Abstract: A deblock method for processing at least one image including a plurality of pixels. The method comprises the step of determining a shift amount of block boundary by pixel data differences between adjacent pixels and thereby determining block boundaries between macroblocks in the image, and the step of optionally performing a deblock process on the block boundaries.

Abstract: A semiconductor for decoding coded image and audio data, which includes an audio processor that decodes coded audio data, and an image decoder that decodes image data. The image decoder removes coding distortion in pixels of two adjacent transform blocks which are motion-compensated, having a coded motion compensation error equal to zero, and are located inside a same macroblock. The image decoder includes a motion compensation block boundary detector that determines whether the motion compensation error of the two adjacent transform blocks located inside the macroblock is zero, and determines whether a boundary of two adjacent transform block is also a boundary of two adjacent motion-compensation blocks. The image decoder also includes a filter that removes coding distortion in pixels of the two adjacent transform blocks, and a selector that selects whether or not the filter removes the coding distortion based on the determination of the motion compensation block boundary detector.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method comprising: representing coefficients of an adaptive image filter in binary words wherein the coefficients are restricted and the binary words have a maximum number of bits defined at least in part by a precision index; computing at least one of a convolution sum and multiple partial convolution sums of the adaptive image filter wherein the at least one of a convolution sum and multiple partial convolution sums having a constrained value range and having a binary representation with a fixed maximum number of bits; and generating the output of the adaptive image filter based at least in part on the at least one of a convolution sum and multiple partial convolution sums, is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide a video stream, the video stream comprising a sequence of plural compressed pictures corresponding to a video program, the plural compressed pictures having plural sets of compressed pictures, each of the plural sets adhering to one or more picture interdependencies, properties, or a combination of the picture interdependencies and properties, and provide auxiliary information in the video stream, the auxiliary information comprising plural data fields, the plural data fields comprising a first data field corresponding to one of multiple possible coding scheme, the coding scheme comprising a set of tiers that uniquely define the one coding scheme, the plural data fields further comprising a second data field different from the first data field, the second data field comprising an indication of whether the one or more picture interdependencies, properties, or a combination of both corresponding to the set of tiers is valid for use in decoding.

Abstract: A deblocking filter, an image encoder, and an image decoder perform edge-filtering of moving-image data which can be divided into blocks, on groups of a predetermined number of pixels arrayed across edges between the blocks, and include: a processing unit concurrently performing column-direction-edge filtering on more than one first group of pixels which are arrayed in rows across ones of the edges oriented in a column direction, the ones of the edges belonging to a macroblock to be currently processed; and an rearrangement unit rearranging pixels being included in the more than one first group of pixels and the macroblock and having been processed by the processing unit, into more than one second group of pixels in respective columns.

Abstract: Adaptive loop filtering in accordance with video coding. An adaptive loop filter (ALF) and/or other in-loop filters (e.g., sample adaptive offset (SAO) filter, etc.) may be implemented within various video coding architectures (e.g., encoding and/or decoding architectures) to perform both offset and scaling processing, only scaling processing, and/or only offset processing. Operation of such an ALF may be selective in accordance with any of multiple respective operational modes at any given time and may be adaptive based upon various consideration(s) (e.g., desired complexity level, processing type, local and/or remote operational conditions, etc.). For example, an ALF may be applied to a decoded picture before it is stored in a picture buffer (or digital teacher buffer (DPB)). An ALF can provide for coding noise reduction of a decoded picture, and the filtering operations performed thereby may be selective (e.g., on a slice by slice basis, block by block basis, etc.).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for generating a motion search area of a video CODEC for implementing motion compensation through motion estimation as a unit of block. Compression efficiency can be further improved by additionally creating various reference frames by an intentional motion blur and a deblur filter, filtering a motion search area using a motion blur filter and a motion deblur filter as a unit of block which is a unit of video coding, and selecting reference frame having small residual frame data during execution of the motion estimation as final reference frames among original reference frames and various reference frames (motion search areas) additionally created.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for encoding or decoding a video signal includes constructing a base layer picture in a base layer, where the base layer picture includes image sample data. The method further includes applying a de-blocking filter to the image sample data in the constructed base layer picture, and interpolating the deblocking filtered base layer picture. Each of an even field component and an odd field component in the deblocking filtered base layer picture is interpolated in a vertical and a horizontal direction. The interpolated even field component and odd field component are interleaved, and texture prediction information of a current block in an enhanced layer is obtained by using the interleaved even field component and odd field component.

Abstract: A block-specific filter decision value is calculated for a pixel block (10) in a video frame. If the block-specific filter decision value is below a block-specific threshold, each row or column (12) in the block (10) is individually processed in order to select between a strong and a weak de-blocking filter. A respective line-specific filter decision value is thereby calculated for each row or column (12) in the block (10) and compared to a line-specific threshold. If the line-specific filter decision value calculated for a row or column (12) is below the line-specific threshold a strong de-blocking filter is selected for the row or column (12), otherwise a weak de-blocking filter is instead selected to combat any blocking artifacts.

Abstract: Scalable video coding based on H.264/AVC uses motion compensation, which results in motion vectors and residual pictures. To optimize the encoding of the residual pictures of the enhancement-layer, they can be predicted from the base-layer. This requires complex encoders and decoders. Simplified residual prediction techniques are provided that focus on reducing the encoding and decoding complexity of the spatial scalable enhancement-layer with optimized coding efficiency. The method for encoding video data containing high-pass frames and low-pass frames comprises the steps of encoding the low-pass frames, wherein residual prediction may be used, splitting the high-pass frames into two interleaving frame groups, encoding the frames of the first of said frame groups, wherein residual prediction may be used, and encoding the frames of the second of the frame groups using an encoding method without residual prediction.

Abstract: A method of processing a video signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving prediction information of a macroblock and filter information, predicting a current picture using the prediction information of the macroblock, and applying a filter using the predicted current picture and the filter information. Accordingly, accuracy of prediction can be enhanced by applying a filter to a frame predicted before a residual for a predicted frame is coded. As the residual is reduced, efficiency of video signal processing can be enhanced.

Abstract: An encoder receives a first image of a first spatial resolution and a second image of a second spatial resolution, wherein both the first image and the second image represent the same scene and the second spatial resolution is higher than the first spatial resolution. A filter is selected to up-sample the first image to a third image with a spatial resolution same as the second spatial resolution. The filtering coefficients for the up-sampling filter are computed by minimizing an error measurement (e.g., MSE) between pixel values of the second image and the third image. The computed set of filtering coefficients is signaled to a receiver (e.g., as metadata). A decoder receives the first image (or its approximation) and the metadata, and may up-sample the first image using the same filter and optimally selected filtering coefficients as those derived by the encoder.

Abstract: An optimal denoising method for video coding. This method makes use of very few pixels and linear operations, and can be embedded into the motion compensation process of video encoders. This method is simple and flexible, yet offers high performance and produces appealing pictures.

Abstract: An exemplary video decoder comprises: an entropy decoder; a spatial decoder; combining logic; and an inloop deblocking filter. The entropy decoder receives an incoming coded bit stream. The spatial decoder receives the output of the entropy encoder and produces an encoded picture comprising a plurality of pixels. The combining logic combines a current picture with a prediction picture to produce a combined picture. The inloop deblocking filter receives the combined picture. The inloop deblocking filter comprises: logic configured to filter a predefined pixel group; and logic configured to filter each of the remaining pixel groups in the plurality after the predefined pixel group, according to a corresponding set of taps in a plurality of sets of taps, if the predefined pixel group meets a criteria.

Abstract: Mosaic-shaped block noise occurs when a compressed video signal is reproduced. This block noise is removed, but removing block noise from every block using a deblocking filter imposes a significant load on the deblocking filter. This load is therefore reduced by determining whether coding distortion removal (deblocking) is necessary, and applying a deblocking filter only when needed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for encoding and decoding image data for image blocks which form a picture by having a deblocking filter remove coding artifacts caused by local inverse tone mapping for intra-layer texture prediction for bit depth-scalability. A deblocking filter is applied at the enhancement layer for bit depth scalability. The deblocking filter is adjusted to remove coding artifacts caused by local inverse tone mapping for intra-layer texture prediction for the bit depth scalability. The boundary strength of the deblocking filter is adjusted based on a threshold that is based on a difference of inverse tone mapping parameters for the block and at least one adjacent block with respect to the block.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coding a sequence of images, comprising the following steps: determining, for the image data, the prediction image data from reference image data, calculating residual data from image data and prediction image data, quantizing the residual data with a quantization step, reconstructing the image data into reconstructed image data, filtering the reconstructed image data according to at least one filtering parameter with a view to their use as reference image data, coding the quantized residual data, selecting a function representing the variations of at least one filtering parameter according to a quantization step value of a set of at least two functions from a predetermined value representative of a filtering intensity, determining the value of at least one filtering parameter from the function selected and the quantization step.

Abstract: A multimode filter that is versatile for digital signal processing including in-loop processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), post processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), and overlap smoothing. A flexi-standard filter includes the multimode filter. An electronic device includes the flexi-standard filter. A process for digital signal processing includes in-loop processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), post processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), and overlap smoothing.

Abstract: A deblocking filter that deblocks an already-decoded video bitstream made up of pictures, which are themselves made up of slices and lines of blocks (the slices and lines not necessarily having the same number of blocks). A multi-core processor performs both decoding and deblocking. After decoding, a message is created indicating which blocks in which slices have been decoded. As the decoding has been performed in parallel on parallel cores, the blocks are not necessarily in sequential order. Messages are received and re-ordered by a deblocking filter and when a sequence (preferably a line) of blocks has been decoded, the deblocking filter takes on some of the cores and uses them to deblock the sequentially-ordered blocks. If there is only one slice in a picture, messages indicate to the deblocking filter when a full line of blocks has been received.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for encoding and decoding an image signal and to corresponding apparatuses therefor. In particular, during the encoding and/or decoding of an image signal filtering with at least two filters is performed. The sequence of the filter application and possibly the filters are selected and the filtering is applied in the selected filtering order and with the selected filters. The determination of the sequence of applying the filters may be performed either separately in the same way at the encoder and at the decoder, or, it may be determined at the encoder and signaled to the decoder.

Abstract: A multi-directional comb filtering in a digital video decoder is provided.

Abstract: A filtering method is for performing deblocking filtering on the boundary between an IPCM block and a non-IPCM block adjacent to each other in an image and including: determining a first quantization parameter for the non-IPCM block; determining a second quantization parameter for the IPCM block, using the first quantization parameter; determining a filter strength for the boundary, using the first quantization parameter and the second quantization parameter; and performing the deblocking filtering on the boundary using the determined filter strength.

Abstract: In one method embodiment, receiving a first temporal sequence of video frames, the first temporal sequence corrupted with noise; frame matching the video frames according to a first stage of processing; denoising the matched frames according to a second stage of processing, the second stage of processing commencing responsive to completion of the first stage of processing for all of the video frames, the second stage of processing comprising overlapped block processing; and wherein denoising further comprises accumulating denoised pixels for each iteration of the overlapped block processing in a two-dimensional (2D)+c accumulation buffer, the 2D accumulation buffer corresponding to the denoised pixels corresponding to a reference frame of the video frames, where c comprises an integer number of non-reference frame buffers greater than or equal to zero.

Abstract: The time required to transcode an encoded image signal to an image signal encoded by a different encoding method is reduced. Disclosed herein is a transcoder comprising: picture selector 4 which extracts specific types of pictures (I- and P-pictures) from a first image signal (MPEG2 stream) and generates a subset of the first image signal; a first decoder 5 which decodes the subset image signal; and a first encoder 7 which encodes the decoded image signal to a second image signal (MPEG4 stream). The picture selector 4 uses the extracted pictures to generate the subset image signal with a reduced effective length.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide for methods, devices, and systems adapted to reduce initial buffering delay encountered at the client side by selectively dropping content elements of a source content within a drop interval prior to transmission to a client or receiver. The drop interval associated with the initial buffering delay value at the client.

Abstract: An entropy encoder, a video coding apparatus, a video coding method and a video coding program can cope with the adverse effects that arise as a result of a local increase of overhead code quantity. The quantization parameter output form the code quantity control unit of a video coding apparatus is input to a third arithmetic unit before being input to the context initializer in an entropy encoder and a quantization parameter offset value is subtracted from it there. The discrepancy relating the generation probability of a symbol where significant coefficients exist can be improved by initializing an arithmetic coding context by using the quantization parameter obtained by subtracting a predetermined value form the quantization parameter defined by a rate control unit.

Abstract: Blocking artifacts at a block boundary (1) between a block (10) and a neighboring block (20) in a video frame are reduced by calculating an offset based on pixel values of pixels (11, 13) in a line (12) of pixels (11, 13, 15, 17) in the block (10) and based on pixel values of pixels (21, 23) in a corresponding line (22) of pixels (21, 23, 25, 27) in the neighboring block (20). The offset is added to the pixel value of the pixel (11) closest to the block boundary (1) in the line (12) of pixels (11, 13, 15, 17) and is subtracted from the pixel value of the pixel (21) closest to the block boundary (1) in the corresponding line (22) of pixels (21, 23, 25, 27). The resulting deblocking filter has good low-pass characteristics and is efficient for reducing blocking artifact.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining video information at a video decoder apparatus, the video information including largest coding units of video data and filtering information, each of the largest coding units having a common size; obtaining, at the video decoder apparatus, an adaptive loop filter on/off indicator for each of the largest coding units, wherein each of the largest coding units includes a respective adaptive loop filter on/off indicator; and performing, by the video decoder apparatus, adaptive loop filtering to the largest coding units if the respective adaptive on/off indicators are on.

Abstract: A method, system and device are provided for pre-filtering device for filtering a video signal prior to digitally encoding. The method includes receiving at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process and performing an in-loop temporal filtering process using at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process to output a pre-filtered video signal for use in an encoding process. The result is enabling an encoding process to produce an output with increased temporal correlation between adjacent pictures regardless of the coding type, since the artifacts introduced by the encoding process are also considered by the process.

Abstract: Provided is an image deblocking filtering method and apparatus. The method includes: determining whether at least one of two adjacent blocks is encoded using illumination compensation, adjusting a filtering intensity of a deblocking filter based on the determination, and deblocking filtering the two adjacent blocks based on the adjusted filtering intensity.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the apparatus of the embodiment of the invention has following modules. A decoder decodes a coded moving image signal to obtain a decoded moving image signal. A coding implementation information acquisition module acquires coding implementation information used when the coding is carried out. A motion detector obtains a motion detection output indicating a motion of an image. A coding distortion reduction module has a plurality of kinds of distortion reducing characteristics which reduce a plurality of kinds of coding distortions included in the decoded moving image signal. A coding distortion reduction controller controls the plurality of kinds of distortion reducing characteristics in accordance with the output of the coding implementation information and the motion detection output.

Abstract: Several systems, methods and integrated circuits capable of reducing blocking artifacts in video data are disclosed. In an embodiment, a system for reducing blocking artifacts in video data includes a processing module and a deblocking module. The deblocking module comprises a luma deblocking filter and a chroma deblocking filter configured to filter an edge between adjacent blocks associated with the video data, where a block of the adjacent blocks corresponds to one of a prediction block and a transform block. The processing module is communicatively associated with the deblocking module and is operable to configure at least one filter coefficient corresponding to the chroma deblocking filter based on one or more filter coefficients corresponding to the luma deblocking filter. The processing module is further configured to cause the chroma deblocking filter to filter the edge between the adjacent blocks based on the configured at least one filter coefficient.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a video decoding apparatus decoding a video stream selectively generates one of an intra prediction image and an inter prediction image based on an encoding mode of a decoding object from the video stream and decoded images thereof, generates a residual decoded image based on a quantization parameter of a decoding object from the video stream, generates a decoded image by adding an intra prediction image and an inter prediction image selectively generated, and the residual decoded image, applies deblocking filter process for reducing a block distortion onto the decoded image, extracting at least one of information on a quantization parameter and information on an encoding mode of a decoding object from the video stream, and determining whether or not the filter process is skipped based on extracted information thereof, and selectively skipping the filter process based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: A method for reducing image artifacts in an image that includes a number of pixels each of which includes at least one video information value, includes generating a plurality of filter coefficients for at least some of the pixels of the image, on the basis of which the video information values of the pixels can be reconstructed. Artifact detection is performed to detect artifact regions within the image. At least some filter coefficients of those pixels that lie within the artifact regions are modified to generate modified filter coefficients. The video information values are synthesized using the filter coefficients, the modified filter coefficients being employed for the synthesis for pixels lying within the artifact regions.

Abstract: Block noises at block boundaries are removed, but when a contour line in the original image matches a block boundary, the degree of block noise removal is adjusted and image quality is improved. An adaptive filter has a step of calculating the weight of pixels near the block boundary by a high-pass filter, and a step of determining an adjusted value for the pixels near the block boundary based on the weight. The pixel values near the block boundary are adjusted and block noises are removed. A low-pass filter is applied to pixels near the block boundary to determine a filtered value. The adjusted values of the pixels near the block boundary are determined by obtaining a weighted sum of the original pixel value and the filtered value.

Abstract: A selector selects one of a standard parameter corresponding to a filter strength contained in input movie image data and an original parameter originally set at the decoding side as a filter parameter to be used. A screen-display filter performs deblocking filtering using the filter parameter selected by the selector on decoded movie image data. A post-filter performs deblocking filtering using the standard parameter and stores the obtained decoded image data in a memory to allow it to be used in inter-frame compensation.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a movement detection apparatus includes an arithmetic module, an edge-storing filter, a determination module, and a control module. The arithmetic module calculates a difference signal between an input image signal and an image signal of the previous frame. The filter performs smoothing processing for a signal falling within a level range provided as threshold value, among difference signals calculated by the arithmetic module. The determination module determines levels of a movement component and a noise component of the signal output from the filter. The control module controls a level range supplied as threshold value to the filter in accordance with an amplitude level of the noise component overlying the input image signal.

Abstract: A dyadic spatial down sampling filter having tap values configured according to a Kaiser window function a beta factor of approximately 2.5, having approximately 1.5 side lobes, and having a down sampling ratio of approximately 1.9. The dyadic spatial down sampling filter may have tap values [?1, 17, 32, 17, ?1]/64. A dyadic spatial up sampling filter having tap values configured according to a Kaiser window function having a beta factor of approximately 1.5, having approximately 2 side lobes, and having an up sampling ratio of approximately 2. The dyadic spatial up sampling filter may have tap values [?5.44, 0, 20.71, 33.46, 20.71, 0, ?5.44]/64.0, or tap values [?5, 0, 21, 32, 21, 0, ?5]/64, or tap values [?5, 21, 21, ?5]/32.

Abstract: A method for luma-based chroma intra-prediction in a video encoder or a video decoder is provided that includes filtering reconstructed neighboring samples of a reconstructed down sampled luma block, computing parameters ? and ? of a linear model using the filtered, reconstructed neighboring samples of the reconstructed down sampled luma block and reconstructed neighboring samples of a corresponding chroma block, wherein the linear model is PredC[x,y]=?·RecL?[x,y]+?, wherein x and y are sample coordinates, PredC is predicted chroma samples, and RecL? is samples of the reconstructed down sampled luma block, and computing samples of a predicted chroma block from corresponding samples of the reconstructed down sampled luma block using the linear model and the parameters.

Abstract: A method to detect (identify) wrongly decoded data (I type macro-blocks), which can be subsequently concealed by error concealment techniques, thereby improving the visual quality of a decoded stream, is provided. Additionally, a method is provided. In use, a set of macro-block data is selected for validation. Additionally, a set of suspicious macro blocks is selected from the set of macro-block data based on location information for each suspicious macro block.

Abstract: A video encoder uses previously calculated motion information for inter frame coding to achieve faster computation speed for video compression. In a multi bit rate application, motion information produced by motion estimation for inter frame coding of a compressed video bit stream at one bit rate is passed on to a subsequent encoding of the video at a lower bit rate. The video encoder chooses to use the previously calculated motion information for inter frame coding at the lower bit rate if the video resolution is unchanged. A multi core motion information pre-calculation produces motion information prior to encoding by dividing motion estimation of each inter frame to separate CPU cores.

Abstract: A method for conveying private or enhancement information in a compressed bit stream comprising the steps of (A) generating a compressed bit stream in response to a first data stream and a plurality of encoding choices and (B) controlling the encoding choices in response to a second data stream comprising one or both of the private information and the enhancement information.

Abstract: In various embodiments, temporal filtering may be used to reduce noise over time in a series of video frames. A temporal filter may use previous filtered frames to reduce the noise in a current frame. For example, a temporal filter may filter noise in still parts of an image more strongly than in moving parts of the image. In some embodiments, a temporal filter requiring less processing power may include a method for detecting motion between a set of pixels and applying the temporal filter based on the detected motion. For example, if substantial motion is not detected, the temporal filter for the block of pixels may be stronger (i.e., reduce more noise) than the temporal filter applied to a block of pixels for which substantial motion has been detected.

Abstract: A video decoder is connected with a block distortion detector for specifying the boundary of blocks where block boundary occurs, using decoded image data and information of motion vectors, which are supplied from the video decoder; and a block distortion remover for subjecting pixels in the vicinity of the block boundary of the decoded image to filtering on the basis of the result of detection from the block distortion detector, thereby removing the block distortion. Therefore, block distortion is accurately detected when a compressed and coded image is decoded, and the detected block distortion is removed while minimizing the blurriness of the image.

Abstract: Provided is a method for encoding and decoding a motion picture frame, which achieve natural picture conversion of frames near an Instantaneous Decoding Refresh-I (IDR-I) frame. The decoding method includes: decoding a first frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed last among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed before an IDR-I frame is displayed; decoding the IDR-I frame; decoding a second frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed first among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed after the IDR-I frame is displayed; and maintaining a reference frame stored in a buffer, for decoding the first frame until the second frame is decoded. Therefore, by allowing frames near an IDR-I frame to access reference frames stored in a buffer, natural picture conversion is possible, and accordingly smooth picture conversion without flickering is possible.

Abstract: Systems and methods of processing a video signal are provided. A potential block boundary can be detected between a first block and a second block of a frame of the video signal, wherein the frame, the first block, and the second block each include a plurality of pixels. An offset parameter can be determined for at least one pixel of at least one of the first block and the second block. Based on the offset parameter, a boundary verification value of at least one of the first block and the second block can also be determined. Based on the boundary verification value, it can further be determined if the potential block boundary includes a block boundary.

Abstract: A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding a video signal having frames with blocks comprised of pixels. The method reduces the complexity of the video signal to be encoded by applying a filter scheme to the input data stream in an encoder and later reversing the filter scheme in a decoder. A number of filter schemes may be tested to determine the best filter scheme that most reduces the number of distinct color values per color plane. The best filter scheme is used to filter the data to be encoded. Filter information of the best filter scheme is included in the encoded data to enable the decoder to identify the best filter scheme in order to apply the best filter scheme in reverse to re-create the original data stream.

Abstract: Encoding a video signal according to a scalable video coding (SVC) technique employs two different encoding paths for the base layer and the enhancement layers respectively, whereby the two encoding paths share common hardware encoding modules. For example, a control module can route received video information associated with the base layer directly to the hardware encoder modules for encoding, while routing video information associated with the enhancement layers to an upscaler. The upscaled video information is then provided to the hardware encoder module for processing in similar fashion to the base layer information. The hardware encoder provides encoded video information to another control module, which determines whether to route the information to a hardware or software entropy encoder, based on whether the encoded video information is associated with the base layer or an enhancement layer, respectively.

Abstract: Methods for motion estimation with adaptive motion accuracy of the present invention include several techniques for computing motion vectors of high pixel accuracy with a minor increase in computation. One technique uses fast-search strategies in sub-pixel space that smartly searches for the best motion vectors. An alternate technique estimates high-accurate motion vectors using different interpolation filters at different stages in order to reduce computational complexity. Yet another technique uses rate-distortion criteria that adapts according to the different motion accuracies to determine both the best motion vectors and the best motion accuracies. Still another technique uses a VLC table that is interpreted differently at different coding units, according to the associated motion vector accuracy.