DEPTH MAP CODING USING VIDEO INFORMATION

• US 20110292044A1
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lai, Po-Lin, Tian, Dong, Kim, Woo-Shik
• Application Number:
  US13/138,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/158 Switching image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/463 by compressing encoding parameters before transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

Several implementations relate to depth map coding. In one implementation, it is determined that differences between collocated video blocks are small enough to be interchanged. Based on that determination, a depth block corresponding to a first of the video blocks is coded using an indicator that instructs a decoder to use a collocated depth block, corresponding to a second of the video blocks, in place of the depth block. In another implementation, a video signal includes a coding of at least a single indicator that instructs a decoder to decode both a depth block and a corresponding video block using collocated blocks, from other pictures, in place of the depth block and the corresponding video block. In another implementation, the depth block and the corresponding video block are decoded, based on the single indicator, using the collocated blocks in place of the depth block and the corresponding video block.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture;

determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture; and

coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the portion of the first depth picture or the portion of the second depth picture includes noise, and coding the portion of the first depth picture using the indicator reduces the noise.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein differences between the portion of the first depth picture and the portion of the second depth picture are large enough to produce a coding cost for a skip mode that is greater than a cost for at least one other coding mode, and the method further comprises determining to use the skip mode despite the non-minimizing cost of the skip mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein differences between the portion of the first depth picture and the portion of the second depth picture are large enough to produce a coding cost for a skip mode that is greater than a cost for at least one other coding mode, and the method further comprises determining to use the skip mode despite the non-minimizing cost of the skip mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the portion of the first depth picture or the portion of the second depth picture includes noise that contributes to the differences between the portion of the first depth picture and the portion of the second depth picture, and coding the portion of the first depth picture using the indicator reduces a flickering artifact due to the differences between the portion of the first video picture and the portion of the second video picture.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that differences are small enough comprises comparing the portion of the first video picture and the portion of a second video picture.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that differences are small enough comprises determining that the portion of the first video picture was coded using a coding mode that instructs a decoder to replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the indicator further instructs the decoder to replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture, such that a single indicator is used to indicate the coding of both the portion of the first depth picture and the portion of the first video picture.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first video picture is from a first time and the second video picture is from a second time that is different from the first time.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first video picture is from a first view and the second video picture is from a second view that is different from the first view.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first video picture is from a first view and the second video picture is from a second view that is different from the first view.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second time is earlier than the first time.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second time is later than the first time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein coding the portion of the first depth picture comprises using a skip mode.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein differences between the portion of the first depth picture and the portion of the second depth picture are above a threshold.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture;

means for determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture; and

means for coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is implemented in a video encoder.

18. A processor readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform at least the following:

accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture;

determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture; and

coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture.

19. An apparatus, comprising a processor configured to perform at least the following:

accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture;

determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture; and

coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture.

20. An apparatus comprising an encoder for performing at least the following operations:

accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture;

determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture; and

coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture.

21. An apparatus comprising:

an encoder for performing at least the following operations;

accessing a portion of a first depth picture that is to be coded, the portion of the first depth picture having one or more depth values for a corresponding portion of a first video picture,

determining that differences between the portion of the first video picture and a corresponding portion of a second video picture are small enough that an encoding of the portion of the first video picture may replace the portion of the first video picture with the portion of the second video picture,

coding, based on the determining, the portion of the first depth picture using an indicator that instructs a decoder to find a portion of a second depth picture that has one or more depth values for the portion of the second video picture, and that instructs the decoder to use the portion of the second depth picture for the portion of the first depth picture; and

a modulator for modulating a signal that includes the coding of the portion of the first depth picture.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. A processor readable medium having stored thereon a video signal structure, comprising:

a depth picture coding section including coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

a video picture coding section including coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture; and

an indicator section including coding of at least a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture.

25. A method comprising:

accessing a coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

accessing a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture;

accessing at least a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture;

decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture; and

decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for accessing a coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

means for accessing a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture;

means for accessing a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture;

means for decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture; and

means for decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is implemented in a video decoder.

28. A processor readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform at least the following:

accessing a coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

accessing a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture;

accessing a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture;

decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture; and

decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture.

29. An apparatus, comprising a processor configured to perform at least the following:

accessing a coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

accessing a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture;

accessing a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture;

decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture; and

decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture.

30. An apparatus comprising a decoder for performing at least the following operations:

accessing a coding of a portion of a first depth picture;

accessing a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture;

accessing a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture;

decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture; and

decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a demodulator for receiving and demodulating a signal, the signal including;

a coding of a portion of a first depth picture,

a coding of a portion of a first video picture, the first video picture corresponding to the first depth picture,

a coding of a single indicator that instructs the decoder to perform at least the following operations;

to decode a portion of a second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture for the portion of the second depth picture, the portion of the second depth picture being collocated with the potion of the first depth picture, and

to decode a portion of a second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture for the portion of the second video picture, the portion of the second video picture being collocated with the potion of the first video picture, and the second video picture corresponding to the second depth picture; and

a decoder for performing at least the following operations;

accessing the coding of a portion of a first depth picture,

accessing the coding of a portion of a first video picture,

accessing the single indicator,

decoding the portion of the second depth picture by using the portion of the first depth picture, and

decoding the portion of the second video picture by using the portion of the first video picture.