Patents by Inventor Minhua Zhou

Minhua Zhou 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).

  • Method and system for lossless coding mode in video coding
    Patent number: 11190776
    Abstract: A method for coding a video sequence is provided that includes encoding a portion of a picture in the video sequence in lossless coding mode, and signaling a lossless coding indicator in a compressed bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to the portion of a picture and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded. A method for decoding a compressed video bit stream is provided that includes determining that lossless coding mode is enabled, decoding a lossless coding indicator from the compressed video bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to a portion of a picture in the compressed video bit stream and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded, and decoding the portion of the picture in lossless coding mode when the lossless coding indicator indicates the portion of the picture is losslessly coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • Method and system for lossless coding mode in video coding
    Patent number: 11184623
    Abstract: A method for coding a video sequence is provided that includes encoding a portion of a picture in the video sequence in lossless coding mode, and signaling a lossless coding indicator in a compressed bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to the portion of a picture and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded. A method for decoding a compressed video bit stream is provided that includes determining that lossless coding mode is enabled, decoding a lossless coding indicator from the compressed video bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to a portion of a picture in the compressed video bit stream and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded, and decoding the portion of the picture in lossless coding mode when the lossless coding indicator indicates the portion of the picture is losslessly coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONSRAINING SLICE HEADER PROCESSING OVERHEAD IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210360287
    Abstract: A method for encoding a picture of a video sequence in a bit stream that constrains slice header processing overhead is provided. The method includes computing a maximum slice rate for the video sequence, computing a maximum number of slices for the picture based on the maximum slice rate, and encoding the picture wherein a number of slices used to encode the picture is enforced to be no more than the maximum number of slices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONSTRAINING TILE PROCESSING OVERHEAD IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210360241
    Abstract: A method for encoding a picture of a video sequence in a bit stream that constrains tile processing overhead is provided. The method includes computing a maximum tile rate for the video sequence, computing a maximum number of tiles for the picture based on the maximum tile rate, and encoding the picture wherein a number of tiles used to encode the picture is enforced to be no more than the maximum number of tiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) Parameter Signaling
    Publication number: 20210321143
    Abstract: Techniques for signaling of sample adaptive offset (SAO) information that may reduce the coding rate for signaling such information in the compressed bit stream are provided. More specifically, techniques are provided that allow SAO information common to two or more of the color components to be signaled using one or more syntax elements (flags or indicators) representative of the common information. These techniques reduce the need to signal SAO information separately for each color component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Woo-Shik Kim, Do-Kyoung Kwon, Minhua Zhou
  • TEMPORAL MOTION DATA CANDIDATE DERIVATION IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210314561
    Abstract: A method for derivation of a temporal motion data (TMD) candidate for a prediction unit (PU) in video encoding or video decoding is provided. The derived TMD candidate is for inclusion in an inter-prediction candidate list for the PU. The method includes determining a primary TMD position relative to a co-located PU in a co-located largest coding unit (LCU), wherein the co-located PU is a block in a reference picture having a same size, shape, and coordinates as the PU, and selecting at least some motion data of a secondary TMD position as the TMD candidate when the primary TMD position is in a bottom neighboring LCU or in a bottom right neighboring LCU of the co-located LCU, wherein the secondary TMD position is determined relative to the co-located PU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • SAMPLE ADAPTIVE OFFSET (SAO) PARAMETER SIGNALING
    Publication number: 20210266606
    Abstract: A method for sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering and SAO parameter signaling in a video encoder is provided that includes determining SAO parameters for largest coding units (LCUs) of a reconstructed picture, wherein the SAO parameters include an indicator of an SAO filter type and a plurality of SAO offsets, applying SAO filtering to the reconstructed picture according to the SAO parameters, and entropy encoding LCU specific SAO information for each LCU of the reconstructed picture in an encoded video bit stream, wherein the entropy encoded LCU specific SAO information for the LCUs is interleaved with entropy encoded data for the LCUs in the encoded video bit stream. Determining SAO parameters may include determining the LCU specific SAO information to be entropy encoded for each LCU according to an SAO prediction protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Vivienne Sze, Madhukar Budagavi, Woo-Shik Kim, Do-Kyoung Kwon, Minhua Zhou
  • INTER-PREDICTION CANDIDATE INDEX CODING INDEPENDENT OF INTER-PREDICTION CANDIDATE LIST CONSTRUCTION IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210250601
    Abstract: Methods are provided for inter-prediction candidate index coding independent of the construction of the corresponding inter-prediction candidate list, i.e., a merging candidate list or an advanced motion vector predictor list. A maximum allowed number of inter-prediction candidates for an inter-prediction candidate list is used for encoding the inter-prediction candidate index in an encoded bit stream. The maximum allowed number may be pre-determined or may be selected by the encoder and encoded in the bit stream. A decoder may then decode the index using the maximum allowed number of inter-prediction candidates independent of the construction of the corresponding inter-prediction candidate list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • LINE-BASED COMPRESSION FOR DIGITAL IMAGE DATA
    Publication number: 20210250607
    Abstract: A method of compressing digital image data is provided that includes selecting an entropy code for encoding a line of pixels in the digital image data, wherein the entropy code is selected from a plurality of variable length entropy codes, using spatial prediction to compute a pixel predictor and a pixel residual for a pixel in the line of pixels, and selectively encoding the pixel residual using one of the entropy code or run mode encoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Madhukar Budagavi, Minhua Zhou
  • Method and system for lossless coding mode in video coding
    Patent number: 11076163
    Abstract: A method for coding a video sequence is provided that includes encoding a portion of a picture in the video sequence in lossless coding mode, and signaling a lossless coding indicator in a compressed bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to the portion of a picture and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded. A method for decoding a compressed video bit stream is provided that includes determining that lossless coding mode is enabled, decoding a lossless coding indicator from the compressed video bit stream, wherein the lossless coding indicator corresponds to a portion of a picture in the compressed video bit stream and indicates whether or not the portion of the picture is losslessly coded, and decoding the portion of the picture in lossless coding mode when the lossless coding indicator indicates the portion of the picture is losslessly coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • Sample adaptive offset (SAO) parameter signaling
    Patent number: 11076174
    Abstract: Techniques for signaling of sample adaptive offset (SAO) information that may reduce the coding rate for signaling such information in the compressed bit stream are provided. More specifically, techniques are provided that allow SAO information common to two or more of the color components to be signaled using one or more syntax elements (flags or indicators) representative of the common information. These techniques reduce the need to signal SAO information separately for each color component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Woo-Shik Kim, Do-Kyoung Kwon, Minhua Zhou
  • CONVERTING A BI-PREDICTED MERGING CANDIDATE IN A MERGING CANDIDATE LIST FOR A PREDICTION UNIT OF A PICTURE
    Publication number: 20210218979
    Abstract: Motion compensation requires a significant amount of memory bandwidth, especially for smaller prediction unit sizes. The worst case bandwidth requirements can occur when bi-predicted 4×8 or 8×4 PUs are used. To reduce the memory bandwidth requirements for such smaller PUs, methods are provided for restricting inter-coded PUs of small block sizes to be coded only in a uni-predictive mode, i.e., forward prediction or backward prediction. More specifically, PUs of specified restricted sizes in bi-predicted slices (B slices) are forced to be uni-predicted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING SLICE HEADER PARSING OVERHEAD IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210211649
    Abstract: A method for encoding a picture of a video sequence in a bit stream that reduces slice header parsing overhead is provided. The method includes determining weighting factors that may be used for weighted prediction in encoding at least one slice of the picture, wherein a total number of the weighting factors is constrained to not exceed a predetermined threshold number of weighting factors, wherein the threshold number is less than a maximum possible number of weighting factors, and signaling weighted prediction parameters including the weighting factors in a slice header in the bit stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CODING UNIT PARTITIONING
    Publication number: 20210195224
    Abstract: A method for coding unit partitioning in a video encoder is provided that includes performing intra-prediction on each permitted coding unit (CU) in a CU hierarchy of a largest coding unit (LCU) to determine an intra-prediction coding cost for each permitted CU, storing the intra-prediction coding cost for each intra-predicted CU in memory, and performing inter-prediction, prediction mode selection, and CU partition selection on each permitted CU in the CU hierarchy to determine a CU partitioning for encoding the LCU, wherein the stored intra-prediction coding costs for the CUs are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Hyung Joon Kim, Minhua Zhou, Akira Osamoto, Hideo Tamama
  • CODING UNIT QUANTIZATION PARAMETERS IN VIDEO CODING
    Publication number: 20210195194
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes receiving a coded largest coding unit in a video decoder, wherein the coded largest coding unit includes a coded coding unit structure and a plurality of coded quantization parameters, and decoding the coded largest coding unit based on the coded coding unit structure and the plurality of coded quantization parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Minhua Zhou, Mehmet Umut Demircin, Madhukar Budagavi
  • Method and apparatus for coding unit partitioning
    Patent number: 11044485
    Abstract: A method for coding unit partitioning in a video encoder is provided that includes performing intra-prediction on each permitted coding unit (CU) in a CU hierarchy of a largest coding unit (LCU) to determine an intra-prediction coding cost for each permitted CU, storing the intra-prediction coding cost for each intra-predicted CU in memory, and performing inter-prediction, prediction mode selection, and CU partition selection on each permitted CU in the CU hierarchy to determine a CU partitioning for encoding the LCU, wherein the stored intra-prediction coding costs for the CUs are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Hyung Joon Kim, Minhua Zhou, Akira Osamoto, Hideo Tamama
  • MEMORY LATENCY MANAGEMENT FOR DECODER-SIDE MOTION REFINEMENT
    Publication number: 20210185343
    Abstract: A system includes memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor processes a received bitstream to generate quantized data and control data. The process also generate decoded motion data based on a portion of the control data, fetches one or more reference blocks associated with a current prediction unit (PU) of a DPR based on the decoded motion data and generates refined motion data based on the decoded motion data and the one or more reference blocks. The processor further generates one or more inter-prediction blocks based on the refined motion data and the one or more reference blocks by performing a motion compensation operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventor: Minhua ZHOU
  • Inter-prediction candidate index coding independent of inter-prediction candidate list construction in video coding
    Patent number: 11025941
    Abstract: Methods are provided for inter-prediction candidate index coding independent of the construction of the corresponding inter-prediction candidate list, i.e., a merging candidate list or an advanced motion vector predictor list. A maximum allowed number of inter-prediction candidates for an inter-prediction candidate list is used for encoding the inter-prediction candidate index in an encoded bit stream. The maximum allowed number may be pre-determined or may be selected by the encoder and encoded in the bit stream. A decoder may then decode the index using the maximum allowed number of inter-prediction candidates independent of the construction of the corresponding inter-prediction candidate list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou
  • Sample adaptive offset (SAO) parameter signaling
    Patent number: 11025960
    Abstract: A method for sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering and SAO parameter signaling in a video encoder is provided that includes determining SAO parameters for largest coding units (LCUs) of a reconstructed picture, wherein the SAO parameters include an indicator of an SAO filter type and a plurality of SAO offsets, applying SAO filtering to the reconstructed picture according to the SAO parameters, and entropy encoding LCU specific SAO information for each LCU of the reconstructed picture in an encoded video bit stream, wherein the entropy encoded LCU specific SAO information for the LCUs is interleaved with entropy encoded data for the LCUs in the encoded video bit stream. Determining SAO parameters may include determining the LCU specific SAO information to be entropy encoded for each LCU according to an SAO prediction protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Vivienne Sze, Madhukar Budagavi, Woo-Shik Kim, Do-Kyoung Kwon, Minhua Zhou
  • Video coding with trade-off between frame rate and chroma fidelity
    Patent number: 11019351
    Abstract: A video decoder or encoder can be used to convert and process different video streams having different combinations of frame rate and Chroma fidelity. Rather than setting the maximum sample rate of the encoder based on a Luma sample rate, the encoder's throughput is set based on a maximum color sample rate. Additionally, the picture buffer size can be set based on a maximum number of color pictures. An input of the video decoder receives an input video stream having a given display resolution and encoded in a first format employing a first combination of frame rate and Chroma fidelity. Processing circuitry in the decoder converts the input video stream from the first format to an output video stream having a second format, the second format having the given display resolution and employing a second combination of frame rate and Chroma fidelity different from the first combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited
    Inventor: Minhua Zhou