Method, device and program for encoding and decoding a sequence of images using area-by-area loop filtering
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of encoding images, comprising:
- receiving a sequence of images;
encoding the received sequence of images to produce a bitstream; and
processing at least one encoded image to generate a reconstructed image usable as a reference image for the encoding of another image, the processing comprising loop filtering;
wherein the loop filtering comprises;
determining which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections;
performing area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and disabling such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence;
producing a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and
determining that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure,wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of encoding a sequence of images comprises performing area-by-area loop filtering on at least one image of the sequence and disabling such area-by-area loop filtering on at least one other image of the sequence. The images of the sequence are associated with respective levels from a plurality of levels, the levels corresponding to different respective rate-distortion balances or to different image qualities, and the images on which the area-by-area loop filtering is disabled are determined in dependence upon the levels.
33 Citations
46 Claims
-
1. A method of encoding images, comprising:
-
receiving a sequence of images; encoding the received sequence of images to produce a bitstream; and processing at least one encoded image to generate a reconstructed image usable as a reference image for the encoding of another image, the processing comprising loop filtering; wherein the loop filtering comprises; determining which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; performing area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and disabling such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; producing a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determining that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
13. A method of decoding images comprising:
-
receiving a bitstream comprising encoded data of a sequence of images; decoding the encoded data of the sequence of images to obtain decoded images, the decoding comprising loop filtering; wherein the loop filtering comprises; determining which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; performing area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and disabling such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; producing a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determining that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
25. A device for encoding images, comprising:
-
a receiving unit which receives a sequence of images; an encoding unit which encodes the received sequence of images to produce a bitstream; and a processing unit which processes at least one encoded image to generate a reconstructed image usable as a reference image for the encoding of another image, the processing unit comprising a loop filter adapted to; determine which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; perform area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and not to perform such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; produce a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determine that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected.
-
-
26. A device for decoding images, comprising:
-
a receiving unit which receives a bitstream comprising encoded data of a sequence of images; a decoding unit which decodes the encoded data of the sequence of images to obtain decoded images, the decoding unit comprising a loop filter adapted to; determine which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; perform area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and not to perform such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; produce a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determine that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected.
-
-
27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when run on a processor or computer, causes the processor or computer to carry out a method of encoding images, the program comprising:
-
a receiving code portion which receives a sequence of images; an encoding code portion which encodes the received sequence of images to produce a bitstream; and a processing code portion which processes at least one encoded image to generate a reconstructed image usable as a reference image for the encoding of another image, the processing code portion comprising a loop filter code portion adapted to; determine which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; perform area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and not to perform such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; produce a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determine that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected.
-
-
28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when run on a processor or computer, causes the processor or computer to carry out a method of decoding images, the program comprising:
-
a receiving code portion which receives a bitstream comprising encoded data of a sequence of images; a decoding code portion which decodes the encoded data of the sequence of images to obtain decoded images, the decoding code portion comprising a loop filter code portion adapted to; determine which images of said sequence of images are enabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be enabled, permitting different image areas within the same enabled image to have different loop filtering selections, and which images of said sequence of images are disabled images on which area-by-area loop filtering is to be disabled, different image areas within the same disabled image not being permitted to have different loop filtering selections; perform area-by-area loop filtering on each said enabled image of the sequence and which does not perform such area-by-area loop filtering on each said disabled image of the sequence; produce a measure of the area-by-area loop filtering activity in one or more images, said measure being dependent on the loop filtering selections for the image areas of said one or more images in the case of enabling area-by-area loop filtering thereon; and determine that at least one image of said sequence is an enabled image or a disabled image in dependence upon the measure, wherein producing the measure comprises determining a number of image areas within an image, including consecutive and non-consecutive image areas, in which use of loop filtering is selected.
-
Specification