Partition mode and transform size determination based on flatness of video

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016173906-A1
Application number	US-201414567162-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques related to determining partition modes and transform sizes for video coding are discussed. Such techniques may include determining a portion of a video frame is flat and bypassing an inter-prediction partition check and/or a transform size check for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for video coding comprising:
determining a portion of a video frame is flat based on a flatness check of the portion of the video frame; bypassing an inter-prediction partition check for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat; and performing a final mode decision for the portion of the video frame based at least in part on an inter-prediction mode coding cost for the portion of the video frame associated with an initial motion vector and an initial inter-prediction partition choice for the portion of the video frame.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
bypassing a transform size check for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat; and selecting a maximum transform size for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the maximum transform size comprises a size of the portion of the video frame.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second portion of the video frame is not flat based on a second flatness check of the second portion of the video frame; and selecting a minimum transform size for the second portion of the video frame based on the second portion of the video frame being not flat.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
performing a second inter-prediction partition check for the second portion of the video frame based on the second portion of the video frame being not flat and based on a second initial motion vector and a second initial inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame to determine a final motion vector and a final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame; and performing a second final mode decision for the second portion of the video frame based at least in part on a second inter-prediction mode coding cost for the second portion of the video frame associated with the final motion vector and the final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second portion of the video frame is not flat based on a second flatness check of the second portion of the video frame; determining the initial motion vector, the initial inter-prediction partition, and a second initial motion vector and a second initial inter-prediction partition for the second portion of the video frame based on a tree pruning technique; and performing a second inter-prediction partition check for the second portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being not flat, the second inter-prediction partition check comprising a full partition options evaluation for the second portion of the video frame to generate a final motion vector and a final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flatness check comprises at least one of a comparison of a pixel variance of the portion of the video frame to a first threshold, a determination of whether all pixel values of the portion of the video frame are within a second threshold of an average of the pixel values of the portion of the video frame, or a comparison of a range of the pixel values to a third threshold.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the final mode decision for the portion of the video frame is further based on an intra-prediction mode coding cost for the portion of the video frame and a skip mode coding cost for the portion of the video frame.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the video frame comprises at least one of a macroblock or a coding unit.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the partition check comprises one or more calls to a hardware video motion estimation engine.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
encoding the portion of the video frame based at least in part on the final mode decision to generate an encoded bitstream.

12 . A system for providing a video encoding comprising:
a memory configured to store video data; and a central processing unit coupled to the memory, wherein the central processing unit comprises:
flatness check circuitry to determine a portion of a video frame is flat based on a flatness check of the portion of the video frame;
controller circuitry to bypass an inter-prediction partition check for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat; and
mode selection circuitry to perform a final mode decision for the portion of the video frame based at least in part on an inter-prediction mode coding cost for the portion of the video frame associated with an initial motion vector and an initial inter-prediction partition choice for the portion of the video frame.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller circuitry is to bypass a transform size check for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat and to select a maximum transform size for the portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being flat.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the flatness check circuitry is to determine a second portion of the video frame is not flat based on a second flatness check of the second portion of the video frame and the controller circuitry is to select a minimum transform size for the second portion of the video frame based on the second portion of the video frame being not flat.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
inter-prediction circuitry to perform a second inter-prediction partition check for the second portion of the video frame based on the second portion of the video frame being not flat and based on a second initial motion vector and a second initial inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame to determine a final motion vector and a final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame, wherein the mode selection circuitry is to perform a second final mode decision for the second portion of the video frame based at least in part on a second inter-prediction mode coding cost for the second portion of the video frame associated with the final motion vector and the final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the flatness check circuitry is to determine a second portion of the video frame is not flat based on a second flatness check of the second portion of the video frame, the system further comprising:
inter-prediction circuitry to determine the initial motion vector, the initial inter-prediction partition, and a second initial motion vector and a second initial inter-prediction partition for the second portion of the video frame based on a tree pruning technique and to perform a second inter-prediction partition check for the second portion of the video frame based on the portion of the video frame being not flat, the second inter-prediction partition check comprising a full partition options evaluation for the second portion of the video frame to generate a final motion vector and a final inter-prediction partition choice for the second portion of the video frame.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the flatness check comprises at least one of a comparison of a pixel variance of the portion of the video frame to a first threshold, a determination of whether all pixel va

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Lei Zhijun
• Tanner Jason

Classifications

• H04N19/14

  Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation (H04N19/146 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N19/176 Primary

  the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock · CPC title

• H04N19/96

  Tree coding, e.g. quad-tree coding · CPC title

• H04N19/119

  Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks · CPC title

• H04N19/192

  the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type being iterative or recursive · CPC title