Texture replacement in video sequences and images

• US 8,896,616 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dumitras, Adriana, Haskell, Barin Geoffry
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Aaron M
• Application Number:
  US13/204,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 345582-588
• US Class Current: 345/582
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/40 Analysis of texture depth or shape recovery from texture G06T7/529
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/41 based on statistical description of texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/001 Model-based coding, e.g. wire frame
• 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 19/167 Position within a video image, e.g. region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/23 with coding of regions that are present throughout a whole video segment, e.g. sprites, background or mosaic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/27 involving both synthetic and natural picture components, e.g. synthetic natural hybrid coding [SNHC]

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing bit rates by replacing original texture in a video sequence with synthesized texture. Reducing the bit rate of the video sequence begins by identifying and removing selected texture from frames in a video sequence. The removed texture is analyzed to generate texture parameters. New texture is synthesized using the texture parameters in combination with a set of constraints. Then, the newly synthesized texture is mapped back into the frames of the video sequence from which the original texture was removed. The resulting frames are then encoded. The bit rate of the video sequence with the synthesized texture is less than the bit rate of the video sequence with the original texture. Also, the ability of a decoder to decode the new video sequence is not compromised because no assumptions are made about the texture synthesis capabilities of the decoder.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

removing a region of interest belonging to a background portion of an initial frame in a video sequence;

determining, via a processor, texture parameters associated with the region of interest;

synthesizing replacement texture using the texture parameters;

modifying the replacement texture by applying a set of constraints to the replacement texture, wherein the set of constraints comprises a first set of constraints when the region of interest is structured and a second set of constraints when the region of interest in unstructured, the first set of constraints having a sequence of application which is distinct from the second set of constraints, wherein the first set of constraints shares a dominant texture orientation constraint with the second set of constraints, to yield new texture; and

inserting the new texture into the video sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the video sequence containing the new texture, to yield an encoded video sequence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a modified bit rate associated with the encoded video sequence is lower than an original texture bit rate associated with the video sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new texture is similar to, but distinguishable from, the region of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the region of interest based on a percentage of area within the initial frame; and

wherein the first set of constraints further shares a color saturation constraint with the second set of constraints.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set has a number of constraints less than a number of constraints in the first set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the texture parameters are determined using a parametric statistical model.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

removing a region of interest belonging to a background portion of an initial frame in a video sequence;

determining, via a processor, texture parameters associated with the region of interest;

synthesizing replacement texture using the texture parameters;

modifying the replacement texture by applying a set of constraints to the replacement texture, wherein the set of constraints comprises a first set of constraints when the region of interest is structured and a second set of constraints when the region of interest in unstructured, the first set of constraints having a sequence of application which is distinct from the second set of constraints, wherein the first set of constraints shares a dominant texture orientation constraint with the second set of constraints, to yield new texture; and

inserting the new texture into the video sequence.

9. The system of claim 8, the computer readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

encoding the video sequence containing the new texture, to yield an encoded video sequence.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a modified bit rate associated with the encoded video sequence is lower than an original texture bit rate associated with the video sequence.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the new texture is similar to, but distinguishable from, the region of interest.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

selecting the region of interest based on a percentage of area within the initial frame; and

wherein the first set of constraints further shares a color saturation constraint with the second set of constraints.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second set has a number of constraints less than a number of constraints in the first set.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the texture parameters are determined using a parametric statistical model.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

removing a region of interest belonging to a background portion of an initial frame in a video sequence;

determining, via a processor, texture parameters associated with the region of interest;

synthesizing replacement texture using the texture parameters;

modifying the replacement texture by applying a set of constraints to the replacement texture, wherein the set of constraints comprises a first set of constraints when the region of interest is structured and a second set of constraints when the region of interest in unstructured, the first set of constraints having a sequence of application which is distinct from the second set of constraints, wherein the first set of constraints shares a dominant texture orientation constraint with the second set of constraints, to yield new texture; and

inserting the new texture into the video sequence.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising:

encoding the video sequence containing the new texture, to yield an encoded video sequence.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein a modified bit rate associated with the encoded video sequence is lower than an original texture bit rate associated with the video sequence.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the new texture is similar to, but distinguishable from, the region of interest.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

selecting the region of interest based on a percentage of area within the initial frame; and

wherein the first set of constraints further shares a color saturation constraint with the second set of three constraints.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the second set has a number of constraints less than a number of constraints in the first set.