VIDEO CODING WITH LARGE MACROBLOCKS

• US 20100086031A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Karczewicz, Marta, Ye, Yan, Chen, Peisong
• Application Number:
  US12/562,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20100086031A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.120
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/103 Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/147 according to rate distortion criteria rate-distortion as a criterion for motion estimation H04N19/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards

Abstract

Techniques are described for encoding and decoding digital video data using macroblocks that are larger than the macroblocks prescribed by conventional video encoding and decoding standards. For example, the techniques include encoding and decoding a video stream using macroblocks comprising greater than 16×16 pixels, for example, 64×64 pixels. In one example, an apparatus includes a video encoder configured to receive a video coding unit, determine a first rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using first video blocks with sizes of 16×16 pixels, determine a second rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using second video blocks with sizes of more than 16×16 pixels, encode the video coding unit using the first video blocks when the first rate-distortion metric is less than second rate-distortion metric, and encode the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the second rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with a digital video encoder, a video coding unit;

determining a first rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using first video blocks with sizes of 16×

16 pixels;

determining a second rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using second video blocks with sizes of more than 16×

16 pixels;

encoding the video coding unit using the first video blocks when the first rate-distortion metric is less than second rate-distortion metric; and

encoding the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the second rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an encoded video bitstream comprising block-type syntax information indicating the size of the blocks used to encode the video coding unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second blocks have sizes of at least 64×

64 pixels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a third rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using third video blocks with sizes greater than the sizes of the first video blocks and less than the sizes of the second video blocks; and

encoding the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the third rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric and the second rate-distortion metric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the third blocks have sizes of at least 32×

32 pixels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video coding unit comprises one of a frame or a slice of a video sequence.

7. An apparatus comprising a video encoder configured to:

receive a video coding unit;

determine a first rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using first video blocks with sizes of 16×

16 pixels;

determine a second rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using second video blocks with sizes of more than 16×

16 pixels;

encode the video coding unit using the first video blocks when the first rate-distortion metric is less than second rate-distortion metric; and

encode the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the second rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the video encoder is configured to generate an encoded video bitstream comprising block-type syntax information indicating the size of the blocks used to encode the video coding unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second blocks have sizes of at least 64×

64 pixels.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the video encoder is configured to:

determine a third rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using third video blocks with sizes greater than the sizes of the first video blocks and less than the sizes of the second video blocks; and

encode the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the third rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric and the second rate-distortion metric.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the third blocks have sizes of at least 32×

32 pixels.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the video coding unit comprises one of a frame or a slice of a video sequence.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a video coding unit;

means for determining a first rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using first video blocks with sizes of 16×

16 pixels;

means for determining a second rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using second video blocks with sizes of more than 16×

16 pixels;

means for encoding the video coding unit using the first video blocks when the first rate-distortion metric is less than second rate-distortion metric; and

means for encoding the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the second rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for generating an encoded video bitstream comprising block-type syntax information indicating the size of the blocks used to encode the video coding unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second blocks have sizes of at least 64×

64 pixels.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining a third rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using third video blocks with sizes greater than the sizes of the first video blocks and less than the sizes of the second video blocks; and

means for encoding the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the third rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric and the second rate-distortion metric.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the third blocks have sizes of at least 32×

32 pixels.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the video coding unit comprises one of a frame or a slice of a video sequence.

19. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions to cause a video encoder to:

receive a video coding unit;

determine a first rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using first video blocks with sizes of 16×

16 pixels;

determine a second rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using second video blocks with sizes of more than 16×

16 pixels;

encode the video coding unit using the first video blocks when the first rate-distortion metric is less than second rate-distortion metric; and

encode the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the second rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the video encoder to generate an encoded video bitstream comprising block-type syntax information indicating the size of the blocks used to encode the video coding unit.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the second blocks have sizes of at least 64×

64 pixels.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the video encoder to:

determine a third rate-distortion metric for encoding the video coding unit using third video blocks with sizes greater than the sizes of the first video blocks and less than the sizes of the second video blocks; and

encode the video coding unit using the second video blocks when the third rate-distortion metric is less than the first rate-distortion metric and the second rate-distortion metric.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the third blocks have sizes of at least 32×

32 pixels.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the video coding unit comprises one of a frame or a slice of a video sequence.