an encoded video signal including encoded picture data and indication data of a picture of a video to reconstruct the picture of the video is provided. The video decoder includes an interface configured for receiving the encoded video signal, and a data decoder configured for reconstructing the picture of the video by decoding the encoded picture data using the indication data. The picture is partitioned into a plurality of coding areas. One or more coding areas of the plurality of coding areas include two or more coding tree units of the plurality of coding tree units, wherein each coding area of the one or more coding areas which includes two or more coding tree units exhibits a coding order for the two or more coding tree units of the coding area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Valeri George, Tobias Hinz, Jackie Ma, Yago Sánchez De La Fuente, Robert Skupin, Thomas Schierl, Jens Brandenburg, Christian Lehmann, Adam Wieckowski, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 11405050
    Abstract: Decomposing a value range of the respective syntax elements into a sequence of n partitions with coding the components of z laying within the respective partitions separately with at least one by VLC coding and with at least one by PIPE or entropy coding is used to greatly increase the compression efficiency at a moderate coding overhead since the coding scheme used may be better adapted to the syntax element statistics. Accordingly, syntax elements are decomposed into a respective number n of source symbols si with i=1 . . . n, the respective number n of source symbols depending on as to which of a sequence of n partitions into which a value range of the respective syntax elements is sub-divided, a value z of the respective syntax elements falls into, so that a sum of values of the respective number of source symbols si yields z, and, if n>1, for all i=1 . . . n?1, the value of si corresponds to a range of the ith partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Detlev Marpe, Tung Nguyen, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 11405635
    Abstract: A proposed intermediate way of handling the renderable portion of the first view results in more efficient coding. Instead of omitting the coding of the renderable portion completely, even more efficient coding of multi-view signals entails merely suppressing the coding of the residual signal within the renderable portion, whereas the prediction parameter coding still takes place from the non-renderable portion of the multi-view signal across the renderable portion so that prediction parameters for the renderable portion may be exploited for predicting parameters for the non-renderable portion. The additional coding rate for transmitting the prediction parameters for the renderable portion may be kept low as this merely aims at forming a continuation of the parameter history across the renderable portion to serve as a basis for prediction parameters of other portions of the multi-view signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Sebastian Bosse, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand, Tobias Hinz
  • Publication number: 20220239924
    Abstract: Arithmetic encoder for encoding a plurality of symbols is configured to derive an interval size information for an arithmetic encoding of one or more symbol values to be encoded on the basis of one or more state variable value, in a first mode of operation, and to update the one or more state variable values and/or the interval size information for an encoding of one or more subsequent symbol values to be encoded in the first mode; in a second mode, the arithmetic encoder is configured to disable an update of the one or more state variable values and/or of the interval size information. Additionally, further embodiments of arithmetic encoders and decoders and video encoders and decoders are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Heiner KIRCHHOFFER, Detlev MARPE, Benjamin BROSS, Phan Hoang Tung NGUYEN, Christian RUDAT, Heiko SCHWARZ, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Patent number: 11395013
    Abstract: Coding schemes for coding a spatially sampled information signal using sub-division and coding schemes for coding a sub-division or a multitree structure are described, wherein representative embodiments relate to picture and/or video coding applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Heiner Kirchhoffer, Martin Winken, Philipp Helle, Detlev Marpe, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Publication number: 20220217418
    Abstract: A more effective coding/decoding of a sequence of information values and, for instance, one which enables implementations of increased processing speed, is achieved by rendering the binarization of the information values dependent on previously coded/decoded information values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Heiko SCHWARZ, Anastasia HENKEL, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Publication number: 20220217316
    Abstract: The usual coding order according to which the reference view is coded prior to the dependent view, and within each view, a depth map is coded subsequent to the respective picture, may be maintained and does lead to a sacrifice of efficiency in performing inter-view redundancy removal by, for example, predicting motion data of the current picture of the dependent view from motion data of the current picture of the reference view. Rather, a depth map estimate of the current picture of the dependent view is obtained by warping the depth map of the current picture of the reference view into the dependent view, thereby enabling various methods of inter-view redundancy reduction more efficiently by bridging the gap between the views.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Heiko SCHWARZ, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Publication number: 20220210418
    Abstract: Decoder for decoding a residual signal from a data stream, configured to decode, from the data stream, a quantized prediction residual and at least one quantization error compensation signal; scale the quantized prediction residual to determine a scaled prediction residual; determine a reconstructed prediction residual based on the scaled prediction residual and the at least one quantization error compensation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin BROSS, Phan Hoang Tung NGUYEN, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Patent number: 11363268
    Abstract: Coding quantization parameter variation or adaptation is made more effective by basing the determination of a coding quantization parameter for a predetermined block of the picture on a dispersion of a statistical sample value distribution of a high-pass filtered version of the predetermined block. The usage of the high-pass filtered version of the predetermined block as a basis for the determination of the dispersion instead of using, for instance, the un-filtered or original version of the predetermined block assists in a better adaptation of the resulting coding quantization parameter variation across the picture to the human visual system. Alternatively or additionally, coding quantization parameter variation or adaptation across a picture is made more efficient by a control of coding quantization parameter variation/adaptation across a picture in a manner dependent on a prediction of the actual dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Thomas Wiegand, Adam Wieckowski, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Sebastian Bosse, Benjamin Bross
  • Patent number: 11363308
    Abstract: Coding schemes for coding a spatially sampled information signal using sub-division and coding schemes for coding a sub-division or a multitree structure are described, wherein representative embodiments relate to picture and/or video coding applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: GE Video Compression, LLC
    Inventors: Heiner Kirchhoffer, Martin Winken, Philipp Helle, Detlev Marpe, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 11363259
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect, an improved compression efficiency is achieved by letting a block-wise picture codec support a set of intra-prediction modes according to which the intra-prediction signal for a current block of a picture is determined by applying a set of neighboring samples of the current block onto a neural network. A second aspect of the present application is that, additionally or alternatively to the spending of neural network-based intra-prediction modes, the mode selection may be rendered more effective by the usage of a neural network dedicated to determine a rank or a probability value for each of the set of intra-prediction modes by applying a set of neighboring samples thereonto with the rank or probability value being used for the selection of one intra-prediction mode out of the plurality of intra-prediction modes including or coinciding with the set of intra-prediction modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., München
    Inventors: Jonathan Pfaff, Philipp Helle, Dominique Maniry, Thomas Wiegand, Wojciech Samek, Stephan Kaltenstadler, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Mischa Siekmann, Martin Winken
  • Publication number: 20220159228
    Abstract: A gain in multi-view coding is achieved as follows: the residual signal involved with coding a dependent view of the multi-view signal is predicted from a reference residual signal of the current picture of the reference view using block-granular disparity-compensated prediction, i.e. using disparity compensated prediction with a disparity defined at, and varying with, block granularity so that each block of the current picture of the dependent view has its own disparity displacement such as its own disparity vector, associated therewith. In other words, a remaining similarity between the residual signal involved with predictively coding the reference view is used in order to predict the residual signal involved with predictively coding the dependent view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Heiko SCHWARZ, Thomas WIEGAND, Martin WINKEN