Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: Video equipment, e.g. for TV producers studios, need to display multiple channels of bit-streams simultaneously. Decoding multiple streams of high bit-rate videos is extremely computational intensive. An improved method for browsing an encoded frequency domain video sequence comprises steps of determining a spatial and/or temporal reduction level for browsing a video sequence, determining according to the determined reduction level frames, fields or parts of blocks or macroblocks to be skipped for decoding, and decoding the remaining data to a video with lower spatial and/or temporal resolution. The reduction may include adaptive partial coefficient decoding, motion vector truncation and/or simplified deblocking filtering. The reduction of spatial resolution is advantageously performed in the frequency domain, so that the inverse quantization process and the iDCT processes require less computing.

Abstract: In video/image coding, macroblocks (MBs) are often intra coded in raster scan order, starting from one seed MB. The invention improves intra prediction for optimized usage of multi-core processors. Encoding starts from multiple intra coded seed MBs per frame, and continues with adjacent MBs. A predefined prediction spread pattern (growth pattern) is used that comprises simultaneous prediction of two or more adjacent MBs per MB. Adjacent MBs with high coding cost are called “Hold-MB” and can be held from being processed, until another neighboring edge is available for prediction. Encoding comprises marking a MB with high coding cost for deferred prediction. This MB is skipped while the other MBs are encoded. When a further adjacent MB was encoded, the marked MB is predicted based on the adjacent MBs. Since a decoder receives the deferment marks and uses the same growth pattern, it follows the encoder, and predicts and decodes correctly.

Abstract: Several attempts have been tried to improve the performance of intra-prediction in video encoding and decoding, which are targeting at pixel level parallelization. A solution for implementing an improved intra-prediction method on a parallel processing platform uses estimated predictors instead of reconstructed exact predictors. This enables faster estimation of predictors, and allows an encoder to perform intra-prediction for all blocks of at least a portion of an image simultaneously.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: 3D models often have a large number of small to medium sized connected components, with small numbers of large triangles, often with arbitrary connectivity. The efficiency of compact representation of large multi-component 3D models can be improved by detecting and representing similarities between components thereof, even if the components are not exactly equal. The invention uses displacement maps for encoding two or more different but similar geometry patterns differentially, based on clustering and a cluster representative surface. A method for encoding a plurality of geometry patterns comprises detecting and encoding identical copies of geometrical patterns, detecting and clustering similar geometry patterns, and detecting partial similarity. The detecting partial similarity comprises generating a cluster representative surface, generating for at least one clustered geometry pattern a displacement map, and encoding the common surface and the displacement maps.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: A method for generating motion synthesis data from two recorded motion clips comprises transforming the motion frames to standard coordinates, separating HF motion data of the motion frames from LF motion data, determining from different motion clips at least two motion frames whose frame distance is below a threshold, and defining a transition point between the at least two motion frames, interpolating motion data between said determined motion frames separately for HF and LF motion data, and generating a motion path from three segments: one segment is transformed motion data from a first motion clip up to the transition point, one segment is the interpolated motion data, and one segment is transformed motion data from a second motion clip, starting from the transition point.

Abstract: 3D models often have a large number of small to medium sized connected components, with small numbers of large triangles, often with arbitrary connectivity. The efficiency of compact representation of large multi-component 3D models can be improved by detecting and representing similarities between components thereof, even if the components are not exactly equal. The invention uses displacement maps for encoding two or more different but similar geometry patterns differentially, based on clustering and a cluster representative surface. A method for encoding a plurality of geometry patterns comprises detecting and encoding identical copies of geometrical patterns, detecting and clustering similar geometry patterns, and detecting partial similarity. The detecting partial similarity comprises generating a cluster representative surface, generating for at least one clustered geometry pattern a displacement map, and encoding the common surface and the displacement maps.

Abstract: The invention is related to spatial diffusion in images. Spatial diffusion helps blurring small discontinuities. Edges become sharper by spatial diffusion as well. A method for generating a spatial diffused image from an input image is described wherein the method comprises applying on the input image an inverted Gaussian spatial bilateral filter with a spatial weight which takes the form of an inverted Gaussian. The inverted-Gaussian-spatial bilateral filter, which uses an inverted-Gaussian function as the kernel of spatial filter, can remove small spots in large smooth areas efficiently.

Abstract: Several attempts have been tried to improve the performance of intra-prediction in video encoding and decoding, which are targeting at pixel level parallelization. However, the prior art methods provide no solution for implementing an improved intra-prediction method on a parallel processing platform. The present invention uses estimated predictors instead of reconstructed exact predictors. This enables faster estimation of predictors, and allows an encoder to perform intra-prediction for all blocks of at least a portion of an image simultaneously. A method for encoding image data, a device for encoding image data, a method for decoding image data and a device for decoding image data are disclosed.

Abstract: Video equipment, e.g. for TV producers studios, need to display multiple channels of bit-streams simultaneously. Decoding multiple streams of high bit-rate videos is extremely computational intensive. An improved method for browsing an encoded frequency domain video sequence comprises steps of determining a spatial and/or temporal reduction level for browsing a video sequence, determining according to the determined reduction level frames, fields or parts of blocks or macroblocks to be skipped for decoding, and decoding the remaining data to a video with lower spatial and/or temporal resolution. The reduction may include adaptive partial coefficient decoding, motion vector truncation and/or simplified deblocking filtering. The reduction of spatial resolution is advantageously performed in the frequency domain, so that the inverse quantization process and the iDCT processes require less computing.

Abstract: In video/image coding, macroblocks (MBs) are often intra coded in raster scan order, starting from one seed MB. The invention improves intra prediction for optimized usage of multi-core processors. Encoding starts from multiple intra coded seed MBs per frame, and continues with adjacent MBs. A predefined prediction spread pattern (growth pattern) is used that comprises simultaneous prediction of two or more adjacent MBs per MB. Adjacent MBs with high coding cost are called “Hold-MB” and can be held from being processed, until another neighbouring edge is available for prediction. Encoding comprises marking a MB with high coding cost for deferred prediction. This MB is skipped while the other MBs are encoded. When a further adjacent MB was encoded, the marked MB is predicted based on the adjacent MBs. Since a decoder receives the deferment marks and uses the same growth pattern, it follows the encoder, and predicts and decodes correctly.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for decoding an image frame of an image frame sequence and to a corresponding decoder. The method comprises the steps of reconstructing a representation of the image frame, classifying at least one block boundary as to be either high-freq or low-freq and filtering pixels of the at least one block boundary in dependency on the classification and outputting the filtered representation. Film grain noise and/or random texture are more likely to produce high-freq boundaries. Therefore, filtering boundary pixels in dependency on frequency classification helps preserving film grain noise and random texture which are of relevance for video quality at high bit rates.

Abstract: In an implementation, a supplemental sequence parameter set (“SPS”) structure is provided that has its own network abstraction layer (“NAL”) unit type and allows transmission of layer-dependent parameters for non-base layers in an SVC environment. The supplemental SPS structure also may be used for view information in an MVC environment. In a general aspect, a structure is provided that includes (1) information (1410) from an SPS NAL unit, the information describing a parameter for use in decoding a first-layer encoding of a sequence of images, and (2) information (1420) from a supplemental SPS NAL unit having a different structure than the SPS NAL unit, and the information from the supplemental SPS NAL unit describing a parameter for use in decoding a second-layer encoding of the sequence of images. Associated methods and apparatuses are provided on the encoder and decoder sides, as well as for the signal.

Abstract: The invention is related to spatial diffusion in images. Spatial diffusion helps blurring small discontinuities. Edges become sharper by spatial diffusion as well. A method for generating a spatial diffused image from an input image is described wherein the method comprises applying on the input image an inverted Gaussian spatial bilateral filter with a spatial weight which takes the form of an inverted Gaussian. The inverted-Gaussian-spatial bilateral filter, which uses an inverted-Gaussian function as the kernel of spatial filter, can remove small spots in large smooth areas efficiently.