VIDEO PROCESSOR USING OPTIMIZED MACROBLOCK SORTING FOR SLICEMAP REPRESENTATIONS

• US 20100128798A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Choudhury, Himadri
• Application Number:
  US12/277,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.240
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/174 the region being a slice, e.g. a line of blocks or a group of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/196 being specially adapted for the computation of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging previously computed encoding parameters processing of motion vectors H04N19/513
• 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

Abstract

A method for executing video encoding operations. The method includes encoding an incoming video stream into a plurality of macro blocks by using a video encoder and receiving a foreground-background slice map specification for the plurality of macro blocks. A plurality of critical coordinates are calculated for each rectangle comprising the foreground background slice map specification. Each of the plurality of critical coordinates are examined to assign group membership for their respective macro blocks. The furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks from a raster origination is designated as a last macro block of a group. The data comprising the group is transmitted out from the encoder once the last macro block has been processed.

Claims

1. A method for executing video encoding operations, comprising:

encoding an incoming video stream into a plurality of macro blocks by using a video encoder;

receiving a foreground-background slice map specification for the plurality of macro blocks;

calculating a plurality of critical coordinates for each rectangle comprising the foreground background slice map specification;

examining each of the plurality of critical coordinates to assign group membership for their respective macro blocks;

designating the furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks from a raster origination as a last macro block of a group; and

transmitting the data comprising the group out from the encoder once the last macro block has been processed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority arbitration process is performed to designate the last macro block of the group.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

converting a box out slice map specification to the foreground-background slice map specification; and

processing the plurality of macro blocks in accordance with the foreground-background specification and by using a common hardware encoder front end.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is received from a video application executing on the video encoder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is defined by specified rectangular coordinates of a top corner and a bottom corner of each of a plurality of rectangles within a video frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video encoder is an H.264 video encoder.

7. A hand held device for implementing video encoding operations, comprising:

a computer system having a processor coupled to a memory and a video encoder, the memory having computer readable code which when executed by the processor causes the hand held device to;

encode an incoming video stream into a plurality of macro blocks by using a video encoder;

receive a foreground-background slice map specification for the plurality of macro blocks;

calculate a plurality of critical coordinates for each rectangle comprising the foreground background slice map specification;

examine each of the plurality of critical coordinates to assign group membership for their respective macro blocks;

designate the furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks from a raster origination as a last macro block of a group; and

transmit the data comprising the group out from the encoder once the last macro block has been processed.

8. The hand held device of claim 7, wherein a priority arbitration process is performed to designate the last macro block of the group.

9. The hand held device of claim 7 further comprising:

converting a box out slice map specification to the foreground-background slice map specification; and

processing the plurality of macro blocks in accordance with the foreground-background specification and by using a common hardware encoder front end.

10. The hand held device of claim 7, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is received from a video application executing on the video encoder.

11. The hand held device of claim 7, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is defined by specified rectangular coordinates of a top corner and a bottom corner of each of a plurality of rectangles within a video frame.

12. The hand held device of claim 7, wherein the video encoder is an H.264 video encoder.

13. A computer system for implementing real time video encoding operations, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory and a video encoder, the memory having computer readable code which when executed by the processor causes the computer system to;

encode an incoming video stream into a plurality of macro blocks by using a video encoder;

receive a foreground-background slice map specification for the plurality of macro blocks;

calculate a plurality of critical coordinates for each rectangle comprising the foreground background slice map specification;

examine each of the plurality of critical coordinates to assign group membership for their respective macro blocks;

designate the furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks from a raster origination as a last macro block of a group; and

transmit the data comprising the group out from the encoder once the last macro block has been processed.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein a priority arbitration process is performed to designate the last macro block of the group.

15. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

converting a box out slice map specification to the foreground-background slice map specification; and

processing the plurality of macro blocks in accordance with the foreground-background specification and by using a common hardware encoder front end.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is received from a video application executing on the video encoder.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the foreground-background slice map specification is defined by specified rectangular coordinates of a top corner and a bottom corner of each of a plurality of rectangles within a video frame.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the video encoder is an H.264 video encoder.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks from a raster origination is designated as the last macro block.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the furthest macro block of the respective macro blocks is processed last in the group where processing is done in raster order.