Abstract: An encoder for receiving a video frame and performing encoding processes to generate an encoded bitstream includes: a fidelity enhancement block, for performing a fidelity enhancement technique on processed data utilizing a partition method, and generating fidelity enhancement information comprising at least one parameter associated with a partition structure, wherein the fidelity enhancement technique comprises applying discrepancy modeling based on DC offset; and an entropy coding block, coupled to the fidelity enhancement block, for encoding the fidelity enhancement information, and embedding the encoded fidelity enhancement information into the encoded bitstream.

Abstract: A motion prediction method is provided. The method has the following steps of: determining a plurality of candidate units corresponding to a current unit of a current frame; obtaining a plurality of motion vectors of the candidate units; calculating a plurality of temporal scaling factors of the candidate units according to a plurality of temporal distances between a plurality of reference frames of the motion vectors and the current frame; scaling the motion vectors of the candidate units according to the temporal scaling factors to obtain a plurality of scaled motion vectors; and selecting a motion vector predictor for motion prediction of the current unit from the candidate units according to the scaled motion vectors.

Abstract: A method of video coding using intra prediction for a block of video data is disclosed. The intra prediction modes are ranked according to a priority order associated with the block size. One or more tables are used, where the tables ranks the intra prediction modes according to a first priority order for the block having a first block size and ranks the intra prediction modes according to a second priority order for the block having a second block size. Two or more neighboring intra prediction modes corresponding to two or more neighboring blocks are received, where each neighboring block has a neighboring block size corresponding to the first block size or the second block size. A highest-priority mode among said two or more neighboring intra prediction modes is selected as the most probable mode. The current mode is then encoded or decoded using the most probable mode as a predictor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing hybrid multihypothesis prediction during video coding of a coding unit includes: processing a plurality of sub-coding units in the coding unit; and performing disparity vector (DV) derivation when the coding unit is processed by a 3D or multi-view coding tool or performing block vector (BV) derivation when the coding unit is processed by intra picture block copy (IntraBC) mode. The step of performing DV or BV derivation includes deriving a plurality of vectors for multihypothesis motion-compensated prediction of a specific sub-coding unit from at least one other sub-coding/coding unit. The one other sub-coding/coding unit is coded before the corresponding DV or BV is derived for multihypothesis motion-compensated prediction of the specific sub-coding unit. A linear combination of a plurality of pixel values derived from the plurality of vectors is used as a predicted pixel value of the specific sub-coding unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sample adaptive offset (SAO) compensation of reconstructed video data are disclosed. In one embodiment, the relation between the current pixel and said one or more neighboring pixels is stored so that the SAO compensated current pixel can replace the current pixel without buffering the to-be-processed pixels for classification. The SAO process may be performed on a region by region basis to adapt to the local characteristics of the picture.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sample adaptive offset (SAO) to restore intensity shift of processed video data are disclosed. In an encoder side, the processed video data corresponding to reconstructed video data, deblocked-reconstructed video data, or adaptive loop filtered and deblocked-reconstructed video data are partitioned into regions smaller than a picture. The region partition information is signaled in a video bitstream located in a position before intensity offset values syntax. At the decoder side, the processed video data is partitioned into regions according to the partition information parsed from the bitstream at a position before intensity offset values syntax. Region-based SAO is applied to each region based on the intensity offset for the category of the region-based SAO type selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding including an Intra transform Skip mode is disclosed. When the transform Skip mode is ON for a transform unit, embodiments according to the present invention apply different coding processes to the transform unit. The coding process with the transform Skip mode ON uses a different scan pattern from the coding process with the transform Skip mode OFF. According to various embodiments, the transform Skip mode is enabled when the transform unit size is 4×4, the prediction unit and the transform unit having the same size, or the prediction unit uses an INTRA_N×N mode. When the transform Skip mode is enabled, a flag can be signaled in the bitstream to indicate the transform Skip mode selection. Furthermore, the flag can be incorporated in a picture level, a slice level or a sequence level of the video bitstream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inter-layer prediction for scalable video coding are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention apply inter-layer adaptive filtering to the video data derived from the reconstructed BL video data to generate inter-layer adaptive filtered data. The inter-layer adaptive filtered data is then included as prediction data to encode or decode the EL video data. The video data derived from the reconstructed BL video data is up-sampled before applying inter-layer adaptive filtering. The up-sampling may also be included in the inter-layer adaptive filtering. In another embodiment, the inter-layer adaptive filtering comprises adaptive up-sampling. For up-sampled BL video data at locations not collocated with the EL video data, the up-sampled BL video data is divided into location types according to locations of the up-sampled BL video data. Each location type may have an individual filter for up-sampling video data in the group.

Abstract: The invention provides a motion prediction method. First, a plurality of motion vector predictors is obtained to be included in a candidate set for motion prediction of a current unit of a current frame. Whether the current frame is a non-reference frame which is not referred to by other frames for motion prediction is then determined. When the current frame is not the non-reference frame, any motion vector predictor corresponding to a previously coded frame is removed from the candidate set, and a motion vector of the current unit is predicted according to the motion vector predictors of the candidate set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing context among different SAO syntax elements for a video coder are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention apply CABAC coding to multiple SAO syntax elements according to a joint context model, wherein the multiple SAO syntax elements share the joint context. The multiple SAO syntax elements may correspond to SAO merge left flag and SAO merge up flag. The multiple SAO syntax elements may correspond to SAO merge left flags or merge up flags associated with different color components. The joint context model can be derived based on joint statistics of the multiple SAO syntax elements. Embodiments of the present invention code the SAO type index using truncated unary binarization, using CABAC with only one context, or using CABAC with context mode for the first bin associated with the SAO type index and with bypass mode for any remaining bin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing information in a video coding system are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention use an information sharing flag to determine whether to share in-loop filter information in the picture level. The information sharing flag may be incorporated in the sequence level, the picture level or the slice level to indicate whether information sharing is enabled. Multiple information sharing flags may also be used to adaptively control information sharing. Furthermore, method and apparatus of using multiple Adaptation Parameter Sets (APSs) for information sharing of in-loop filters are disclosed. APS identifiers of in-loop filters may be incorporated in the slice header to allow each of the in-loop filters select respective filter information from the multiple APSs. A flag is incorporated in SPS to indicate whether multiple APS or single APS is used. Various exemplary syntax designs are disclosed to illustrate information sharing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving MVP (motion vector predictor) for Skip or Merge mode in 3D video coding are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining an MVP candidate set for a selected block and selecting one MVP from an MVP list for motion vector coding of the block. The MVP candidate set may comprise multiple spatial MVP candidates associated with neighboring blocks and one inter-view candidate, and the MVP list is selected from the MVP candidate set. The MVP list may consist of only one MVP candidate or multiple MVP candidates. If only one MVP candidate is used, there is no need to incorporate an MVP index associated with the MVP candidate in the video bitstream corresponding to the three-dimensional video coding. Also, the MVP candidate can be the first available MVP candidate from the MVP candidate set according to a pre-defined order.

Abstract: A method for performing hybrid multihypothesis prediction during video coding of a coding unit includes: processing a plurality of sub-coding units in the coding unit; and performing motion vector derivation of a portion of the sub-coding units. More particularly, the step of performing motion vector derivation of the portion of the sub-coding units further includes: deriving a plurality of motion vectors for multihypothesis motion-compensated prediction of a specific sub-coding unit of the portion of the sub-coding units from at least one other sub-coding/coding unit or by performing motion estimation. The method further includes performing multihypothesis motion-compensated prediction on the specific sub-coding unit according to the plurality of motion vectors, and more particularly, includes utilizing a linear combination of a plurality of pixel values derived from the plurality of motion vectors as a predicted pixel value of the specific sub-coding unit. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: In HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), a 2N×2N coding unit can be partitioned into various partition types hierarchically. The coding system uses a criterion to determine the best partition, where RD-rate is often used as the criterion. N×N partition at level k becomes redundant if 2N×2N at level k+1 will be evaluated. In order to eliminate the above redundancy, the allowable partition sizes are constrained according to a method previously disclosed. In the current invention, the complexity is further reduced. According to one embodiment, N×N partition is not allowed for any INTER mode regardless of the coding unit size. Furthermore, flexibility is provided so that either the method and apparatus with further complexity reduction can be selected or an alternative method and apparatus can be selected. Syntaxes to support embodiments according to the present invention are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loop filter processing of video data in a video encoder or decoder are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention conditionally allow sharing of loop filter parameters. In one embodiment, sharing of loop filter information between the current block and a neighboring block is determined according to a condition. If the condition indicates that sharing of loop filter information is allowed, a merge flag is coded and incorporated in the video bitstream in an encoder, and a merge flag is parsed from the video bitstream and decoded in a decoder. In one embodiment, the condition depends on region partitioning of the picture, where region partitioning partitions the picture into regions and the region may correspond to a slice or a tile. The condition is set to indicate that sharing of loop filter information is allowed if the block and the neighboring block are in a same slice/tile.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving a motion vector predictor (MVP) candidate set for motion vector coding of a current block. Embodiments according to the present invention determine a redundancy-removed spatial MVP candidate set by removing any redundant MVP candidate from the spatial MVP candidate set. The redundancy-removal process does not apply to the temporal MVP candidate. In another embodiment of the present invention, a redundancy-removed spatial-temporal MVP candidate set is determined and the number of candidates in the redundancy-removed spatial-temporal MVP candidate set is checked to determine whether it is smaller than a threshold. If the number of candidates is smaller than the threshold, a zero motion vector is added to the redundancy-removed spatial-temporal MVP candidate set. The redundancy-removed spatial-temporal MVP candidate set is then provided for encoding or decoding of the motion vector of the current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for luma-based chroma intra prediction for a current chroma block are disclosed. The chroma intra predictor is derived from reconstructed luma pixels of a current luma block according to the chroma sampling format. Depending on the chroma sampling format, either sub-sampling, down-sampling or no processing is applied to the reconstructed luma pixels in horizontal or vertical direction. The information associated with the chroma sampling format can be incorporated in the sequence parameter set (SPS), the picture parameter set (PPS), the adaptation parameter set (APS) or the slice header of a video bitstream.

Abstract: Provided is a triblock copolymer represented by General Formula (I): CNR-PEG-CNR??(1) or a polycation thereof, wherein each CNR is independently a polymer segment having a repeating unit containing as part of a pendant group a cyclic nitroxide radical that binds to the polymer main chain via a linking group having at least one imino group or ether bond, and PEG is a segment containing poly(ethylene glycol).

Abstract: A method for performing localized multihypothesis prediction during video coding of a coding unit includes processing the coding unit. More particularly, the step of processing the coding unit further includes: obtaining at least two sets of motion information derived from a set of coded units for multihypothesis motion compensation of the coding unit; and utilizing a linear combination of a plurality of pixel values derived from the at least two sets of motion information derived from the set of coded units as a predicted pixel value of the coding unit. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for context-adaptive Start arithmetic coding (CABAC) of a syntax element are disclosed. The bin string corresponding to a syntax element is processed by context-adaptive arithmetic coding with a reduced number of contexts using the bin-level bypass mode, bin-level context sharing, or both. The syntax element belongs to a group comprising merge_idx, ref_idx_lc/ref_idx_10/ref_idx_11, pred_type, and cu_qp_delta. In one embodiment, the syntax element corresponds to merge_idx and three bins of the bin string with bin indices corresponding to 1, 2 and 3 are coded in the bin by-pass mode. In another embodiment, the syntax element corresponds to ref_idx_lc/ref_idx_10/ref_idx_11 and one or more bins of the bin string with bin indices larger than 1 for larger than 2 are coded in the bin bypass mode.