Apparatus and method for using side information to improve a coding system

• US 6,233,278 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dieterich, Charles Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US09/629,300
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.732, 348/700, 348/701, 386/112, 386/111, 375/240.05, 375/240.26
• US Class Current: 375/240.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/10 using adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/107 between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/114 Adapting the group of pictures [GOP] structure, e.g. number of B-frames between two anchor frames H04N19/107 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/13 Adaptive entropy coding, e.g. adaptive variable length coding [AVLC] or context adaptive binary arithmetic coding [CABAC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/142 Detection of scene cut or scene change
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/177 the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/179 the unit being a scene or a shot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/192 the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type being iterative or recursive
• 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 19/198 including smoothing of a sequence of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging, by choice of the maximum, minimum or median value
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• 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 19/60 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/63 using sub-band based transform, e.g. wavelets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/64 characterised by ordering of coefficients or of bits for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/87 : involving scene cut or scene change detection in combination with video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 : Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding

Abstract

A method and apparatus for pre-processing an image sequence to extract side information concerning the image sequence is disclosed. In one embodiment, the side information is inserted into the image sequence, such that upon being encoded at a later time, the encoder can utilize the side information to best select one or more coding parameters. Alternatively, the side information can be stored on a storage device and is then made available to an encoder that is tasked with encoding the image sequence.

Claims

1. A method for generating a bitstream having an image sequence with side information, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating side information from an input image sequence; and

(b) inserting said side information with said input image sequence to form a bitstream having said input image sequence and said side information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises degree of motion information of said input image sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises anomalous frame information of said input image sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises fade-out frame information of said input image sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises scene change information of said input image sequence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises complexity information of said input image sequence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises F-code information of said input image sequence.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises 3:

2 pull down selection information of said input image sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises bit budget information of said input image sequence.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises quantization scale information of said input image sequence.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises quality based information of said input image sequence.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said side information comprises noise information of said input image sequence.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as ancillary data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information onto said input image sequence as information in a vertical blanking interval (VBI).

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts a said side information onto said input image sequence as information in a a horizontal interval.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information onto a frame of said input image sequence.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as frame rate information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information onto a field of said input image sequence.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as field rate information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as macroblock rate information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said macroblock rate information relates to a slice or a row of a frame of said input image sequence.

22. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps comprising of:

(a) generating side information from an input image sequence; and

(b) inserting said side information with said input image sequence to form a bitstream having said input image sequence and said side information.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said side information comprises degree of motion information of said input image sequence.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said side a information comprises anomalous frame information of said input image sequence.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said side information comprises fade-out frame information of said input image sequence.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said side information comprises scene change information of said input image sequence.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said side information comprises quantization scale information of said input image sequence.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information onto a frame of said input image sequence.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as frame rate information.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said inserting step (b) inserts said side information as macroblock rate information.