Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Holcomb
Thomas W. Holcomb 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).
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Publication number: 20210092411Abstract: With adaptive multiple quantization, a video or other digital media codec can adaptively select among multiple quantizers to apply to transform coefficients. The switch in quantizers can be signaled at the sequence level or frame level of the bitstream syntax, or can be implicitly specified in the syntax.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: March 25, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Pohsiang Hsu, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10958916Abstract: A video codec uses fractional increments of quantization step size at high bit rates to permit a more continuous variation of quality and/or bit rate as the quantization scale changes. For high bit rate scenarios, the bit stream syntax includes an additional syntax element to specify fractional step increments (e.g., half step) of the normal quantizer scale step sizes.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan, Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin
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Patent number: 10958917Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for decoding jointly coded information. For example, a decoder decodes a variable length code [“VLC”] signaled at macroblock level that jointly represents a transform type signal level, transform type, and subblock pattern. The decoder decodes one or more VLCs signaled at block level, each jointly representing a transform type and subblock pattern. The decoder may select between multiple VLC tables for the VLCs signaled macroblock level and/or block level.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Shankar Regunathan, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10931967Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10924749Abstract: With adaptive multiple quantization, a video or other digital media codec can adaptively select among multiple quantizers to apply to transform coefficients. The switch in quantizers can be signaled at the sequence level or frame level of the bitstream syntax, or can be implicitly specified in the syntax.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Pohsiang Hsu, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10687075Abstract: Techniques and tools for sub-block transform coding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. The encoder and decoder may use different scan patterns for different transform sizes when scanning values from two-dimensional blocks into one-dimensional arrays, or vice versa. The encoder and decoder may use sub-block pattern codes to indicate the presence or absence of information for the sub-blocks of particular blocks.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 16, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin
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Publication number: 20200177891Abstract: With adaptive multiple quantization, a video or other digital media codec can adaptively select among multiple quantizers to apply to transform coefficients. The switch in quantizers can be signaled at the sequence level or frame level of the bitstream syntax, or can be implicitly specified in the syntax.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Pohsiang Hsu, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Publication number: 20200177892Abstract: A video codec uses fractional increments of quantization step size at high bit rates to permit a more continuous variation of quality and/or bit rate as the quantization scale changes. For high bit rate scenarios, the bit stream syntax includes an additional syntax element to specify fractional step increments (e.g., half step) of the normal quantizer scale step sizes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan, Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin
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Publication number: 20200177893Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for decoding jointly coded information. For example, a decoder decodes a variable length code [“VLC”] signaled at macroblock level that jointly represents a transform type signal level, transform type, and subblock pattern. The decoder decodes one or more VLCs signaled at block level, each jointly representing a transform type and subblock pattern. The decoder may select between multiple VLC tables for the VLCs signaled macroblock level and/or block level.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Shankar Regunathan, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Publication number: 20200169749Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2020Publication date: May 28, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Publication number: 20200120355Abstract: Techniques and tools for sub-block transform coding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. The encoder and decoder may use different scan patterns for different transform sizes when scanning values from two-dimensional blocks into one-dimensional arrays, or vice versa. The encoder and decoder may use sub-block pattern codes to indicate the presence or absence of information for the sub-blocks of particular blocks.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin
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Patent number: 10567791Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2019Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10531117Abstract: Techniques and tools for sub-block transform coding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. The encoder and decoder may use different scan patterns for different transform sizes when scanning values from two-dimensional blocks into one-dimensional arrays, or vice versa. The encoder and decoder may use sub-block pattern codes to indicate the presence or absence of information for the sub-blocks of particular blocks.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2018Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin
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Publication number: 20190327487Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2019Publication date: October 24, 2019Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10390037Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 10368080Abstract: Approaches to delivering video in a chroma sampling format with a higher chroma sampling rate (such as a YUV 4:4:4 format) using a video encoder and decoder that operate on video in another chroma sampling format with a lower chroma sampling rate (such as YUV 4:2:0) are described. A video decoder can recover stationary content in video at the higher chroma sampling rate, even when the video is encoded and decoded at the lower chroma sampling rate, without significantly increasing bit rate. In some example implementations, the approaches preserve chroma information from pictures in a higher-resolution chroma sampling format, while leveraging commercially available codecs adapted for a lower-resolution chroma sampling format such as YUV 4:2:0, which is widely supported in products.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chinweizu E. Owunwanne, Matthew Andrews
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Patent number: 10368074Abstract: Innovations in opportunistic frame dropping for variable-frame-rate encoding of digital video are presented. In general, a computing system selectively drops a frame when the cost of encoding the frame (e.g., in terms of use of computational resources and/or power) is expected to outweigh the benefit of encoding the frame (e.g., in terms of better quality). For example, a frame dropping module detects whether there is significant change in a given frame relative to a control frame, which is a previous frame stored in a control frame buffer. If significant change is detected, the frame dropping module stores the given frame in the control frame buffer, thereby replacing the control frame, and passes the given frame to a video encoder. Otherwise, the frame dropping module drops the given frame without replacing the control frame in the control frame buffer and without passing the given frame to the video encoder.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2016Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Shyam Sadhwani, Bakkama Srinath Reddy
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Patent number: 10341688Abstract: Various new and non-obvious apparatus and methods for using frame caching to improve packet loss recovery are disclosed. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for using periodical and synchronized frame caching within an encoder and its corresponding decoder. When the decoder discovers packet loss, it informs the encoder which then generates a frame based on one of the shared frames stored at both the encoder and the decoder. When the decoder receives this generated frame it can decode it using its locally cached frame.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2016Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Chih-Lung Lin, Minghui Xia, Pohsiang Hsu, Shankar Regunathan, Thomas W. Holcomb
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Publication number: 20190089978Abstract: Techniques and tools for sub-block transform coding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. The encoder and decoder may use different scan patterns for different transform sizes when scanning values from two-dimensional blocks into one-dimensional arrays, or vice versa. The encoder and decoder may use sub-block pattern codes to indicate the presence or absence of information for the sub-blocks of particular blocks.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2018Publication date: March 21, 2019Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin
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Publication number: 20190075317Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2018Publication date: March 7, 2019Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan