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EP0932306A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for encoding video shape and texture information

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1999-01-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-01-26
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Abstract

Abstract An encoding apparatus and method adjust texture information for a video object based on original shape information for the video object. The original shape information is not encoded shape information or information that has been encoded and then decoded. In a preferred embodiment, the texture information is adjusted by 0 padding pels near the boundary of the video object in an inter mode, or by lowpass extrapolation filtering pels near the boundary of the video object in an intra mode where the boundary of the video object is defined by the original shape information. Lossy shape encoding can therefore be performed while decreasing the overall encoded bit rate, improving the subjective appearance of the decoded video object and decreasing computational complexity of the encoder and/or encoding method. Adaptive scanning and subsampling of macroblocks can be avoided while having little effect on overall bitrate and significantly decreasing computational complexity of the encoding process.

Inventors

  • 👤 Joern Ostermann

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:46
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/60; H04N19/649

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim 62 words
A method for encoding texture information for a video object, comprising: identifying a video object in image data representing at least an original shape and texture information for the video object; generating original shape information that represents an original shape of the video object; adjusting texture information in the image data using the original shape information; and encoding the adjusted texture information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating original shape information comprises generating a bitmap defining the shape of the video object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating original shape information comprises identifying transparent, boundary and opaque macroblocks of pels of the video object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting texture information comprises padding a texture prediction error for pels using a 0 padding technique.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting texture information comprises padding texture parameters for pels using a lowpass extrapolation filter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting texture information comprises replicating boundary pels in a horizontal direction, replicating boundary pels in a vertical direction, and assigning an average value of neighboring pels to transparent macroblocks bordering boundary blocks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising lossy encoding shape information for the video object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising lossy encoding shape information without subsampling.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding shape information without vertical scanning of macroblocks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising smoothing a boundary of the video object using filtering.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of smoothing a boundary of the video object using filtering comprises one of using morphological filtering on an entire VOP and using morphological filtering on each boundary block of a VOP.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of smoothing a boundary of the video object using filtering comprises using morphological filtering on a motion-compensated shape prediction error using the original shape information as a reference to avoid change of topology of the video object, minimize bitrate and maintain subjective image quality.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
A computer-readable recording medium containing image data that has been encoded according to the method of claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 86 words
An encoding apparatus comprising: an image analysis module that generates shape, texture and motion information from image data representing at least a video object; a parameter coding module that adjusts texture information generated by the image analysis module based on original shape information from the image analysis module and encodes the adjusted texture information and shape and motion information; a decoding module that decodes encoded texture, shape and motion information from the parameter coding module; and a memory that stores decoded data from the decoding module.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 25 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the image analysis module generates original shape information comprising a bitmap defining a shape of the video object.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 35 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the parameter coding module adjusts texture information by one of padding a texture prediction error for pels using a 0 padding technique and using a lowpass extrapolation filter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 43 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the parameter coding module adjusts texture information by replicating boundary pels in a horizontal direction, replicating boundary pels in a vertical direction, and assigning an average value of neighboring pels to transparent macroblocks bordering boundary blocks.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 15 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the parameter coding module performs lossy shape coding.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 17 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the parameter coding module performs lossy shape coding without subsampling.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 19 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the parameter coding module performs shape coding without vertical scanning of macroblocks.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 21 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a smoothing module that smoothes a boundary of the video object using filtering.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 29 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 21, wherein the smoothing module applies one of morphological filtering on an entire VOP and morphological filtering on each boundary block of a VOP.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 43 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 21, wherein the smoothing module applies morphological filtering on a motion-compensated shape prediction error using the original shape information as a reference to avoid change of topology of the video object, minimize bitrate, and maintain subjective image quality.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 67 words
An encoding apparatus, comprising: identifying means for identifying a video object in image data representing at least an original shape and texture information for the video object; generating means for generating original shape information that represents an original shape of the video object; adjusting means for adjusting texture information in the image data using the original shape information; and encoding means for encoding the adjusted texture information.

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