METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPLEXITY-SCALABLE MOTION ESTIMATION

• US 20100061459A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panusopone, Krit, Baylon, David M., Lin, Weiyao
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.160
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/127 Prioritisation of hardware or computational resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/156 Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for complexity-scalable video coding. One embodiment of a method for video coding includes receiving a sequence of one or more video frames, obtaining a budget for the one or more video frames, the budget specifying a maximum number of computations that may be used in performing motion estimation for the one or more video frames, allocating the maximum number of computations among individual ones of the one or more video frames, performing motion estimation in accordance with the allocating, and outputting a motion estimate for the sequence.

Claims

1. A method for video coding, comprising:

receiving a sequence of one or more video frames;

obtaining a budget for the one or more video frames, the budget specifying a maximum number of computations that may be used in performing motion estimation for the one or more video frames;

allocating the computations among individual ones of the one or more video frames;

performing motion estimation in accordance with the allocating; and

outputting a motion estimate for the sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coding the one or more frames in accordance with the motion estimate to produce one or more coded frames; and

outputting the one or more coded frames.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computations are sum of absolute differences computations, search points, or motion cost operations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating is performed such that each of the one or more video frames is allocated at least a minimum number of the computations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating is made in accordance with a frame-level base layer and a frame-level enhancement layer for each of the one or more video frames.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating further comprises:

allocating a number of the computations allocated to a one of the one or more frames among one or more classes of macroblocks contained in the one of the one or more frames.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more classes of macroblocks comprises three potential classes.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the number of the computations allocated to the one of the one or more frames is allocated among the one or more classes of macroblocks such that a total number of computations allocated to the one or more classes of macroblocks exceeds the number of computations allocated to the one of the one or more frames.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a difference between the number of computations allocated to the one of the one or more frames and the total number of computations allocated to the one or more classes of macroblocks is borrowed from a number of computations allocated to another of the one or more frames.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the number of the computations allocated to the one of the one or more frames is allocated among the one or more classes of macroblocks such that a total number of computations allocated to the one or more classes of macroblocks is less than or equal to than the number of computations allocated to the one of the one or more frames.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the allocating further comprises:

allocating a number of computations allocated to a class of macroblocks among individual macroblocks in the class of macroblocks.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the allocating further comprises:

allocating a number of computations allocated to an individual macroblock among individual steps of a motion estimation process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the individual steps of the motion estimation process comprise at least one of:

a small local search step, a cross search step, a multi-hex search, a small hex search and a small diamond search.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating further comprises:

allocating a number of computations allocated to a one of the one or more frames among individual macroblocks in the one of the one or more frames.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a minimum number of computations are allocated to the small local search step.

16. A computer readable medium containing an executable program for video coding, where the program performs the steps of:

receiving a sequence of one or more video frames;

obtaining a budget for the one or more video frames, the budget specifying a maximum number of computations that may be used in performing motion estimation for the one or more video frames;

allocating the maximum number of computations among individual ones of the one or more video frames;

performing motion estimation in accordance with the allocating; and

outputting a motion estimate for the sequence.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the program further performs the steps of:

coding the one or more frames in accordance with the motion estimate to produce one or more coded frames; and

outputting the one or more coded frames.

18. A video encoder, comprising:

an input for receiving a sequence of one or more video frames; and

a motion estimator for obtaining a budget for the one or more video frames, the budget specifying a maximum number of computations that may be used in performing motion estimation for the one or more video frames, for allocating the maximum number of computations among individual ones of the one or more video frames, and for performing motion estimation in accordance with the allocating.

19. The video encoder of claim 18, further comprising:

an entropy coder for coding the one or more frames in accordance with a result of the motion estimation to produce one or more coded frames; and

an output for outputting the one or more coded frames.

20. The video encoder of claim 18, wherein the video encoder generates a bitstream that is compliant with at least one of:

the H.264 standard, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-4, Part 10 standard, or the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) standard.

21. The video encoder of claim 18, wherein the motion estimator is further configured to allocate a number of the computations allocated to a one of the one or more frames among one or more classes of macroblocks contained in the one of the one or more frames.

22. The video encoder of claim 21, wherein the motion estimator is further configured to allocate a number of computations allocated to a class of macroblocks among individual macroblocks in the class of macroblocks.

23. The video encoder of claim 22, wherein the motion estimator is further configured to allocate a number of computations allocated to an individual macroblock among individual steps of a motion estimation process.