Lsi Corporation

Integrated Device Technology, Inc.

Lsi Logic Corporation

Other

Xilinx, Inc.

Magnum Semiconductor, Inc.

Pavel Novotny

Lowell Leroy Winger

Guy Cote

Eric C Pearson

Michael D Gallant

Yunwei Jia

Simon Booth

Krzysztof Hebel

Avinash Ramachandran

Methods and systems for parallelized encoding of video are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a video encoder comprises a plurality of encoding engines. Each encoding engine is configured to receive a respective designated region of a video frame and produce respective quantized coefficients, the respective region having one or more unencoded frame blocks. Each encoding engine has a local symcoder for performing entropy-based encoding of the respective quantized coefficients. The video encoder has a rate control module, in communication with each encoding engine, for receiving from the respective local symcoder of each encoding engine a respective region-level bit count. The video encoder has a central buffer, in communication with each encoding engine, for receiving from each encoding engine the respective quantized coefficients. The video encoder has a final symcoder, in communication with the central buffer and the rate control module, wherein the final symcoder performs further entropy-based encoding of the respective quantized coefficients received in the central buffer, and transmits to the rate control module a frame-level bit count.

Systems and methods for efficient parallelized video encoding

An apparatus includes a filter circuit and an encoder. The filter circuit may be configured to (i) calculate a noise level of a frame of a video signal based on a subset less than all of a plurality of blocks of the frame, where each of the blocks in the subset may have an associated weighted activity to variance ratio that exceeds a threshold value and (ii) generate a filtered video signal based on the noise level. An estimated noise level of each of the blocks in the subset may be selected from one of (a) an activity of the block, (b) another activity of a reference block of another frame and (c) a sum of absolute pixel differences between the block and the reference block. The encoder may be configured to generate a bitstream by encoding the filtered video signal.

Apparatuses and methods for filtering noise from a video signal

A video encoding method for encoding a stream of baseband video data. The stream of baseband video data is received as a plurality of coding units. Statistics of each coding unit in the plurality of coding units are gathered. A quantization parameter (QP) for each coding unit is determined from the corresponding statistics. The coding unit is trial encoded using the QP to generate a trial encoded coding unit; and the QP is updated based on the trial encoded coding unit. Trial encoding the coding unit and updating the QP are repeated until the trial encoded coding unit meets a predetermined criterion. Then the coding unit is final encoded using the updated QP to generate a final encoded coding unit.

Methods and apparatuses for multi-pass adaptive quantization

A technique to perform edge-aware spatial noise filtering that may filter random noise from frames while maintaining the edges in the frames. The technique may include receiving a frame comprising a pint ht of pixels, filtering a subset of the plurality of pixels based on a weighting factor associated with each pixel of the subset of pixels, wherein the weighting factor is at least in part based on a difference in pixel value between the pixel and the individual pixels in the subset, and providing the filtered pixel to an encoder for encoding. Example implementation may include a spatial noise filter to receive an image, the noise level, and configuration parameters, and configured to determine weighting factors of pixels of the image based on differences in pixel values and a set of configuration parameters, and further configured to filter noise from the image based on the weighting factors of the pixels.

Methods and apparatuses for edge preserving and/or edge enhancing spatial filter

Apparatuses and methods for initializing a CABAC state are disclosed herein. An example apparatus may include an encoder configured to receive a macroblock dependent on at least one unencoded macroblock. The encoder may further be configured to receive a plurality of CABAC states and initialize CABAC in accordance with one of the plurality of CABAC states to encode the macroblock prior to the at least one unencoded macroblock being encoded.

Entropy encoding initialization for a block dependent upon an unencoded block

Methods and apparatuses for optimizing rate-distortion of syntax elements are disclosed herein. An optimization block may be used in a video encoder and may include a candidate generation block and a best cost block. The optimization block may be configured to generate a plurality of candidates corresponding to respective differential levels. Each of the plurality of candidates may be based, at least in part, on a DC coefficient and provide a respective rate-distortion cost. The best cost block may be coupled to the candidate generation block and may be configured to select a candidate of the plurality of candidates according to a criteria.

Apparatuses and methods for optimizing rate-distortion of syntax elements

A technique to perform filtering of ringing artifacts is disclosed herein. An example apparatus may include a decoder configured to receive a bitstream, decode the bitstream into blocks, identify conditions in the blocks associated with generation of ringing artifacts, and filter the ringing artifacts from one or more of the blocks responsive to identification of the conditions by the decoder. An example method may include detecting conditions in a bitstream that lead to ringing artifacts, configuring a filter based on the conditions, and filtering the ringing artifacts from blocks of decoded bitstream.

Methods and apparatuses for filtering of ringing artifacts post decoding

Apparatuses and methods for filtering noise from a video signal are described herein. An example apparatus may include a noise filter system configured to filter noise from a frame of a video signal based on a noise level of the frame to provide a filtered video signal. The noise filter system may be configured to select macroblocks of the frame that have an associated weighted activity to variance ratio that exceeds a threshold value. The noise filter system may be further configured to calculate the noise level of the frame based on estimated noise levels of each of the selected macroblocks of the frame. The example apparatus may further include an encoder configured to encode the filtered video signal to provide a compressed bitstream.

Apparatuses and methods for adjusting coefficients for use in video encoding are described. An example apparatus may include an encoder that may be configured to receive transform coefficients and adjust selected ones of the transform coefficients (e.g. reset the selected ones to zero) based on a comparison with a threshold. The adjusted coefficients may then be quantized, which may result in effectively increasing a QP range of the encoder.

Apparatuses and methods for adjusting coefficients using dead zones

A method of motion estimation (ME) refinement. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an initial motion vector (MV) by conducting a first ME on an initial block in a picture, the initial block covering an initial area of the picture, (B) generating a current MV by conducting a second ME on a current block in the picture, (i) the current block covering a subset of the initial area and (ii) the second ME being seeded by the initial MV, (C) generating at least one additional MV by conducting at least one third ME on the current block, the at least one third ME being seeded respectively by at least one neighboring MV spatially adjacent to the current MV and (D) generating a refined MV of the current block by storing in a memory a best among the current MV and the additional MV.

Refinement of motion vectors in hierarchical motion estimation

A method for implementing B-frame prediction in video compression comprising the steps of (A) setting a prediction flag (i) 'off' if B-frames are used for block prediction and (ii) 'on' if B-frames are not used for block prediction, (B) if the prediction flag is off, generating an output video signal in response to an input video signal by performing an inverse quantization step and an inverse transform step in accordance with a predefined coding specification and (C) if the prediction flag is on, bypassing the inverse quantization step and the inverse transform step.

Method and/or apparatus for reducing the complexity of H.264 B-frame encoding using selective reconstruction

A method for filtering digital video is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking a plurality of original blocks in an original field for a plurality of artifacts, wherein detection of the artifacts is based on an adjustable threshold, (B) first filtering each of the original blocks having at least one of the artifacts to remove the at least one artifact and (C) second filtering each of the original blocks lacking at least one of the artifacts to remove noise, wherein the second filtering is (i) motion compensated and (ii) adaptive to a respective noise level in each of the original blocks.

Noise adaptive 3D composite noise reduction

An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a decoded video signal and syntax elements in response to an encoded bitstream. The second circuit may be configured to generate one or more overlay images in response to the syntax elements. The overlay images generally comprise graphical symbols representing the syntax elements of the encoded bitstream.

Graphical symbols for H.264 bitstream syntax elements

A method for improving rate distortion performance of a compression system through parallel coefficient cancellation in a transform comprising the steps of (A) determining a block sum of absolute values for each of a plurality of blocks in a macroblock and (B) setting one or more coefficient values of a block to zero in response to a block sum value of said block being less than a first predetermined threshold value.

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Waterloo, Canada

Pavel Novotny