Predictive interpolation of a video signal

• US 8,023,561 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Video 264 Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovation Management Sciences, LLC
• Inventors: Garrido, Diego, Fogg, Chad, Butler, Simon, Webb, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US11/782,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.15, 375/240.25, 375/240.26, 375/240.14, 375/240.12, 375/240.16, 382/238, 382/233, 382/235, 382/236
• US Class Current: 375/240.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/117 Filters, e.g. for pre-processing or post-processing sub-band filter banks H04N19/635
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/126 Details of normalisation or weighting functions, e.g. normalisation matrices or variable uniform quantisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/14 Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation H04N19/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/149 by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/177 the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• 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 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/527 Global motion vector estimation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/80 Details of filtering operations specially adapted for video compression, e.g. for pixel interpolation H04N19/635, H04N19/86 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/82 involving filtering within a prediction loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/86 involving reduction of coding artifacts, e.g. of blockiness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/94 : Vector quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0125 : one of the standards being a high definition standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0137 : dependent on presence/absence of motion, e.g. of motion zones H04N7/014 takes precedence; movement detection in television signals H04N5/144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/014 : involving the use of motion vectors motion estimation and compensation in video coding H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0145 : the interpolation being class adaptive, i.e. it uses the information of class which is determined for a pixel based upon certain characteristics of the neighbouring pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating a interpolated base frame image; receiving a first previously decoded difference picture; receiving a second previously decoded difference picture; generating a combined motion compensated difference surface; and generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture based upon the interpolated base frame image and the combined motion compensated difference surface. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal is also disclosed. The circuit comprising a base decoder generating a base image of a standard definition picture; a temporal predictive interpolator coupled to the base decoder and generating an interpolated block; and a summing circuit coupled to the temporal predictive interpolated. The summing circuit preferably adds the interpolated block and a difference block.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an interpolated base frame in accordance with a current base image;

retrieving a first previously decoded difference picture from a frame buffer;

generating a prediction surface from a motion compensation prediction utilizing said first previously decoded difference picture; and

generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture based upon said interpolated base frame and said prediction surface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of receiving enhancement data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising a step of generating a difference picture based upon said enhancement data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising a step of adding said temporally interpolated enhanced picture to said difference picture.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising a step of generating an enhanced picture.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of generating decoded images based upon received base images.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising a step of applying a deblocking filter to reduce coding artifacts present in the base images.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of applying a deblocking filter comprises a step of applying a deblocking filter after said base images have been decoded.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of applying a deblocking filter comprises a step of suspending said deblocking filter when the picture quality of said base images is above a predetermined therehold.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises a step of regulating said deblocking filter by base layer stream quantization parameters.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising a step of applying a deblocking filter to said interpolated base layer image.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of encoding data for enhancement layers only for selected blocks.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture further comprises a step of generating an enhanced picture based upon motion vectors of the base layer bitstream and measurements derived by the receive upon the base images and previously enhanced images.

14. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal, said circuit comprising:

a base decoder generating a base image of a standard definition picture;

a temporal predictive interpolator coupled to said base decoder and generating an interpolated base frame;

a combined motion compensated difference surface based upon a first previously processed picture and a second previously processed picture;

a first summing circuit coupled to receive said interpolated base frame and said combined motion compensated surface and to generate a temporally interpolated enhance picture; and

a second summing circuit adding said temporally interpolated enhanced picture and a difference block.

15. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said difference picture is based upon enhancement data.

16. The circuit of claim 15 wherein said enhancement data comprises a plurality of codebook numbers.

17. The circuit of claim 16 wherein said enhancement data comprises a first pointer to a first codebook and a second pointer to a second codebook.

18. The circuit of claim 17 further comprising an enhanced picture generated by said second summing circuit.