Abstract: A deblocking filtering apparatus for video compression performs edge-filtering of the boundaries of macroblocks for a series of images. The apparatus buffers the partial data required by a first and a second filters by using a first and a second swap buffers, and implements the buffering function with register groups to increase the flexibility of data exchange. The first and the second filters perform vertical and horizontal deblocking filtering for the macroblocks of the series of images, respectively. An adaptive queue is used to receive the portion of output data from the first filter, temporarily store the data in internal buffers, and output data to be as the portion of input data of the second filter.

Abstract: Disclosed are a moving-picture compression encoding apparatus comprising a motion-compensated predicting unit that includes a first cost calculator for generating cost values based upon difference information indicative of differences between prediction signals generated by a prediction signal generator and a moving-picture signal input to the moving-picture compression encoding apparatus; a preliminary selector for preliminarily selecting a plurality of blocks based upon the cost values and outputting the blocks to a second cost calculator; the second cost calculator for generating new cost values by applying a frequency conversion to the difference information regarding the block sizes that have been output from the preliminary selector; and a block size selector for selecting an optimum block size based upon the cost values resulting from the frequency conversion.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for processing chroma samples in video are provided. One system embodiment, among others, comprises a memory with logic, and a processor configured with the logic to receive a compressed video stream that includes a picture having chroma samples and luma samples, receive in said compressed video stream a parameter set associated with the picture, receive auxiliary chroma information in said parameter set, said auxiliary chroma information corresponding to at least a portion of the chroma samples in the picture, said chroma information further corresponding to a phase shift, wherein said phase shift corresponds to a relative location of each chroma sample in said at least a portion of the chroma samples in the picture, decompress the received compressed video stream, determine the phase shift according to a value of the received auxiliary chroma information, and process the at least a portion of the chroma samples in the picture according to the determined phase shift.

Abstract: A picture coding apparatus (300) is a picture coding apparatus that codes a difference between picture data (Img) representing an input picture and predictive picture data (Pred) representing a predictive picture for the input picture and generates coded picture data, and includes a picture decoding unit (104) for decoding coded picture data (Img) after the picture data (Img) is coded; inter pixel filters A and B (303 and 304) for performing inter pixel filter operation for decoded picture data (Recon) obtained by the picture decoding unit (104); switches (301 and 302) for selecting one of the inter pixel filters; and an inter picture predicting unit (108) for generating the predictive picture data (Pred) for the input picture data (Img) using filtered decoded picture data (FilteredImg1), as reference picture data (Ref), obtained by the selected inter pixel filter.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding video signals using prediction information of an intra mode block of a sub-layer and decoding the encoded video data accordingly. The method encodes a video signal in a scalable MCTF scheme to output a bit stream of an enhanced layer, and simultaneously encodes the video signal using a pre-determined method to output a bit stream of a base layer. When the video signal is encoded in the MCTF schemes, an image block included in an arbitrary frame of the video signal is coded as an intra mode using pixels adjacent to the image block, on the basis of prediction information of the corresponding block coded as the intra mode, the corresponding block being included in a bit stream of the base layer and corresponding to the image block.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus is provided which satisfies various levels of demands on image distribution, both from image providers and from users. The image coding apparatus includes a coding block which codes predetermined image data. A separation unit separates the coded image data into basic data for reproducing contents of the coded image data as a visible image, and complementary data for complementing the basic data, so that the two pieces of data are distributed on different occasions. An adding unit adds information for independent copyright control to at least either one of the basic data and the complementary data.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing noise in a video stream comprising images divided into macroblocks, where each macroblock includes luma and chroma blocks and each block is comprised of pixels. The method comprises determining correlation of a macroblock with a reference macroblock, comparing its motion vectors to a predetermined threshold, computing a residual signal of the macroblock by subtracting the macroblock from a predicted macroblock, computing a variance of a residual signal of the macroblock, comparing the variance of the residual signal to another predetermined threshold, determining a filter strength for the macroblock based on one or more of factors such as correlation, motion vector size and variance of the residual signal and filtering the macroblock using a filter of appropriate strength.

Abstract: Herein described is a method and system of vertically filtering a graphics image such that an enhanced image is provided to a display. Filtering of the graphics image may be accomplished by using one or more window descriptors. The method may be implemented by computing a weighted average of one or more pixel intensities. The system may comprise a memory, a processor, and a graphics engine. The graphics engine may comprise a graphics blender. The graphics blender may comprise one or more multipliers and one or more adders. The processor may execute software resident in the memory, such that the one or more window descriptors may be used to compute the weighted average.

Abstract: Deblocking filters are disclosed, where the nature of the filter is determined based upon the level of detail of a reconstructed video frame in the region in which the block boundary is located. One embodiment of the method of the invention includes identifying a boundary between two blocks of the reconstructed video frame, determining the level of detail of the reconstructed video frame in a region in which the block boundary is located, wherein the region includes pixels from multiple rows and multiple columns of the reconstructed video frame and includes at least one pixel that is not immediately adjacent the block boundary and selecting a filter to apply to predetermined pixels on either side of the block boundary based upon the determined level of detail.

Abstract: Provided are a scalable video encoding/decoding method and apparatus, which may improve an image quality of a base layer while not using an anti-aliasing filter. The scalable video decoding apparatus includes an entropy decoding unit to decode an image received from an encoding apparatus, a de-blocking filter to reduce a block distortion of the decoded image, a motion compensation unit to apply a motion compensation scheme to an image passing through the de-blocking filter, a half-pel filter to apply a half-pel compensation scheme to an image where the motion compensation scheme is applied by the motion compensation unit, and an output unit to output an image where the half-pel compensation scheme is applied by the half-pel filter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus estimates the strength of block artifacts in compressed video is described. Block artifacts are associated with the block-based image/video compression schemes. The block artifacts deteriorate the quality of compressed image and video, especially at low bit rates. A deblocking method measures the strength of the block artifacts at each block boundary and adjusts the deblocking parameters accordingly to improve the performance of the overall deblocking process. A method and device to measure the strength of block artifacts based on the global and local edge information of the current picture is provided.

Abstract: A method of processing block-based image information including up sample filtering pixels located along boundaries of image blocks using a first filter strength and up sample filtering at least a portion of the pixels that are not located along boundaries of the image blocks using a second filter strength. The method may alternatively include up sample filtering pixels located along boundaries of image blocks and image sub-blocks using the first filter strength. An up sample filter system which includes a first up sample filter which filters pixels located along boundaries of the image blocks using a first filter strength and a second up sample filter which filters pixels that are not located along boundaries of the image blocks using a second filter strength.

Abstract: Adjacent regions are identified in an image. Coding parameters for the adjacent regions are identified. Selective filtering is performed at the region between the identified adjacent regions.

Abstract: This disclosure describes adaptive filtering techniques to improve the quality of captured imagery, such as video or still images. In particular, this disclosure describes adaptive filtering techniques that filter each pixel as a function of a set of surrounding pixels. An adaptive image filter may compare image information associated with a pixel of interest to image information associated with a set of surrounding pixels by, for example, computing differences between the image information associated with the pixel of interest and each of the surrounding pixels of the set. The computed differences can be used in a variety of ways to filter image information of the pixel of interest. In some embodiments, for example, the adaptive image filter may include both a low pass component and high pass component that adjust as a function of the computed differences.

Abstract: The invention is related to decoding of block wise coded video pictures. The determination of using de-blocking filtering between coded blocks is based on alternative characteristics compared to the characteristics used in H.264/AVC.

Abstract: A method randomly accesses multiview videos. Multiview videos are acquired of a scene with corresponding cameras arranged at poses, such that there is view overlap between any pair of cameras. V-frames are generated from the multiview videos. The V-frames are encoded using only spatial prediction. Then, the V-frames are inserted periodically in an encoded bit stream to provide random temporal access to the multiview videos. Additional view dependency information enables the decoding of a reduced number of frames prior to accessing randomly a target frame for a specified view and time, and decoding the target frame.

Abstract: An LSI device for decoding a coded image segmented and coded in a plurality of blocks. The LSI device includes a section which receives a filter selection parameter that determines a threshold value for each quantization parameter, for changing between conducting and non-conducting a coding distortion removal by the use of a filter. A decoder, decodes a coded block to obtain a reproduced image. A remover, removes a coding distortion from a region including both sides of a block boundary between adjacent decoded blocks that form the reproduced image, in accordance with a comparison of a difference value of the pixels in adjacent decoded blocks with the threshold value determined based on the filter selection parameter, such that the coding distortion removal is not conducted when the difference value is greater than the threshold value. The coding distortion removal is conducted by the use of the filter when the difference value is smaller than the threshold value.

Abstract: An image to be interpolated is subdivided into a number of image blocks and a motion estimation technique is implemented to provide at least one initial motion vector for each of the image blocks. A modified motion vector is generated for each image block based on the initial motion vectors assigned to the individual image blocks. At least one additional image block is determined through which the motion vector assigned to the given image block passes at least partially, and the modified motion vector is generated as a function of the initial motion vector that is assigned to this at least one additional image block.

Abstract: A method of filtering an image includes receiving target image data and applying a multiple stage filter to the target image data. Each stage of the filtering includes generating a motion vector sampling pattern, using the target image data and the motion vector sampling pattern to generate a temporal prediction of the target image data, and using the temporal prediction of the target image data to generate a spatial-temporal transformation of the target image data.

Abstract: A method of performing a temporal prediction includes using an irregular filter tap to produce a prediction of a target image, and applying a regular filter tap to the prediction to produce an enhanced prediction.

Abstract: A deblocking filtering apparatus and method for removing block distortion of a decoded image, and a video decoding apparatus and method using the same. The deblocking filtering method includes extracting parameter information for a plurality of unit blocks in a macro block, from a header of an input current frame, determining whether to perform deblocking filtering, based on the extracted parameter information, and performing deblocking filtering on the macro block according to the determination result.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and carrier medium carrying computer-readable code to implement a method that includes generating a difference picture of an accepted picture of a time sequence of pictures minus an estimate of the previous picture in the sequence. The generating of the difference picture includes forming quantized coefficients and passing the quantized coefficients via a prediction loop to generate the estimate of the previous picture. A spatial filter is applied to at least a component of the difference picture such that the forming of quantized coefficients is from a spatially filtered difference picture. The spatial filter is a noise reducing spatial filter configured such that there is a fixed delay between the filter input picture and the filter output picture. The fixed delay is significantly less than the time between consecutive pictures in the time sequence.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including: area determination unit configured to determine whether or not an area of a control block functioning as control unit for filtering of an image includes a processing-target slice area of a plurality of slices formed in a frame of an encoded image; control information creation unit configured to create filter control information representing whether or not the filtering is performed for the area of the control block including a processing-target slice for each area of the control block including the processing-target slice when the area determination unit determines that the area of the control block includes the area of the processing-target slice; and filter unit configured to perform filtering for the image based on the filter control information created by the control information creation unit.

Abstract: Adaptive up-sample filtering is used to improve compression efficiency of spatially scalable coding systems by more effectively predicting the high-resolution (enhanced-layer) video (or image) from the low-resolution lower-layer video (or image). Different up-sample filters adaptive to local image properties are selectively used for different portions of a low resolution frame to generate a better up-sampled image. Selection between different up-sample filters is determined by a variety of different information available to both the encoder and decoder. In one embodiment, the up-sample filters are selected by the encoder and then explicitly identified to the decoder. Other techniques are then used to minimize the cost of transmitting the up-sample filter identifiers. In alternative embodiments, the encoder and decoder independently make up-sample filters selections.

Abstract: A bit stream representing n-dimensional data structures may be encoded and decoded. A part of the data can be mappable within predefined similarity criteria to a part of the data of another data structure. The similarity criteria may include, a spatial or temporal shift of the data. The data structures are typically sequential video frames such as is used in motion estimation and/or compensation of moving pictures, and a part of the data structure may be a block of data within a frame. The shift may be any suitable shift such as linear translation, rotation, or change of size. Digital filtering may be applied to a reference or other frame of data to generate subbands of a set of subbands of an overcomplete representation of the frame by calculations performed at single rate. The digital filtering may be implemented in a separate filter module or in software.

Abstract: A deblocking apparatus is provided. The deblocking apparatus includes a filter, a blocking detection module and a blending unit. The filter receives a target pixel of a pixel matrix to generate a filtered target pixel. The blocking detection module generates a deblocking intensity factor according to the pixel matrix. The blending unit receives the target pixel and the filtered target pixel, and dynamically blends the target pixel and the filtered target pixel to output an output pixel according to the deblocking intensity factor.

Abstract: A moving image processor includes a first and a second moving image processing unit which are able to perform parallel operation, and a data transfer unit having a first buffer and a second buffer. The first moving image processing unit processes macroblocks MB00, - - - , of one row of one image sequentially, and the second moving image processing unit processes macroblocks MB10, - - - , of the next row sequentially. The first and the second moving image processors include a first and a second deblocking filters, respectively. Operation timing of the second filter is delayed by the processing time of two macroblocks, compared with operation timing of the first filter. The processing results of the first filter and the second filter are transferred to an external memory via the first buffer and the second buffer of the transfer unit.

Abstract: A method of filtering to remove coding artifacts introduced at block edges in a block-based video coder, the method having the steps of: checking the content activity on every line of samples belonging to a boundary to be filtered and where content activity is based on a set of adaptively selected thresholds determined using Variable-Shift Table Indexing (VSTI); determining whether the filtering process will modify the sample values on that particular line based on said content activity; and selecting a filtering mode between at least two filtering modes to apply on a block boundary basis, implying that there would be no switching between the two primary modes on a line by line basis along a given block boundary. The two filtering modes include a default mode based on a non-recursive filter, and a strong filtering mode which features two strong filtering sub-modes and a new selection criterion that is one-sided with respect to the block boundary to determine which of the two strong filtering sub-modes to use.

Abstract: A method for detecting a signal received via a communication channel, the communication channel being affected by noise, is described, wherein the received signal is processed according to a filtering step (202), the filtering step comprises multiplication of at least one component of the received signal with a filter coefficient and the filter coefficient comprises a noise variance offset which corresponds to the variance of the noise.

Abstract: A video quality adaptive coding artifact reduction system has a video quality analyzer, an artifact reducer, and a filter strength controller. The video quality analyzer employs input video quality analysis to control artifact reduction. The video quality analyzer accesses the video quality of the decoded video sequence to estimate the input video quality. The filter strength controller globally controls the filter strength of the artifact reducer based on the video quality estimate by the video quality analyzer. For low quality input video, the filter strength controller increases the artifact reduction filter strength to more efficiently reduce the artifact. For high quality input video, the filter strength controller decreases the artifact reduction filter strength to avoid blurring image detail.

Abstract: An in-loop filtering apparatus for eliminating an error of deblocking-filtered image data in an encoder of image data, the apparatus including: an in-loop filter generator which generates in-loop filters using different filter coefficients for a block boundary and a block inside of the deblocking-filtered image; an in-loop filter applier which performs selective filtering on at least one of the block boundary and the block inside using the generated in-loop filters; and an in-loop filter information generator which generates in-loop filter information including at least one of coefficients of the generated in-loop filters, information indicating an area to which in-loop filtering is applied between the block boundary and the block inside, a size of a block to which in-loop filtering is applied, and a flag indicating whether to use an in-loop filter generated for a current frame or an in-loop filter generated for a previous frame.

Abstract: A decoding apparatus is disclosed which includes: a decoding information acquisition block acquiring decoding information necessary for decoding in units of a macro block from coded data; a decoding block decoding the coded data into decoded data based on the decoding information; a quantization noise filter block performing a noise reduction process on the decoded data for reducing a predetermined quantization noise per macro block; a quantization noise occurrence indicator generation block generating, based on the decoding information, a noise occurrence indicator indicative of the predetermined quantization noise in a manner reflecting a coded state of each of the blocks constituting the macro block; and a parameter setting block setting parameters for the quantization noise filter block based on the noise occurrence indicator.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a video encoding apparatus includes a setting module to set a filter coefficient for use in filtering in a video decoding apparatus, and to set a rounding offset for controlling rounding of operation in the filtering, and an encoder to output the filter coefficient and information of the rounding offset as encoded data.

Abstract: An in-loop filtering method and apparatus for video encoding, the in-loop filtering method including: determining a type of a boundary of an image block to be filtered by using context information of the image block; adaptively creating a filter for filtering the boundary of the image block according to the determined type; selecting a filter for filtering the image block between the created filter and a previously stored filter; and filtering the image block by using the selected filter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a video block extracted from an encoded bitstream. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a normal block by inverse transforming the video block, the normal block having a normal resolution, (B) generating an alternate block from the video block, the alternate block comprising image detail (i) present after the inverse transforming and (ii) absent from the normal block and (C) generating an output block based on the normal block and the alternate block, the output block having an output resolution greater than the normal resolution.

Abstract: A method and device for deblocking filtering of a scalable bitstream during decoding is disclosed. According to the invention, the decoding of at least one part of a picture encoded in a base layer and at least one enhancement layer in a scalable bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least one access unit representing the picture, each access unit comprising a plurality of data elements, each data element belonging to a said layer, comprises the reception (600) of at least one data element of said at least one access unit and, if said at least one data element belongs to an access unit of a predetermined type, the decoding (715, 820) of the data of said data element, and the application (720, 825) of a full deblocking filter to at least one part of the decoded data, the full deblocking filter being applied to all of the.

Abstract: In one method embodiment, forward transforming a set of co-located blocks corresponding to plural matched frames; computing a difference measure for a subset of coefficients between a set of transformed blocks and a reference block, the computation in a two-dimensional (2D) transform domain; and selectively thresholding one or more of the co-located transformed blocks based on the number of transformed blocks having a difference measure below a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In one method embodiment, receiving matched frames; forward transforming co-located blocks of the matched frames; and thresholding the transformed co-located blocks corresponding to a subset of the matched frames in at least one iteration.

Abstract: In one method embodiment, for a first temporal sequence of first plural frames, frame matching the first plural frames, at least a portion of the first plural frames corrupted with noise, and at a time corresponding to completion of all frame matching for the first temporal sequence, overlap block processing plural sets of matched blocks among the first plural matched frames.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing an adaptive interpolation filter structure that achieves high coding efficiency with significantly less complexity than more conventional systems. In various embodiments, a set-of integer pixels are defined that are used in the interpolation process to obtain each sub-pixel sample at different locations. Samples at each sub-pixel positions are generated with independent pixel-aligned one-dimensional (1D) adaptive interpolation filters. The filter coefficients are be transmitted to a decoder or stored into a bit stream. At the decoder end, the received filtered coefficients may be used in an interpolation process to create a motion-compensated prediction.

Abstract: A deblock filter as defined by the MPEG-4 AVC/H. 264 standard is effectively controlled, and an increase of a compression strain is prevented while the resolution or details are preserved to realize compression of a moving image with high image quality.

Abstract: Circuitry for processing data includes a plurality of filters arranged in parallel. Input data is stored. The input data is applied to the plurality of filters to provide at least two parallel results. An operation is carried out with respect to the results.

Abstract: A video processing device includes a video preprocessor and a video processor. The video processor is configured to facilitate inputting preprocessed digital video data ready for further processing by an encoder or a transcoder, compressing the preprocessed digital video data to form compressed digital video data, and outputting the compressed digital video data. The video preprocessor operable to receive digital video raw data, configured to facilitate preprocessing a macroblock of the digital video raw data so as to output the preprocessed digital video data ready for an encoder or transcoder of the video processor when the macroblock does not indicate SKIP, and not preprocessing the macroblock of the digital video raw data when the macroblock is a SKIP macroblock indicating SKIP, but jumping to process the SKIP macroblock by an entropy encoder of the video processor instead.

Abstract: A device and method thereof for encoding data. The device can include a segmenter adapted to receive the data and segment at least a portion of the data into regions. The device can also include a scalable encoder coupled to the segmenter, the scalable encoder adapted to scalably encode at least one of the regions into scalably encoded data.

Abstract: A system (5) processes pixel data representing one of a first image compressed according to a first compression algorithm and a second image compressed according to a second compression algorithm. A pixel analyzer (32) generates first and second selection signals depending on the type of image. A processing module (40) includes first circuits arranged to process the data in response to a first selection signal and second circuits arranged to process the data in response to a second selection signal. A control processor (10) enables the first circuits in response to the first selection signal and enables the second circuits in response to the second selection signal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for de-artifact filtering using multi-lattice sparsity-based filtering. The apparatus includes a sparsity-based filter (600) for de-artifact filtering picture data for a picture. The picture data includes different sub-lattice samplings of the picture. Sparsity-based filtering thresholds for the filter are varied temporally.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to remove a block effect and a ring effect appearing in a compression-coded image is disclosed. The present invention is especially applicable to an image compression-coded at a low bit rate. In particular, the present invention includes a variety of masks for the removal of the block/ring effect. Thus, one mask is select for a pixel to be filtered. Moreover, candidate pixels to be averaged with the pixel to be filtered is selected from the pixels of the selected mask to better maintain the details of the image, and a weight is applied to improve the calculation speed of the averaging operation. More particularly, the masks according to the present invention have longer tabs toward adjacent blocks at boundaries of the given block to remove the block and ring effect. In the method, a value of a pixel of an image is determined according to a filtering methodology.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to remove a block effect and a ring effect appearing in a compression-coded image is disclosed. The present invention is especially applicable to an image compression-coded at a low bit rate. In particular, the present invention includes a variety of masks for the removal of the block/ring effect. Thus, one mask is select for a pixel to be filtered. Moreover, candidate pixels to be averaged with the pixel to be filtered is selected from the pixels of the selected mask to better maintain the details of the image, and a weight is applied to improve the calculation speed of the averaging operation. More particularly, the masks according to the present invention have longer tabs toward adjacent blocks at boundaries of the given block to remove the block and ring effect. In the method, a value of a pixel of an image is determined according to a filtering methodology.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to remove a block effect and a ring effect appearing in a compression-coded image is disclosed. The present invention is especially applicable to an image compression-coded at a low bit rate. In particular, the present invention includes a variety of masks for the removal of the block/ring effect. Thus, one mask is select for a pixel to be filtered. Moreover, candidate pixels to be averaged with the pixel to be filtered is selected from the pixels of the selected mask to better maintain the details of the image, and a weight is applied to improve the calculation speed of the averaging operation. More particularly, the masks according to the present invention have longer tabs toward adjacent blocks at boundaries of the given block to remove the block and ring effect. A decoding apparatus including a filtering unit configured to filter an image by selecting a filter mask extending either horizontally or vertically.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to remove a block effect and a ring effect appearing in a compression-coded image is disclosed. The present invention is especially applicable to an image compression-coded at a low bit rate. In particular, the present invention includes a variety of masks for the removal of the block/ring effect. Thus, one mask is select for a pixel to be filtered. Moreover, candidate pixels to be averaged with the pixel to be filtered is selected from the pixels of the selected mask to better maintain the details of the image, and a weight is applied to improve the calculation speed of the averaging operation. More particularly, the masks according to the present invention have longer tabs toward adjacent blocks at boundaries of the given block to remove the block and ring effect. In an embodiment, the decoding apparatus includes a filtering unit configured to determine a value of a pixel of an image.