Abstract: Image processing techniques may accelerate coding of viewport data contained within multi-view image data. According to such techniques, an encoder may shifting content of a multi-directional image data according to the viewport location data provided by a decoder. The encoder may code the shifted multi-directional image data by predictive coding, and transmit to the decoder, the coded multi-directional image data and data identifying an amount of the shift. Doing so may move the viewport location to positions in the image data that are coded earlier than the positions that the viewport location naturally occupies and, thereby, may accelerate coding. On decode, a decoder may compare its present viewport location with viewport location data provided by the encoder with coded video data. The decoder may decode the coded video data and extract a portion of the decoded video data corresponding to a present viewport location for display.

Abstract: Techniques for cropping images containing an occlusion are presented. A method for image editing is presented comprising, when an occlusion is detected in an original digital image, determining an area occupied by the occlusion, assigning importance scores to different content elements of the original digital image, defining a cropping window around an area of the original digital image that does not include the area occupied by the occlusion and that is based on the importance scores, and cropping the original digital image to the cropping window.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for capturing high quality video data, including data having a high dynamic range, for use with conventional encoders and decoders. High dynamic range data is captured using multiple groups of pixels where each group is captured using different exposure times to create groups of pixels. The pixels that are captured at different exposure times may be determined adaptively based on the content of the image, the parameters of the encoding system, or on the available resources within the encoding system. The transition from single exposure to using two different exposure times may be implemented gradually.

Abstract: A method for processing media assets includes, given a first media asset, deriving characteristics from the first media asset, searching for other media assets having characteristics that correlate to the characteristics of the first media asset, when a match is found, deriving content corrections for the first media asset or a matching media asset from the other of the first media asset or the matching media asset, and correcting content of the first media asset or the matching media asset based on the content corrections.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques for coding video data in a manner that provides consistency to portions of the video that have similar content. According to such techniques, a video sequence may be parsed into partitions and content of the partitions may be analyzed. Partitions may be grouped together based on detected similarities in content. Coding parameters may be selected for each partition based on the partition's membership in the groups. Thus, when the video sequence is coded, coding parameters for frames of two commonly-grouped partitions may be similar, which causes coded video data to have similar presentation.

Abstract: A device implementing the subject technology may include at least one processor configured to receive a plurality of buffer reports from a plurality of other devices, each of the plurality of buffer reports indicating a current target buffer level for a respective one of the plurality of other devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to determine a group target buffer level based at least in part on the current target buffer levels of the plurality of other devices and a current target buffer level of the at least one buffer. The at least one processor may be further configured to transmit the group target buffer level to the plurality of other devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to manage an occupancy of the at least one buffer based at least in part on the group target buffer level.

Abstract: A device implementing the subject technology may include at least one processor configured to transmit an allocation request requesting allocation of a group communication session with a plurality of devices and receive an allocation response in response to the allocation request, the allocation response including credential information for the device to use to join the group communication session. The at least one processor may be further configured to transmit an allocation bind request with the credential information to join the group communication session using the credential information and receive an allocation bind success response in response to the allocation bind request, the allocation bind success response indicating that the device has joined the group communication session. The at least one processor may be further configured to provide a join notification to the plurality of devices via an intermediary device to notify that the device has joined the group communication session.

Abstract: A device implementing the subject technology may include at least one processor configured to receive an indication of a task being performed at an other device. The at least one processor is further configured to perform, in response to receipt of the indication, one or more preliminary operations in anticipation of receiving a handoff of the task. The at least one processor is further configured to receive, after performing the one or more preliminary operations, a notification that the task is being handed off. The at least one processor is further configured to receive the handoff of the task from the other device. The at least one processor is further configured to continue to perform the task based at least in part on the one or more preliminary operations that were performed prior to receiving the notification that the task is being handed off.

Abstract: A video streaming method for transitioning between multiple sequences of coded video data may include receiving and decoding transmission units from a first sequence of coded video data. In response to a request to transition to a second sequence of coded video data, the method may determine whether a time to transition to the second sequence of coded video data can be reduced by transitioning to the second sequence of coded video data via an intermediate sequence of coded video data. If the time can be reduced, the method may include receiving at least one transmission unit from an intermediate sequence of coded video data that corresponds to the request to transition, decoding the transmission unit from the intermediate sequence, and transitioning from the first sequence to the second sequence via the decoded transmission unit from the intermediate sequence.

Abstract: Methods of in-loop deblocking filter for high dynamic range (HDR) video compression are disclosed. HDR processing and standard dynamic range (SDR) processing adopt different electro-optical transfer function (EOTF) to convert digital code words to linear luminance. For compressing HDR video, EOTF is proposed to be involved in the selection of two deblocking parameters, ? and tC, which control the strength of deblocking filter. In local activity checking for filter decisions, the calculated local signal characteristics and the thresholds are adjusted according to EOTF. After deblocking filter, the clipping range is modified based on EOTF. The chroma deblocking filter is also extended to inter-inter block boundary.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for coding video data efficiently based on detection of objects within video sequences. A video coder may perform object detection on the frame and when an object is detected, develop statistics of an area of the frame in which the object is located. The video coder may compare pixels adjacent to the object location to the object's statistics and may define an object region to include pixel blocks corresponding to the object's location and pixel blocks corresponding to adjacent pixels having similar statistics as the detected object. The coder may code the video frame according to a block-based compression algorithm wherein pixel blocks of the object region are coded according to coding parameters generating relatively high quality coding and pixel blocks outside the object region are coded according to coding parameters generating relatively lower quality coding.

Abstract: Methods of sample adaptive offset (SAO) for high dynamic range (HDR) video compression are disclosed. For band offset (BO), the sample range of each component is unequally divided into a number of bands based on the distribution of samples, the electro-optical transfer function (EOTF) of HDR source and one perceptually uniform EOTF. Each component may have a different number of bands, different number of signaled bands, and different range value for signaled offsets in BO mode. For edge offset (EO), Cb and Cr may use separate syntax elements. In the sample classification for EO, the difference between the current sample and its neighbor is compared with a threshold to determine whether it is a local valley, a local peak, or corners. A distortion measure for HDR source images are also disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for encoding and decoding video images based on image content types are described. Techniques include determining a plurality of image content types from metadata or an image content type recognition algorithm, where each image content type corresponding to a portion of a source video, such as a spatial or temporal portion. Encoding parameters, such as quantization parameter, may be selected for portions of source by a constrained search for encoding parameters, where the constraints are based on image content type.

Abstract: Video coding techniques are disclosed for resource-limited destination display devices. Input video data may be coded by converting a first representation of the input video to a resolution of a destination display and base layer coding the converted representation. Additionally, a region of interest may be predicted from within the input video. The predicted ROI may be converted to a resolution of the destination display, and the converted ROI may be enhancement layer coded. The base layer coded data and the enhancement layer data may be transmitted to the destination display where the coded base layer data is decoded and displayed until a zoom event occurs. When a zoom event occurs, both the coded base layer data and the coded enhancement layer data may be decoded and displayed. Thus, the switchover from a first field of view to an ROI view may be performed quickly.

Abstract: Frame packing techniques are disclosed for multi-directional images and video. According to an embodiment, a multi-directional source image is reformatted into a format in which image data from opposing fields of view are represented in respective regions of the packed image as flat image content. Image data from a multi-directional field of view of the source image between the opposing fields of view are represented in another region of the packed image as equirectangular image content. It is expected that use of the formatted frame will lead to coding efficiencies when the formatted image is processed by predictive video coding techniques and the like.

Abstract: Techniques are described for implementing format configurations for multi-directional video and for switching between them. Source images may be assigned to formats that may change during a coding session. When a change occurs between formats, video coders and decoder may transform decoded reference frames from the first format to the second format. Thereafter, new frames in the second configuration may be coded or decoded predictively using transformed reference frame(s) as source(s) of prediction. In this manner, video coders and decoders may use intra-coding techniques and achieve high efficiency in coding.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for correcting artifacts in multi-view images that include a plurality of planar views. Image content the planar views may be projected from the planar representation to a spherical projection. Thereafter, a portion of the image content may be projected from the spherical projection to a planar representation. The image content of the planar representation may be used for display. Extensions are disclosed that correct artifacts that may arise during deblocking filtering of the multi-view images.

Abstract: Methods of sample adaptive offset (SAO) for high dynamic range (HDR) video compression are disclosed. For band offset (BO), the sample range of each component is unequally divided into a number of bands based on the distribution of samples, the electro-optical transfer function (EOTF) of HDR source and one perceptually uniform EOTF. Each component may have a different number of bands, different number of signaled bands, and different range value for signaled offsets in BO mode. For edge offset (EO), Cb and Cr may use separate syntax elements. In the sample classification for EO, the difference between the current sample and its neighbor is compared with a threshold to determine whether it is a local valley, a local peak, or corners. A distortion measure for HDR source images are also disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing display of content from multi-view video data. According to these techniques, an object may be identified from content of the multi-view video. The object's location may be tracked across a sequence of multi-view video. The technique may extract a sub-set of video that is contained within a view window that is shifted in an image space of the multi-view video in correspondence to the tracked object's location. These techniques may be implemented either in an image source device or an image sink device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for coding high dynamic range (HDR) data. According to such techniques, HDR data may be converted to a domain of uniform luminance data. The uniform domain data may be coded by motion compensated predictive coding. The HDR data also may be coded by motion compensated predictive coding, using a coding parameter that is derived from a counterpart coding parameter of the coding of the uniform domain data. In another technique, HDR data may be coded using coding parameters that are derived from HDR domain processing but distortion measurements may be performed in a uniform domain.