Abstract: A block prediction search method includes at least following steps: utilizing a data buffer to store bit-depth reduced sample values of a plurality of samples in a first pixel line; detecting occurrence of an edge in the first pixel line according to restored sample values derived from stored sample values in the data buffer; and determining a block prediction vector for a pixel group in a second pixel line different from the first pixel line, wherein the block prediction vector is determined based at least partly on a last edge count value indicative of a number of samples in the first pixel line that have gone by since the edge occurs.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: combining a padding region with a picture, wherein any padding pixel included in the padding region is assigned with a predetermined pixel value; and encoding the picture having the padding region combined therewith. For example, the padding region is directly below a bottom edge of the picture. For another example, all of padding pixels included in the padding region have the same pixel value.

Abstract: A buffer device is used by a compressor/decompressor with block prediction for storing information needed to encode/decode a pixel line. Vector information (e.g., final block prediction vector information and/or partial block prediction vector information) of at least one later pixel group is computed while a current pixel group is being encoded/decoded. The buffer device does not need to store vector information of all pixel groups of one pixel line at the same time. For example, one pixel line is composed of M pixel groups; and when the compressor/decompressor is encoding/decoding the current pixel line, final/partial vector information sets of at most K pixel groups are allowed to be stored in the buffer device simultaneously, where K is a positive integer smaller than M.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes a storage element and a clock controller. The storage element has storage partitions, including a first storage partition and a second storage partition. The clock controller controls clock driving of the first storage partition and the second storage partition. When a processing circuit is configured to operate in a first condition to process a first data sample with a first bit width, the clock controller enables clock driving of both of the first storage partition and the second storage partition. When the processing circuit is configured to operate in a second condition to process a second data sample with a second bit width, the clock controller enables clock driving of the first storage partition and disables clock driving of the second storage partition.

Abstract: An image processing method includes at least the following steps: partitioning a picture into a plurality of slices, wherein each slice row in the picture includes at least one slice; generating a compressed picture by encoding each of the slices; and controlling at least one of start of transmission of encoded data of a slice row and end of the transmission of encoded data of the slice row according to a transmission synchronization event.

Abstract: An intra prediction method includes: based on a specific transform unit size, estimating a plurality of best intra prediction modes of a plurality of second blocks, wherein a first block is composed of the second blocks, the first block supports a first block configuration and a second block configuration, the first block configuration represents a size of the first block, and the second block configuration represents a size of each second block; and checking similarity of the best intra prediction modes of the second blocks for selectively replacing the second block configuration by the first block configuration for the first block.

Abstract: A method of browsing multimedia files having a plurality of attribute information. Each of the plurality of attribute information is utilized for indicating a corresponding characteristic of the multimedia files. The method comprises: providing a browser comprising a user interface having multi-level hierarchical menus, each menu comprising at least a menu icon representing a group of the multimedia files which certain attribute information of the group of multimedia files are the same, wherein each of the menu icon is able to initiate a next level menu, or to initiate playing a target multimedia file; and playing the target multimedia file if the menu icon for initiating playing the target multimedia file has been activated.

Abstract: An image processing method includes at least following steps: partitioning a picture into a plurality of picture regions, wherein each picture region comprises at least one pixel group row, each pixel group row comprises at least one pixel group, and the picture regions comprise a first picture region and a second picture region horizontally adjacent to each other; and performing flatness check upon a specific pixel group in a pixel group row of the first picture region through using at least one pixel borrowed from the second picture region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loop processing of reconstructed video in an encoder system are disclosed. The loop processing comprises an in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The filter parameters for the adaptive filter are derived from the pre-in-loop video data so that the adaptive filter processing can be applied to the in-loop processed video data without the need of waiting for completion of the in-loop filter processing for a picture or an image unit. In another embodiment, two adaptive filters derive their respective adaptive filter parameters based on the same pre-in-loop video data. In yet another embodiment, a moving window is used for image-unit-based coding system incorporating in-loop filter and one or more adaptive filters. The in-loop filter and the adaptive filter are applied to a moving window of pre-in-loop video data comprising one or more sub-regions from corresponding one or more image units.

Abstract: One exemplary video encoding method has the following steps: determining a size of a parallel motion estimation region according to encoding related information; and encoding a plurality of pixels by at least performing motion estimation based on the size of the parallel motion estimation region. One exemplary video decoding method has the following steps: decoding a video parameter stream to obtain a decoded size of a parallel motion estimation region; checking validity of the decoded size of the parallel motion estimation region, and accordingly generating a checking result; when the checking result indicates that the decoded size of the parallel motion estimation region is invalid, entering an error handling process to decide a size of the parallel motion estimation; and decoding a plurality of pixels by at least performing motion estimation based on the decided size of the parallel motion estimation region.

Abstract: An image processing method includes at least following steps: partitioning a picture into a plurality of picture regions, wherein each picture region comprises at least one pixel group row, each pixel group row comprises at least one pixel group, and the picture regions comprise a first picture region and a second picture region horizontally adjacent to each other; and performing flatness check upon a specific pixel group in a pixel group row of the first picture region through using at least one pixel borrowed from the second picture region.

Abstract: Methods for determining reference type of each image unit and adjusting the corresponding lambda table of the reference type are disclosed. Embodiments according to the invention are used to improve the quality of video compression or reduce the requirement of memory buffer, memory power or computation power. The reference type is determined based on the encoder system information or image unit information. The frame/slice type structure of a video sequence is adjusted according to the image unit information of encoded frames or together with input frames. By fine-tuning the mode decision process, the coding efficiency can be improved. The mode decision process is modified by adaptively adjusting the lambda table. The lambda table is adaptively determined according to the conventional image unit type (such as Intra coded, predicted or bi-directional predicted type) and the reference type determined.

Abstract: Method is disclosed for reducing frame buffer, stream buffer, reconstruction buffer, or latency associated with frame buffer compression in an encoder or decoder with multiple slices of an image frame. The image frame is divided into multiple slices vertically, horizontally or both. One core compressor or decompressor can be used to process two or more slices. The encoding and decoding of two or more slices may be performed in parallel. Instead of encoding an entire slice, the encoder compresses only partial data of one slice before encoding another slice. According to one embodiment, each slice is divided into two or more partitions. The encoder is switched to another slice after encoding one partition of one slice. In another embodiment, the encoder is switched to another slice based the information related to the coding status. The decoding order may be same as the encoding order.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing transform coefficients for a video coder or encoder is disclosed in the present invention. Embodiments according to the present invention reduce the storage requirement for sign bit hiding (SBH), improve the parallelism of SBH processing or simplify parity checking. Partial quantized transform coefficients (QTCs) of a transform block may be processed before all QTCs of the transform block are received. Zero and non-zero QTCs of a scan block may be processed concurrently and the QTCs of multiple scan blocks in a transform block may also be processed concurrently when computing cost function for SBH compensation. The range for searching for a value-modification QTC may be less than the scan block to be processed. Parity checking on QTCs may be based on least significant bits (LSBs) of all QTCs or all non-zero QTCs of a scan block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding of video data incorporating loop filtering are disclosed. The method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention determines an initial loop filter level for a frame of the video data according to quality setting of the frame. The information associated with the initial loop filter level is incorporated in the bitstream corresponding to compressed video data. The loop filtering is applied to a macroblock without the need to wait for the whole frame reconstruction to complete. In another embodiment according to the present invention, the initial loop filter level may be refined according to stability associated with the frame. In yet another embodiment according to the present invention, the method may include determining whether segment mode is on or off and determining a frame-level or segment-level initial loop filter level accordingly.

Abstract: A method of binarizing an input symbol using a hybrid Truncated Rice/k-th order exp-Golomb binarization scheme with a Rice Parameter includes: determining a threshold; comparing the input symbol with the threshold; constructing a codeword using a Truncated Rice (TR) binarization process for the input symbol when a comparison result belongs to a first type of comparison result; and constructing a codeword with an initial prefix and a suffix for the input symbol when the comparison result belongs to a second type of comparison result; wherein the suffix is constructed using an exp-Golomb binarization process.

Abstract: An image processing method includes at least the following steps: partitioning a picture into a plurality of slices, wherein each slice row in the picture includes at least one slice; generating a compressed picture by encoding each of the slices; and controlling at least one of start of transmission of encoded data of a slice row and end of the transmission of encoded data of the slice row according to a transmission synchronization event.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: combining a padding region with a picture, wherein any padding pixel included in the padding region is assigned with a predetermined pixel value; and encoding the picture having the padding region combined therewith. For example, the padding region is directly below a bottom edge of the picture. For another example, all of padding pixels included in the padding region have the same pixel value.

Abstract: Data access methods are provided. The method includes: acquiring a data array which is partitioned into a plurality of regions; and for each of the regions, writing a plurality of data units representing the region into a segment of a memory device and recording both of length information and data arrangement information corresponding to the region, wherein a burst length of a burst access performed on the data units representing the region is defined according to the length information.

Abstract: An image encoding method with rate control includes at least the following steps: defining a plurality of candidate bit budgets corresponding to different pre-defined maximum encoded bit lengths for one coding unit respectively; when encoding pixel data of a plurality of pixels within a current coding unit of an access unit of a frame, determining a target bit budget selected from the candidate bit budgets and allocating the target bit budget to the current coding unit; and outputting encoded pixel data of the pixels within the current coding unit that is generated from the encoder, wherein a bit length of the encoded pixel data is smaller than or equal to the target bit budget.