Methods and systems for inter-layer image prediction signaling

• US 8,665,942 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Segall, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): Werner, David N
• Application Number:
  US11/626,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20080175496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,597 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/240
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/105 Selection of the reference unit for prediction within a chosen coding or prediction mode, e.g. adaptive choice of position and number of pixels used for prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/134 characterised by the element, parameter or criterion affecting or controlling the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/184 the unit being bits, e.g. of the compressed video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/187 the unit being a scalable video layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/36 Scalability techniques involving formatting the layers as a function of picture distortion after decoding, e.g. signal-to-noise [SNR] scalability
• 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 19/503 involving temporal prediction adaptive coding with adaptive selection between spatial and temporal predictive coding H04N19/107; adaptive coding with adaptive selection among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes H04N19/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for predicting high dynamic range image blocks, wherein the systems and methods comprise a first image block and a second image block, where a received first prediction data of the first image block and a received prediction difference data of the second image block may be combined to determine a second prediction data for the second image block.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a high dynamic range image block with differentially-coded prediction data, said method comprising:

receiving high dynamic range (HDR) image data for a first image block, said first image block HDR image data comprising a first prediction data for said first image block, wherein said first prediction data comprises a scaling factor;

receiving high dynamic range (HDR) image data for a second image block, said second image block HDR image data comprising a prediction difference data related to said first prediction data, wherein said prediction difference data comprises a differentially-coded scaling factor;

determining a state associated with neighboring image blocks, wherein the state is for signaling whether or not the neighboring image blocks have the same scaling factor, and the determination is based on scaling factor of said first prediction data;

combining said first prediction data and said prediction difference data to determine second prediction data for said second image block; and

determining an HDR image block for the second image block based on the determined second prediction data for said second image block and the determined state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first image block is an upper neighbor to said second image block.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first image block is a neighbor to the left of said second image block.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first image block is selected from a neighborhood around said second image block.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first image block is selected from an upper neighbor to said second image block and a left-hand neighbor to said second image block, wherein the selecting is based on the minimum value scale factor of an upper neighbor to said second image block and a left-hand neighbor to said second image block.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first prediction data further comprises an offset factor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said neighboring image blocks are image blocks selected from an upper neighbor and a left-most neighbor.

8. A method for predicting a high dynamic range image block with differentially-coded prediction data, said method comprising:

receiving high dynamic range (HDR) image data for a first image block, said HDR image data comprising first prediction data for said first image block, wherein said first prediction data comprises a scaling factor;

receiving high dynamic range (HDR) image data for a second image block, said HDR image data comprising second prediction data for said second image block, wherein said second prediction data comprises a scaling factor;

receiving prediction difference data for a third image block wherein said prediction difference data is differentially coded relative to at least one of said first prediction data and said second prediction data, and wherein said prediction difference data comprises a differentially-coded scaling factor;

determining a state associated with neighboring image blocks, wherein the state is for signaling whether or not the neighboring image blocks have the same scaling factor, and the determination is based on scaling factor of said first prediction data and scaling factor of said second prediction data; and

determining third prediction data for said third image block based on said prediction difference data, said second prediction data, said first prediction data, and the determined state.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second prediction data comprises a differential quantity related to said first image data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said first prediction data comprises an offset factor.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said neighboring image blocks are image blocks selected from an upper neighbor and a left-most neighbor.

12. A device comprising:

a decoder having a current image block and a previous image block, the current image block and the previous image block each comprising high dynamic range (HDR) image data, wherein the decoder is configured to;

determine prediction data for the current image block based on prediction data comprising a scaling factor of a previous image block and prediction difference data comprising a differentially-coded scaling factor of the current image block, wherein the prediction difference data of the current image block is associated with the prediction data of the previous image block; and

predict the high dynamic range image block of the current image block based on the determined prediction data of the current image block.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising:

an encoder configured to;

enable data prediction for the current image block based on an offset factor.

15. The device of claim 12 further comprising:

an encoder configured to;

determine a state associated with neighboring image blocks, wherein the state is for signaling whether or not the neighboring image blocks have the same scaling factor, and the determination is based on scaling factor of the prediction data of a previous image block.

14. A method for predicting a high dynamic range (HDR) image block comprising:

determining, by a decoder, prediction data comprising a scaling factor for the current high dynamic range image block based on prediction data comprising a scaling factor of a previous high dynamic range image block and prediction difference data comprising a differentially-encoded scaling factor of the current image block, wherein the prediction difference data of the current image block is associated with the prediction data of the previous image block; and

predicting, by the decoder, a high dynamic range image block of the current image block based on the determined prediction data of the current image block.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining a state associated with neighboring image blocks, wherein the state is for signaling whether or not the neighboring image blocks have the same scaling factor, and the determining is based on scaling factor of the prediction data of a previous image block.