Method and apparatus for encoding surveillance video

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426477-B2
Application number	US-71271710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2010
Priority date	Feb 25, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for encoding video, such as surveillance video. A video frame is encoded by evaluating a level of activity in video frame relative to one or more neighboring frames; encoding the video frame using an inter-coding technique if the evaluation satisfies one or more predefined inter-coding criteria, wherein said inter-coding technique is applied to said video frame without a Group of Picture structure having a maximum number of consecutive inter-coded frames; and encoding the video frame using an intra-coding technique if the evaluation satisfies one or more predefined intra-coding criteria. The evaluating step may comprise, for example, determining whether differences between the video frame and the one or more neighboring frames exceed a predefined threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for encoding a plurality of video frames, comprising:
evaluating, using at least one processing device, a level of activity in a given whole video frame relative to one or more neighboring frames in said plurality of video frames;
if said level of activity does not satisfy one or more predefined activity criteria, encoding, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an inter-coding technique without motion compensation, wherein said inter-coding technique without motion compensation is applied to said plurality of video frames without a maximum number of consecutive inter-coded frames;
if said level of activity does satisfy said one or more predefined activity criteria, determining if predictable activity in one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies one or more predefined predictability criteria;
encoding said given video frame using an inter-coding technique with motion estimation if said one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies said one or more predefined predictability criteria; and
encoding, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an intra-coding technique if said one or more of said plurality of video frames does not satisfy said one or more predefined predictability criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said evaluating step further comprises the step of determining whether differences between said whole video frame and said one or more neighboring frames exceed a predefined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of evaluating a level of activity comprises one or more of difference thresholding, motion estimation and motion compensation.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of encoding said whole video frame using a skip mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said evaluating step evaluates activity in said whole video frame by summing pixel differences between two frames and comparing said sum to a predefined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predictable activity is evaluated by summing pixel differences between a previous frame and a motion compensated input frame.

7. A computer program product, said computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable recordable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to evaluate, using at least one processing device, a level of activity in a given whole video frame relative to one or more neighboring frames in said plurality of video frames;
computer readable program code configured to encode, if said level of activity does not satisfy one or more predefined activity criteria, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an inter-coding technique without motion compensation, wherein said inter-coding technique without motion compensation is applied to said plurality of video frames without a maximum number of consecutive inter-coded frames;
computer readable program code configured to determine, if said level of activity does satisfy said one or more predefined activity criteria, if predictable activity in one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies one or more predefined predictability criteria;
computer readable program code configured to encode said given video frame using an inter-coding technique with motion estimation if said one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies said one or more predefined predictability criteria; and
computer readable program code configured to encode, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an intra-coding technique if said one or more of said plurality of video frames does not satisfy said one or more predefined predictability criteria.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said evaluation further comprises determining whether differences between said whole video frame and said one or more neighboring frames exceed a predefined threshold.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said evaluation of a level of activity comprises one or more of difference thresholding, motion estimation and motion compensation.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said whole video frame comprises surveillance video.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to encode said whole video frame using a skip mode.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said evaluation evaluates activity in said whole video frame by summing pixel differences between two frames and comparing said sum to a predefined threshold.

13. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said predictable activity is evaluated by summing pixel differences between a previous frame and a motion compensated input frame.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said whole video frame comprises predictable activity if said sum falls below a threshold.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to:
evaluate, using at least one processing device, a level of activity in a given whole video frame relative to one or more neighboring frames in said plurality of video frames;
if said level of activity does not satisfy one or more predefined activity criteria, encode, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an inter-coding technique without motion compensation, wherein said inter-coding technique without motion compensation is applied to said plurality of video frames without a maximum number of consecutive inter-coded frames;
if said level of activity does satisfy said one or more predefined activity criteria, determine if predictable activity in one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies one or more predefined predictability criteria;
encode said given video frame using an inter-coding technique with motion estimation if said one or more of said plurality of video frames satisfies said one or more predefined predictability criteria; and
encode, using at least one processing device, said given whole video frame using an intra-coding technique if said one or more of said plurality of video frames does not satisfy said one or more predefined predictability criteria.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said evaluating further comprises the step of determining whether differences between said whole video frame and said one or more neighboring frames exceed a predefined threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said evaluating a level of activity comprises one or more of difference thresholding, motion estimation and motion compensation.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to encode said whole video frame using a skip mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said evaluating evaluates activity in said whole video frame by summing pixel differences between two frames and comparing said sum to a predefined threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said predictable activity is evaluated by summing pixel differences between a previous frame and a motion compensated input frame.

Assignees

• Lu Ligang
• Westerink Peter
• IBM

Inventors

• Lu Ligang
• Westerink Peter

Classifications

• H04N19/107

  between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh · CPC title

• H04N19/14

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

• H04N19/172

  the region being a picture, frame or field · CPC title

• H04N19/137 Primary

  Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference · CPC title