METHODS OF MODIFYING SEARCH AREAS

• US 20170180754A1
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wu, Yannan, Tang, Xiaozheng, Chen, Wei, Cao, Zisheng, Wang, Mingyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,708,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/513 Processing of motion vectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/527 Global motion vector estimation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/56 Motion estimation with initialisation of the vector search, e.g. estimating a good candidate to initiate a search
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/57 Motion estimation characterised by a search window with variable size or shape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

Methods and systems for evaluating a search area for encoding video are provided. The method comprises receiving video captured by an image capture device, the video comprising video frame components. Additionally, the method comprises receiving optical flow field data associated with the video frame component, wherein at least a portion of the optical flow field data is captured by sensors. The method also comprises determining a search area based on the optical flow field data.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating a search area for encoding video, said method comprising:

receiving video captured by an image capture device, the video comprising video frame components;

receiving optical flow field data associated with a video frame component of the video frame components, wherein at least a portion of the optical flow field data is captured by sensors; and

determining a search area within the video frame component based on the optical flow field data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the search area within the video frame component comprises varying or maintaining a predetermined initial search area based on the optical flow field data to yield a modified search area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising evaluating the modified search area of the video frame component to be encoded using motion information of the video captured by the image capture device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of evaluating the modified search area occurs while a movable object carrying the image capture device is in flight, and wherein the movable object is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial search area is varied when a determination is made that the optical flow field data bias a search area for the video frame component away from the initial search area.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein varying the initial search area includes varying the dimensions or shape of the initial search area.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein varying the initial search area includes varying the location of the initial search area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the optical flow field data bias the location of an initial point of the initial search area based on a motion vector of a previous frame.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein varying the initial search area comprises vertically elongating the initial search area when the optical flow field data indicates a vertical bias.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein varying the initial search area comprises moving a position of the initial search area on a video frame component along a circular arc when the optical flow field data indicates a rotation.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the modified search area is evaluated to identify a motion vector within the video frame component.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein a second initial search area of the video frame component is provided, and wherein the second initial search area is varied or maintained based on the optical flow field data to yield a second modified search area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second modified search area is smaller than the modified search area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the video frame component is a block within a video frame, wherein the video frame comprises a plurality of blocks.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the block is an encoding video block.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for evaluating a search area for encoding video, said computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions for receiving video captured by an image capture device, the video comprising video frame components;

program instructions for receiving optical flow field data associated with a video frame component of the video frame components, wherein at least a portion of the optical flow field data is captured by sensors; and

program instructions for determining a search area within the video frame component based on the optical flow field data.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said program instructions for determining the search area within the video frame component comprises varying or maintaining a predetermined initial search area based on the optical flow field data to yield a modified search area.

19. A system for evaluating a search area for encoding video, said system comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture a video;

one or more sensors configured to capture optical flow field data; and

one or more processors, individually or collectively configured to;

receive the video captured by the image capture device, the video comprising video frame components;

receive optical flow field data associated with a video frame component of the video frame components, wherein at least a portion of the optical flow field data is captured by the one or more sensors; and

determine a search area within the video frame component based on the optical flow field data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said one or more processors that are configured to determine the search area within the video frame component are configured to vary or maintain a predetermined initial search area based on the optical flow field data to yield a modified search area.