Abstract: A method and apparatus of depth coding using depth modelling mode 1 (DMM1) are disclosed to reduce the wedgelet pattern table size. In one embodiment, a size-reduced wedgelet pattern for a reduced wedgelet pattern table is generated by excluding at least one non-corner adjacent-edge sample for adjacent-edge partition or at least one opposite-edge sample for opposite-edge partition from starting positions or from ending positions. The reduced wedgelet pattern table may also include at least one omitted wedgelet pattern in at least one wedgelet direction category. For the adjacent-edge partition, the starting positions and the ending positions may correspond to every other even non-corner adjacent-edge samples in a first and a second adjacent edges respectively. For the opposite-edge partition, the starting positions correspond to every other even opposite-edge samples in a first opposite edge and the ending positions include all opposite-edge samples in a second opposite edge.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video encoding or decoding for a video encoding or decoding system applied to multi-face sequences corresponding to a 360-degree virtual reality sequence are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, at least one face sequence of the multi-face sequences is encoded or decoded using face-independent coding, where the face-independent coding encodes or decodes a target face sequence using prediction reference data derived from previous coded data of the target face sequence only. Furthermore, one or more syntax elements can be signaled in a video bitstream at an encoder side or parsed from the video bitstream at a decoder side, where the syntax elements indicate first information associated with a total number of faces in the multi-face sequences, second information associated with a face index for each face-independent coded face sequence, or both the first information and the second information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video encoding or decoding for a video encoding or decoding system applied to multi-face sequences corresponding to a 360-degree virtual reality sequence are disclosed. According the present invention, one or more multi-face sequences representing the 360-degree virtual reality sequence are derived. If Inter prediction is selected for a current block in a current face, one virtual reference frame is derived for each face of said one or more multi-face sequences by assigning one target reference face to a center of said one virtual reference frame and connecting neighboring faces of said one target reference face to said one target reference face at boundaries of said one target reference face. Then, the current block in the current face is encoded or decoded using a current virtual reference frame derived for the current face to derive an Inter predictor for the current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for three-dimensional video coding, multi-view video coding and scalable video coding are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention use two stage motion data compression to reduce motion data buffer requirement. A first-stage motion data compression is applied after each texture picture or depth map is coded to reduce motion data buffer requirement. Accordingly, first compressed motion data is stored in reduced resolution in the buffer to reduce storage requirement and the first compressed motion data is used for coding process of other texture pictures or depth maps in the same access unit. After all pictures in an access unit are coded, motion data associated with the access unit is further compressed and the second compressed motion data is used during coding process of pictures in other access unit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of processing cube face images are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more discontinuous boundaries within each assembled cubic frame are determined and used for selective filtering, where the filtering process is skipped at said one or more discontinuous boundaries within each assembled cubic frame when the filtering process is enabled. Furthermore, the filtering process is applied to one or more continuous areas in each assembled cubic frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inter-view ARP (advanced residual prediction) are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a first inter-view reference block of a first inter-view reference picture in a first reference view is determined using a current MV (motion vector) of the current block in an inter-view direction. A first MV associated with the first inter-view reference block is derived. If the first MV points to a second inter-view reference picture in a second reference view, the derived MV is set to a default derived MV. A second temporal reference block in the second temporal reference picture corresponding to the current block is identified using the derived MV. An inter-view residual predictor corresponding to the difference between a second inter-view reference block in the first reference view and the second temporal reference block is generated and used as a predictor for the current inter-view residual of the current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for three-dimensional video coding or multi-view video coding are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention derive a unified disparity vector from depth information for Inter mode and Skip/Direct mode. The unified disparity vector is derived from a subset of depth samples in an associated depth block corresponding to the current block using a unified derivation method. The unified derivation method is applied in Inter mode, Skip mode, or Direct mode when a disparity vector derived from depth data is required for encoding or decoding. The unified disparity vector can also be applied to derive a disparity vector for locating a corresponding block, and thus an inter-view motion vector candidate can be determined for Skip mode or Direct mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus or video coding or processing for an image sequence corresponding to virtual reality (VR) video are disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, a padded area outside one cubic face frame boundary of one cubic face frame is padded to form a padded cubic face frame using one or more extended cubic faces, where at least one boundary cubic face in said one cubic face frame has one padded area using pixel data derived from one extended cubic face in a same cubic face frame.

Abstract: A method of signaling depth-based block partitioning (DBBP) for multi-view or three-dimensional (3D) video coding is disclosed. In one embodiment, the DBBP flag is signaled for all candidate prediction modes of the current texture coding unit including a non-2N×N partition mode. The group of candidate prediction modes may consist of 2N×N partition mode and N×2N partition mode. If the DBBP flag indicates the DBBP being used for the current texture coding unit, DBBP encoding is applied to the current texture coding unit or DBBP decoding is applied to one or more PUs associated with the current texture coding unit to recover the current texture coding unit. If the DBBP flag indicates the DBBP being not used for the current texture coding unit, a prediction partition mode is signaled at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side from a CU (coding unit) level of the bitstream.

Abstract: An exemplary method for processing an input bitstream having a plurality of video frames includes the following steps: deriving an indication data from decoding of a current video frame, and controlling a video decoder to decode or skip a next video frame by referring to at least the indication data and a video decoder capability of the video decoder. A signal processing apparatus for processing an input bitstream including a plurality of video frames includes a video decoder, an indication data estimating unit, and a controller. The video decoder is arranged to decode a current video frame. The indication data estimating unit is for deriving an indication data from decoding of the current video frame. The controller is for controlling the video decoder to decode or skip a next video frame by referring to at least the indication data and a video decoder capability of the video decoder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for three-dimensional or multi-view video encoding and decoding using VSP (view synthesis prediction) with uniform sub-block partition are disclosed. For a current texture block comprising multiple partition blocks, the system derives a single partition decision and partitions each partition block of the current texture block into multiples sub-blocks according to the single partition decision. The VSP processing is then applied to each sub-block to derive the inter-view prediction using VSP. The single partition decision is derived using depth samples of the depth block in a reference view.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional or multi-view video coding receives input data associated with a current block of a current picture in a current dependent view, wherein the current block is inter-time coded based on an inter-time reference block located by a motion vector (MV), determines estimated DV (disparity vector) candidates from neighboring DVs, applies an evaluation function to the estimated DV candidates to obtain evaluation results for the estimated DV candidates, and selects a final estimated DV. The method then determines an inter-view reference region in an inter-view reference picture, determines first pseudo residues, wherein the first pseudo residues correspond to first differences between the inter-view reference region and a pseudo reference region in a pseudo reference picture located by the MV, and applies encoding or decoding to the input data associated with residues of the current block utilizing the first pseudo residues.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of processing omnidirectional images are disclosed. According to one method, a current set of omnidirectional images converted from each spherical image in a 360-degree panoramic video sequence using a selected projection format is received, where the selected projection format belongs to a projection format group comprising a cubicface format, and the current set of omnidirectional images with the cubicface format consists of six cubic faces. If the selected projection format corresponds to the cubicface format, one or more mapping syntax elements to map the current set of omnidirectional images into a current cubemap image are signaled. The coded data are then provided in a bitstream including said one or more mapping syntax elements for the current set of omnidirectional images.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving a motion vector predictor (MVP) for a motion vector (MV) of a current block of a current picture in Inter, or Merge, or Skip mode. The method selects a co-located block corresponding to a co-located picture, receives one or more reference motion vectors (MVs) of one or more co-located reference blocks associated with the co-located block, and determines a search set that includes one or more search MVs associated with said one or more co-located reference blocks. The method further determines a search order for the search set having an order associated with a reference list attribute for a first search MV and a second search MV associated with an identical co-located reference block. Finally, the method determines the MVP for the current block based on the search set and the search order, and provides the MVP for the current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying filter to Intra prediction samples are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a filter is applied to one or more prediction samples of the Initial Intra prediction block to form one or more filtered prediction samples. For example, the filter is applied to the prediction sample in the non-boundary locations of the Initial Intra prediction block. Alternatively, the filter is applied to all prediction samples in the Initial Intra prediction block. The filtered Intra prediction block comprising one or more filtered prediction samples is used as a predictor for Intra prediction encoding or decoding of the current block. The filter corresponds to a FIR (finite impulse response) filter or an IIR (infinite impulse response) filter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving directional-priority based candidates for a block coded in Inter, or Merge or Skip mode are disclosed. One or more motion vectors associated with one or more previously coded blocks for a current block are determined first. One or more directional-priority based candidates for the current block are derived by searching through the previously coded blocks according to a priority order associated with prediction direction of the motion vectors. The motion vectors having a first prediction direction are selected with a higher priority than the motion vectors having a second prediction direction. The derived directional-priority based candidates are inserted into a candidate list. The motion vector predictor (MVP) or Merge/Skip candidate is selected from the candidate list for coding the current block in Inter, or Merge or Skip mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of depth coding using depth modelling mode 1 (DMM1) are disclosed to reduce the wedgelet pattern table size. In one embodiment, a size-reduced wedgelet pattern for a reduced wedgelet pattern table is generated by excluding at least one non-corner adjacent-edge sample for adjacent-edge partition or at least one opposite-edge sample for opposite-edge partition from starting positions or from ending positions. The reduced wedgelet pattern table may also include at least one omitted wedgelet pattern in at least one wedgelet direction category. For the adjacent-edge partition, the starting positions and the ending positions may correspond to every other even non-corner adjacent-edge samples in a first and a second adjacent edges respectively. For the opposite-edge partition, the starting positions correspond to every other even opposite-edge samples in a first opposite edge and the ending positions include all opposite-edge samples in a second opposite edge.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for denoising a reconstructed picture. The method can include receiving reconstructed video data corresponding to a picture, dividing the picture into current patches, forming patch groups each including a current patch and a number of reference patches that are similar to the current patch, denoising the patch groups to modify pixel values of the patch groups to create a filtered picture, and generating a reference picture based on the filtered picture for encoding or decoding a picture. The operation of denoising the patch groups includes deriving a variance of compression noise in the respective patch group based on a compression noise model. A selection of model parameters is determined based on coding unit level information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of deriving a motion vector predictor (MVP) for a current MV of a current block in Inter, Merge or Skip mode are disclosed based on motion vector (MV) attribute search. The system determines first MV attribute search comprising whether a given MV pointing to the target reference picture in the given reference list, or whether the given MV pointing to the target reference picture in other reference list, and determines second MV attribute search comprising whether the given MV pointing to other reference pictures in the given reference list, or whether the given MV pointing to the other reference pictures in the other reference list. The MVP for the current block is then determined from the neighboring blocks according to a search order.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for 3D (three-dimensional) and multi-view video encoding or decoding of dependent-view texture or depth data using Merge mode with modified list size according to one or more 3D enabling flags are disclosed. An extra-candidate-number indicating one or more extra Merge candidates for the current block is determined according to one or more 3D enabling flags comprising a VSP (view synthesis prediction) flag. A modified list size for a 3D Merge list corresponding to a sum of the extra-candidate-number and an original list size is determined. The 3D Merge list with the modified list size is then determined based on original Merge candidates used to derive the base-view Merge list for video data in a base view and one or more 3D Merge candidates as enabled by the 3D enabling flags according to a priority order.