VIDEO ENCODING APPARATUS AND VIDEO DECODING APPARATUS

• US 20070147514A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Noboru Yamaguchi, Takashi IDA, Toshiaki Watanabe, Yoshihiro Kikuchi
• Original Assignee: Noboru Yamaguchi, Takashi IDA, Toshiaki Watanabe, Yoshihiro Kikuchi
• Inventors: Ida, Takashi, Kikuchi, Yoshihiro, Yamaguchi, Noboru, Watanabe, Toshiaki
• Application Number:
  US11/683,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147514A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.240
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution

Abstract

An alpha-map encoding apparatus includes a first down-sampling circuit (21) for down-sampling an alpha-map signal which represents the shape of an object and the position in the frame of the object at a down-sampling ratio based on size conversion ratio information, an up-sampling circuit (23) for up-sampling the alpha-map signal at an up-sampling ratio based on size conversion ratio information given to restore the down-sampled alpha-map signal to an original size, and outputting a local decoded alpha-map signal, a motion estimation/compensation circuit (25) for generating a motion estimation/compensation signal on the basis of the previous decoded video signal and a motion vector signal, a second down-sampling circuit (26) for down-sampling the motion estimation/compensation signal at the down-sampling ratio, a binary image encoder for encoding the alpha-map signal down-sampled by the first down-sampling circuit to a binary image in accordance with the motion estimation/compensation signal down-sampled by the second down-sampling circuit, and outputting an encoded binary image signal, and a multiplexer for multiplexing and outputting the encoded binary image signal and the up-sampling ratio information.

Claims

1. An encoding apparatus, comprising:

means for dividing a signal representing object shape information of an object for each frame into a plurality of sub-blocks;

first encoding means for encoding first attribute information indicating a sub-block picture signal inside the object, to obtain encoded first attribute information;

second encoding means for encoding second attribute information indicating a sub-block picture signal outside the object, to obtain encoded second attribute information;

third encoding means for encoding a sub-block picture signal corresponding to a boundary between the inside and outside of the object, to obtain an encoded picture signal; and

means for multiplexing the encoded first and second attribute information and the encoded picture signal from the first, second and third encoding means, to obtain a bit stream, wherein

the picture signal indicating the object shape information is a binary picture signal representing an object shape and a position of the object.

2. An encoding apparatus, comprising:

a divider configured to divide a signal representing object shape information of an object for each frame into a plurality of sub-blocks;

a first encoder configured to encode first attribute information indicating a sub-block picture signal inside the object, to obtain encoded first attribute information

a second encoder configured to encode second attribute information indicating a sun-block picture signal outside the object, to obtain encoded second attribute information;

a third encoder configured to encode a sub-block picture corresponding to a boundary between the inside and outside of the object, to obtain an encoded picture signal; and

a multiplexer configured to multiplex the encoded first and second attribute information and the encoded picture signal from the first, second and third encoders, to obtain a bit stream, wherein

the picture signal indicating the object shape information is a binary picture signal representing an object shape and a position of the object.

3. An encoding method, comprising the steps of:

dividing a signal representing object shape information of an object for each frame into a plurality of sub-blocks;

encoding first attribute information indicating a sub-block picture signal inside the object, to obtain encoded first attribute information;

encoding second attribute information indicating a sub-block picture signal outside the object, to obtain encoded second attribute information;

encoding a sub-block picture signal corresponding to a boundary between the inside and outside of the object, to obtain an encoded picture signal; and

multiplexing the encoded first and second attribute information and the encoded picture signal obtained by the first, second and third encoding steps, to obtain a bit stream, wherein

the picture signal indicating the object shape information is a binary picture signal representing an object shape and a position of the object.