Interframe Coding (e.g., Difference Or Motion Detection) Patents (Class 382/236)
  • Patent number: 8098944
    Abstract: A motion-vector detector determines the centroid of pixels on a reference frame that is identified with position information set in a database and associated with a feature address corresponding to a feature of a target pixel. The motion-vector detector detects, as a motion vector of the target pixel, a vector that has a starting point at a pixel on the reference frame which corresponds to the target pixel on a current frame and has an end point at the determined centroid. The present invention can be applied to an apparatus for generating a motion vector and allows prompt detection of a motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Yasushi Tatehira, Junichi Ishibashi, Seiji Wada, Yasuhiro Suto
  • Patent number: 8098728
    Abstract: A process for compressing and decompressing non-keyframes in sequential sets of contemporaneous video frames making up multiple video streams where the video frames in a set depict substantially the same scene from different viewpoints. Each set of contemporaneous video frames has a plurality frames designated as keyframes with the remaining being non-keyframes. In one embodiment, the non-keyframes are compressed using a multi-directional spatial prediction technique. In another embodiment, the non-keyframes of each set of contemporaneous video frames are compressed using a combined chaining and spatial prediction compression technique. The spatial prediction compression technique employed can be a single direction technique where just one reference frame, and so one chain, is used to predict each non-keyframe, or it can be a multi-directional technique where two or more reference frames, and so chains, are used to predict each non-keyframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Simon Winder, Matthew Uyttendaele, Charles Zitnick, III, Richard Szeliski, Sing Bing Kang
  • Patent number: 8094717
    Abstract: An image generation apparatus generates a new video sequence with a high S/N ratio and suppressed motion blurs, from an original video sequence and a still image which are generated by capturing the same dark, moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma
  • Patent number: 8090026
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for variable accuracy inter-picture timing specification for digital video encoding is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a system that allows the relative timing of nearby video pictures to be encoded in a very efficient manner. In one embodiment, the display time difference between a current video picture and a nearby video picture is determined. The display time difference is then encoded into a digital representation of the video picture. In a preferred embodiment, the nearby video picture is the most recently transmitted stored picture. For coding efficiency, the display time difference may be encoded using a variable length coding system or arithmetic coding. In an alternate embodiment, the display time difference is encoded as a power of two to reduce the number of bits transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Barin Geoffry Haskell, David William Singer, Adriana Dumitras, Atul Puri
  • Patent number: 8090210
    Abstract: An image processing system implements recursive 3D super precision for processing smoothly changing video image areas by performing temporal noise reduction and then 2D super precision. The temporal noise reduction is applied to two frames, one being the current input low precision frame, and the other being the previous higher precision frame from memory. The 2D super precision is applied to the noise reduced frame to output a high precision frame which is also saved into memory for processing the next incoming frame. The input frame has a limited bit depth while the output image has an increased bit depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhi Zhou, Yeong-Taeg Kim, Ning Xu
  • Patent number: 8090014
    Abstract: A system for managing multiview streaming video data composed of a plurality of frames includes an encoder configured to encode multiple representations of at least one frame of the plurality of frames corresponding to multiple views using different reference frames for each of the multiple representations. The system also includes a controller configured to create a coding tree containing the plurality of frames and the multiple representations. The system further includes a data store configured to store the coding tree, wherein the controller is further configured to identify a storage constraint of the data store and to omit at least one of the multiple representations from the coding tree to cause the plurality of frames stored in the data store to remain within the storage constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gene Cheung, Antonio Ortega, Takashi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 8090020
    Abstract: An original picture inserted for each frame is divided into motion compensation blocks and each of the motion compensation blocks is encoded using motion compensation inter-frame prediction. A fade scene is detected using at least one of a sum of differential absolute values calculated when detecting a motion vector, a total number of motion compensation blocks and a total number of intra-motion compensation blocks being motion compensation blocks encoded as still pictures in addition to a motion vector detected from each of the motion compensation blocks. The encoding of the original picture is controlled, according to the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Tomonori Kubota, Makiko Konoshima, Yuichiro Teshigahara, Hiroyuki Masatsugu
  • Publication number: 20110317930
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for motion vector encoding/decoding, and to an apparatus and a method for image encoding/decoding using same are provided. The apparatus includes a selector of optimal predicted motion vector PMV from candidate motion vector set of current block; a determiner of motion vector prediction mode of current block with selected motion vector prediction mode from multiple motion vector prediction modes by decision criterion prearranged with motion vector decoding apparatus; and an encoder for determining, by determined motion vector prediction mode, optimal PMV or default predicted motion vector into PMV for current motion vector, encoding differential vector between the current block and PMV, and selectively encoding/outputting determined motion vector prediction mode as encoded motion vector prediction mode by the determined motion vector prediction mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: SK TELECOM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sunyeon KIM, Byeungwoo JEON, Jungyoup YANG, Kwanghyun WON, Joohee MOON, Yunglyul LEE, Haekwang KIM
  • Publication number: 20110317931
    Abstract: A method for compressing an image as a sequence of video frames, comprising dividing the image into a plurality of tiles and compressing a tile, or part thereof, as a frame in the video sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Human Monitoring Ltd.
    Inventors: Ira DVIR, Nitzan RABINOWITZ
  • Patent number: 8086052
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for compressing a digitally coded video frame sequence. In the method, a given frame is divided into blocks, and the information content of selected blocks is modified, relying on information contained in a neighboring block or blocks (prediction), and the blocks are converted from spatial representation into frequency representation. The information content of the transformed blocks is encoded by arithmetic coding. The efficiency of the coding is improved by various methods, such as dynamically partitioning the blocks into sub-blocks, or performing a compressibility analysis is the blocks before carrying out further transformations. The entropy coding uses a neural network to determine the parameters of the arithmetic coding. The frames are dynamically re-scaled, depending on available bandwidth and quality of the coded image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Inventors: Peter Toth, József Károly
  • Patent number: 8085305
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a feature detection circuit adapted to detect a feature portion of an object from a sensed image; a blur amount detection circuit adapted to detect a blur amount, during image sensing, of a device adapted to obtain the sensed image; a display unit adapted to display the sensed image, and display a frame surrounding the feature portion of the object in the displayed sensed image; and a calculation circuit adapted to set a position, in the sensed image, of the frame surrounding the feature portion of the object, wherein the calculation circuit calculates, on the basis of the blur amount, a moving amount of the frame whose position in the sensed image is set on the basis of the feature portion detected by the feature detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Zenya Kawaguchi, Yoshihiro Honma, Yoshinori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8085848
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for identifying a motion vector by executing the steps of setting a plurality of reference blocks, searching a specific reference block, and detecting the motion vector is provided. The image processing apparatus includes correlation-value computation means, table generation means, and motion-vector computation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Kurata
  • Publication number: 20110311152
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a plurality of encoding units that encode image data; a shared memory that stores reference image data which is used for encoding performed by each of the plurality of encoding units; and a control unit that secures an encoding unit from the plurality of encoding units, which is made to encode an intra-frame prediction encoded image and a forward prediction encoded image by priority, and that makes an encoding unit, which is not used to encode the intra-frame prediction encoded image or the forward prediction encoded image, encode a bidirectional prediction encoded image, using reference image data stored in the shared memory during a period where the secured encoding unit does not perform the encoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Kashu Takahashi, Takaaki Fuchie
  • Patent number: 8077992
    Abstract: A system and method for encoding dynamic image information for an image generated by a computer application executing on a processor. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise determining a first set of information describing a reference image. A second set of information may be determined for describing an image, wherein the second set of information comprises information indicative of movement between the image and the reference image. For example, a set of primary movement directions may be determined based at least in part on the computer application generating the image. Such set of primary movement directions may be utilized for analyzing the image relative to the reference images. The difference between the image and the reference image may, for example, be analyzed using at least one of the set of primary movement directions. A movement direction may, for example, be utilized to describe the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Inventors: Jeyhan Karaoguz, James D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 8077991
    Abstract: A system and method for improving prediction error coding performance of various video compression algorithms. Various embodiments combine the energy compaction features of transform coding with localization properties of spatial coding. In various embodiments, the effects of pixel “outliers” are removed from the transform and are coded separately as a spatially coded pixel prediction, thereby improving the coding gain of the transform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Jani Lainema
  • Patent number: 8073223
    Abstract: A capsule camera apparatus includes a swallowable housing, a light source within the housing, a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a view of the camera illuminated by the light source, a motion detector that detects a motion of the housing the first digital image and the second digital image, and a motion evaluator that selects a disposition of the second digital image, based on a metric on the motion. The disposition may include writing the second image into an archival storage or providing the second digital image to the outside by a wireless communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Capso Vision Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon C Wilson, Kang-Huai Wang
  • Patent number: 8073056
    Abstract: A motion vector searching system and method estimates a motion vector during image compression by acquiring a present image frame and at least one previous image frame, generating low-resolution images of the present and previous frames in multiple stages, determining areas in one of the stages in which pixel searches are to be performed, locating at least two areas which overlap, and then merging the overlapping areas if a merge condition is satisfied. The search areas are determined by identifying candidate points in the low-resolution image which have low pixel absolute difference values, and the merge condition may correspond to a certain minimum distance between centers of the overlapping areas. A motion vector estimator is used to perform additional searching in the merged and non-merged areas to generate a motion vector associated with the present and previous image frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sung Deuk Kim
  • Patent number: 8073058
    Abstract: This invention relates to a memory device and the like that are preferably applied to a case where motion vector is detected using a block matching. Pixel data of a first frame (a reference frame) is stored in a unit A of memory cell array portion 20a in straight binary format. Pixel data of a second frame (a search frame) is stored in a unit B of memory cell array portion 20b in two's complement format. The units A and B have a plurality of memory cells, respectively. Word lines WL related to the pixel data of the first and second frames are simultaneously activated so that charges accumulated in capacitors of each of the memory cells can be combined along one bit line BL. A/D converter 53 outputs a digital signal (absolute difference value) having a value that corresponds to a total amount of charges. When reading the pixel data, a subtraction and a conversion into the absolute difference value are simultaneously performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Wataru Niitsuma, Naoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8073273
    Abstract: A moving image receiving apparatus has a moving image decoding apparatus (303) for decoding received moving image data. The moving image decoding apparatus (303) comprises: a media buffer (401) for storing moving image data; an intra-map memory (402) for storing an intra-map indicating a location of an intrablock included in an interframe of the moving image data; a pseudo intraframe generator (404) that, based on an intra-map stored in the intra-map memory (402), extracts an image of an intrablock included in an interframe in order from a latest interframe accumulated in the media buffer (401), combines images of intrablocks extracted from a plurality of interframes, and thereby generates a pseudo intraframe; and a decoder (406) that starts to decode moving image data, using a pseudo intraframe. The moving image receiving apparatus can thus decode received moving image data from an arbitrary frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Daisaku Komiya, Yoshimasa Honda
  • Patent number: 8073196
    Abstract: Among other things, methods, systems and computer program products are described for detecting and tracking a moving object in a scene. One or more residual pixels are identified from video data. At least two geometric constraints are applied to the identified one or more residual pixels. A disparity of the one or more residual pixels to the applied at least two geometric constraints is calculated. Based on the detected disparity, the one or more residual pixels are classified as belonging to parallax or independent motion and the parallax classified residual pixels are filtered. Further, a moving object is tracked in the video data. Tracking the object includes representing the detected disparity in probabilistic likelihood models. Tracking the object also includes accumulating the probabilistic likelihood models within a number of frames during the parallax filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Chang Yuan, Gerard Medioni, Jinman Kang, Isaac Cohen
  • Patent number: 8073055
    Abstract: In a video processing system where motion vectors are estimated for a subset of the blocks of data forming a video frame, and motion vectors are interpolated for the remainder of the blocks of the frame, a method includes determining, for at least at least one block of the current frame for which a motion vector is not estimated (204), whether a block to the left or right has an estimated zero motion vector (206), determining whether the at least one block had an estimated zero motion vector in a previous frame (206), and if both determinations are affirmative (208), providing a predetermined motion vector for the at least one block. The predetermined motion vector may be a zero motion vector (208).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Trident Microsystems (Far East) Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerard De Haan, Erwin Bellers
  • Patent number: 8073269
    Abstract: An image decoding apparatus obtains the prediction error or a restored image of the encoding object image by inverse processing of the encoding processing of encoded image data encoded by motion compensation predictive coding, in which a restored image is obtained by adding the prediction error and a reference image, a reduced size image of the restored image is generated and stored along with the restored image; wherein, when an image is encoded by an encoding mode that uses reference pixels that include two times or more number of pixels of a region of a predetermined number of pixels, a reference image is obtained by reading out and expanding the stored reduced size image of the restored image, and when an image is encoded using reference pixels of less than two times a number of pixels of the predetermined number of pixels, the reference image is obtained from the stored restored image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Uetani, Naoyuki Kai
  • Patent number: 8073277
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for performing image restoration. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and methods which are capable of quickly restoring various sizes of selected areas of an image. In one embodiment, a user may select or mark a target region in an image which is to be restored. A source window may then be generated and a pixel from within the target region may be selected for restoration. The intensity distribution of pixels surrounding the selected pixel may be compared with other pixels in the image and a pixel to be used for restoration of the selected pixel may be chosen based on the comparison of the intensity distributions. Once a pixel is chosen for restoration, the selected pixel and its surrounding pixels may be restored using the intensity distribution of the chosen pixel and its surrounding pixels. The method may continue in this manner until all pixels within the target region have been restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: The University of Southern Mississippi
    Inventors: Xiaoli Huan, Beddhu Murali, Adel L. Ali
  • Patent number: 8068701
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image-processing apparatus which may include an image holding section configured to store an input image; an image division section configured to divide the input image stored in the image holding section into a plurality of image portions having the same size and the same shape; a characteristic-quantity computation section configured to compute a characteristic quantity of each of the image portions generated by the image division section; and a difference computation section configured to carry out a difference computation process of computing a difference between the characteristic quantity computed by the characteristic-quantity computation section as the characteristic quantity of each individual one of the image portions generated by the image division section and a value determined in advance as well as a determination process of producing a result of determination as to whether or not the individual image portion is a portion of a background of the input image on the basis of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Ujisato, Nobuhiro Tsunashima
  • Patent number: 8068682
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus in which output pixels of an output image are generated from one or more input images using motion vectors having a sub-pixel accuracy. A motion vector allocator allocates motion vectors in the pixels, and compares a current output pixel with test image areas pointed to by motion vectors in the pixels to detect a most suitable motion vector for the current output pixel. A pixel generator operates in a first mode if the output pixel is within a threshold displacement from an image region having substantially different motion characteristics to those of that output pixel, and in a second mode otherwise. The pixel generator includes a spatial filter generating an output pixel value at a required pixel position to a sub-pixel accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventor: Jonathan Living
  • Patent number: 8064524
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to de-interlacing method and apparatus using remote interpolation. An up window and a down window are firstly determined. The closest pair of pixels of the up window and the down window along a direction of 90°, ?45°, and 45° is determined, which is then used to interpolate a new pixel. Subsequently, the up window and the down window are moved or stayed according to which pair is determined as being closest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Lien-Hsiang Sung
  • Patent number: 8064683
    Abstract: A vision-controlled system and method thereof for detecting changes in a monitoring environment are disclosed. The system includes an image-capturing device for capturing an image; an image analyzer for receiving the captured image and analyzing the same to provide a control signal; and a controller coupled to the image analyzer for receiving the control signal and processing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Wipro Limited
    Inventor: Mohammed Shakir Majeed Athar
  • Patent number: 8059902
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed herein for spatial sparsity induced temporal prediction. In one embodiment, the method comprises: performing motion compensation to generate a first motion compensated prediction using a first block from a previously coded frame; generating a second motion compensated prediction for a second block to be coded from the first motion compensated prediction using a plurality of predictions in the spatial domain, including generating each of the plurality of predictions by generating block transform coefficients for the first block using a transform, generating predicted transform coefficients of the second block to be coded using the block transform coefficients, and performing an inverse transform on the predicted transform coefficients to create the second motion compensated prediction in the pixel domain; subtracting the second motion compensated prediction from a block in a current frame to produce a residual frame; and coding the residual frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: NTT Docomo, Inc.
    Inventors: Onur G. Guleryuz, Gang Hua
  • Patent number: 8055035
    Abstract: A spectral image processing method is capable of reducing noise while maintaining necessary information. The spectral image processing method performs processing on a spectral image of a specimen, including a step of normalizing spectra (=spectral brightness curves) of respective pixels constituting the spectral image such that their brightness levels become equal, a step of smoothing the normalized spectra in spatial directions of the respective pixels, and a step of denormalization of multiplying spectra of the respective pixels obtained by the smoothing by either one of brightness levels of the pixels corresponding the spectra and values corresponding to the brightness levels. Consequently, the noise can be reduced while information on brightness distribution on the image is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hisashi Okugawa, Masafumi Mimura
  • Patent number: 8050453
    Abstract: A method for tracking objects includes identifying a target, identifying a plurality of auxiliary objects related to the target, and tracking the target using the plurality of auxiliary objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: OMRON Corporation, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Ming Yang, Ying Wu, Shengyang Dai, Shihong Lao
  • Patent number: 8050324
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for selecting a reference frame for motion estimation in a video encoder is described. In one example, motion estimation is performed on a current macroblock in a current frame with respect to a reference frame to obtain a motion vector, a sum of absolute difference (SAD), a global motion vector, and an average SAD. A first relative change of the motion vector with respect to the global motion vector is computed. A second relative change of the SAD with respect to the average SAD is computed. A functional based on the first relative change, the second relative change, a first parameter, and a second parameter is computed. The functional is compared with a threshold. The reference frame is selected if the functional satisfies the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Shan Yu, Faisal Ishtiaq
  • Patent number: 8050325
    Abstract: A system and method for more efficiently determining motion vectors of uncovering areas adjacent the edge of frames when the frame image is moving in the direction of the frame boundary. Backwards motion estimation is used to determine a block of video data which is, in one implementation, the block of video data adjacent the frame edge having a reliable motion vector known from the first frame. Once the block is identified, the blocks of video data in the uncovering area between the identified block and the frame boundary can then be assigned the motion vector data of the identified block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhi Zhou, Yeong Taeg Kim
  • Publication number: 20110262037
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an image encoding apparatus converts bit depth of an input image formed of a plurality of pixels each having an N bit depth into an (N+M) bit depth larger than N bit depth by M bits. An adaptive bit depth converter converts the bit depth of each pixel of the decoded image of the (N+M) bits into the N bits selectively using one of a plurality of conversion systems. The converted image of the N bit depth is stored in a frame memory as a reference image. The bit depth of each pixel of the reference image of the N bit depth read out from the frame memory is converted into the (N+M) bit depth larger than the N bit depth by M bits in accordance with the conversion system by a pixel bit depth inverse converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Naoya OHNISHI, Tomoo Yamakage, Tomoya Kodama, Hiroaki Fukui
  • Patent number: 8045611
    Abstract: A method for video processing. A first video sequence (VS) is received. The first VS is processed to generate a second VS in a first resolution. The second VS is adjusted to a third VS in a second resolution. It is determined whether the difference between the first VS and the third VS is lower than a predetermined bias level. The second VS is encoded and output if the difference between the first VS and the third VS is lower than the predetermined bias level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventor: Chang-Hung Lee
  • Patent number: 8045615
    Abstract: This disclosure describes deblock filtering techniques in which an in-loop deblock filter of a first codec is used as a post deblock filter of a second codec. A number of techniques are also described to facilitate input parameter adjustments and allow for the effective use of the filter with both codecs. The techniques can simplify the architecture of a device that includes multiple codecs operating according to different coding standards. Specifically, the different codecs can use the same deblocking filter regardless of whether the coding standard calls for in-loop filtering or whether post filtering is used. For example, a filter designed as an in-loop deblocking filter for a codec that complies with the ITU-T H.264 coding standard can be used as a post deblocking filter for MPEG-4 video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Yi Liang, Sharath Manjunath
  • Patent number: 8045814
    Abstract: An image compression device having a prediction unit for predicting a value of a compressing target pixel from peripheral values, and quantizing prediction error between a prediction value of the prediction unit and a value of an actual pixel in a predetermined quantizing step, comprising: a specific pixel level difference evaluation unit sequentially calculating the difference value between the level values as a sum of the prediction values corresponding to each of the compressed pixel immediately before the compressing target pixel and peripheral compressed pixels adjacent to the pixel and the quantization value of the prediction error, and evaluating the sameness of the difference value; and a quantization switching unit controlling the quantization in the quantizing step more precise than the quantizing step used when the difference value continuously indicates the same value as a result of the evaluation by the specific pixel level difference evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Odagiri, Hironori Yahagi, Shigeru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8045618
    Abstract: A method for transcoding from an MPEG-2 format to a VC-1 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the MPEG-2 format to generate a picture; (B) determining a mode indicator for the picture; and (C) coding the picture into an output video stream in the VC-1 format using one of (i) a VC-1 field mode coding and (ii) a VC-1 frame mode coding as determined from the mode indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Guy Cote, Anthony Peter Joch, Lowell L. Winger
  • Patent number: 8045812
    Abstract: A method for tracking a moving object in a sequence of images is provided, comprising: partitioning each of said images of said sequence into blocks, identifying blocks which have moved between consecutive images of said sequence, grouping adjacent blocks, which have moved in a same direction by a same distance, into a first group of blocks, initializing an initial template for said moving object with said first group of blocks and tracking said template in said sequence of images. A corresponding system for tracking moving objects is presented as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Friedrichs, Muhammad Siddiqui, Klaus Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 8041134
    Abstract: A motion compensation apparatus to provide block-based motion compensation, and a method thereof. A first motion compensation interpolator calculates a first interpolation pixel by reading a first and a second pixel corresponding to a motion vector of an estimated current block respectively from a current and a previous frame or field. A second motion compensation interpolator calculates a second interpolation pixel by reading a third and a fourth pixel corresponding to a motion vector of peripheral blocks adjacent to the current block respectively from the inputted current and previous frame or field. A candidate interpolation pixel calculator calculates a candidate interpolation pixel by allocating a predetermined weight to the first and the second interpolation pixels, among the current blocks. A motion analyzer analyzes the motion vectors of the current block and the peripheral blocks, and determines discontinuities between the blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-hee Lee, Bong-soo Hur
  • Patent number: 8036273
    Abstract: A method of interpolation in video coding in which an image comprising pixels arranged in rows and columns and represented by values having a specified dynamic range, the pixels in the rows residing at unit horizontal locations and the pixels in the columns residing at unit vertical locations, is interpolated to generate values for sub-pixels at fractional horizontal and vertical locations, the method comprising: a) when values for sub-pixels at half unit horizontal and unit vertical locations, and unit horizontal and half unit vertical locations are required, interpolating such values directly using weighted sums of pixels residing at unit horizontal and unit vertical locations; b) when values for sub-pixels at half unit horizontal and half unit vertical locations are required, interpolating such values directly using a weighted sum of values for sub-pixels residing at half unit horizontal and unit vertical locations calculated according to step (a); and c) when values for sub-pixels at quarter unit horizon
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Marta Karczewicz, Antti Hallapuro
  • Patent number: 8036272
    Abstract: A moving picture decoding method, which generates a predicted image using information on motion vectors and information on reference images, the moving picture decoding method having multiple prediction modes including a mode without motion vector decoding, including: a step of selecting a frame(s) to be referenced to in the prediction of each prediction direction in the prediction mode from among multiple candidate reference frames; and a step of selecting motion vector information used in the prediction mode, wherein at the step of selecting motion vector information when (all) candidate blocks adjacent to a current block are located outside of the screen, a zero vector is selected; and moving picture decoding is performed by generating the predicted image using the information on the selected reference frame and the information on the selected motion vectors in the prediction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110243468
    Abstract: A refresh area is taken advantage of when a series of images are coded using Intra-frame coding and Inter-frame coding, a partial area of an image being forcefully Intra-frame coded (Intra MBs) in the refresh area. As the prediction mode for prediction of the Intra MBs inside the refresh area, a prediction mode is selected where the prediction is executable based on only the image that exists inside the refresh area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Yusuke Yatabe, Hironori Komi, Mitsuhiro Okada, Tomoyuki Myojin, Hiroki Mizosoe
  • Patent number: 8031772
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a video decoding system of a mobile broadcasting receiver. The video decoding system of a mobile broadcasting receiver for decoding a compression-coded video signal includes: at least one buffer memory for performing video decoding; a plurality of coprocessors including a data processing unit partitioned into one or more hardware blocks, wherein the data processing unit performs actual video decoding via data input/output from/to the buffer memory; and a DMA (Direct Memory Access) coprocessor for performing a direct access operation to an external memory, wherein, the at least one buffer memory, the plurality of coprocessors and the DMA coprocessor take the form of hardware, and operations thereof are controlled via software in a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Chul Kim
  • Publication number: 20110235929
    Abstract: An image encoding method for encoding an image using intra coding and interframe coding is offered. A refreshing area in which image refreshing is performed by intra coding is established. The refreshing area is shifted in an equal increment every frame such that the refreshing area traverses through the whole frame periodically. Where a macroblock that have passed through the refreshing area is interframe coded, a motion compensation vector of the macroblock is selected such that an image which has passed through the refreshing area is referenced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroki MIZOSOE, Hironori Komi, Yusuke Yatabe, Tomoyuki Myojin, Mitsuhiro Okada
  • Patent number: 8027384
    Abstract: A scaleable macro block rate control method particularly well-suited for MPEG video. There is provided a method to easily derive a quantization parameter (QP) value using information such as bit usage, previous QP values and SAD values from the past encoded and future frames. The method utilizes quantization estimation techniques based on statistical relationships between different intensity measures, such as distortion intensity, absolute difference intensity and mean of absolute difference intensity. The method is well-suited to applications utilizing MPEG video such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, JVT/H.264 standards and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Hung-Ju Lee
  • Patent number: 8027542
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an action in a test video. In an illustrative embodiment, the apparatus includes a first mechanism for receiving a query for a particular action via a query video. A second mechanism employs motion vectors associated with the test video to compute one or more motion-similarity values. The one or more motion-similarity values represent motion similarity between a first group of pixels in a first frame of a query video and a second group of pixels in a second frame of the test video based on the motion vectors. A third mechanism uses the one or more similarity values to search for the particular action or similar action in the test video. In a more specific embodiment, another mechanism aggregates the similarity values over a predetermined number of frames to facilitate estimating where the particular action or version thereof occurs or is likely to occur in the test video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Parvez Ahammad, Chuohao Yeo, Kannan Ramchandran, S. Shankar Sastry
  • Patent number: 8023754
    Abstract: An image decoding apparatus has a video data decoder for receiving and decoding encoded video data to acquire a plurality of reconstructed images; a subsidiary data decoder for receiving and decoding subsidiary data to acquire subsidiary motion information; and a resolution enhancer for generating motion vectors representing time-space correspondences between the plurality of reconstructed images, based on the subsidiary motion information acquired by the subsidiary data decoder, and for generating a high-resolution image with a spatial resolution higher than that of the plurality of reconstructed images, using the generated motion vectors and the plurality of reconstructed images acquired by the video data decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Suzuki, Choong Seng Boon, Thiow Keng Tan
  • Patent number: 8023753
    Abstract: According to a picture coding method of the present invention, a coded picture identified by a picture number is stored, as a reference picture, into a storage unit; commands indicating correspondence between picture numbers and reference indices for designating reference pictures and coefficients used for generation of predictive images are generated; a reference picture being used when motion compensation is performed on a current block in a current picture to be coded is designated by a reference index; a predictive image is generated by performing linear prediction on a block being obtained by motion estimation within the designated reference picture, by use of a coefficient corresponding to the reference index; a coded image signal including a coded signal obtained by coding a prediction error being a difference between the current block in the current picture to be coded and the predictive image, the commands, the reference index and the coefficient is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Abe, Shinya Kadono, Satoshi Kondo, Makoto Hagai
  • Patent number: 8023561
    Abstract: A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating a interpolated base frame image; receiving a first previously decoded difference picture; receiving a second previously decoded difference picture; generating a combined motion compensated difference surface; and generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture based upon the interpolated base frame image and the combined motion compensated difference surface. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal is also disclosed. The circuit comprising a base decoder generating a base image of a standard definition picture; a temporal predictive interpolator coupled to the base decoder and generating an interpolated block; and a summing circuit coupled to the temporal predictive interpolated. The summing circuit preferably adds the interpolated block and a difference block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Innovation Management Sciences
    Inventors: Diego Garrido, Richard Webb, Simon Butler, Chad Fogg
  • Patent number: 8023562
    Abstract: A video codec having a modular structure for encoding/decoding a digitized sequence of video frames in a multi-core system is described. The video codec comprises a memory unit; a multithreading engine. and a plurality of control and task modules organized in a tree structure, each module corresponding to a coding operation. The modules communicate with each other by control messages and shared memory. The control modules control all coding logic and workflow, and lower level task modules perform tasks and provide calculations upon receiving messages from the control task modules. The multithreading engine maintains context of each task and assigns at least one core to each task for execution. The method of coding/decoding comprises denoising, core motion estimation, distributed motion estimation, weighted texture prediction and error resilient decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Vanguard Software Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Zheludkov, Alexey Martemyanov, Nikolay Terterov