Adaptive Video Filtering by Area Bandwidth Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video processing methods require repetitive operations and encoding processes, leading to inefficiencies and increased processing time, especially when dealing with large images or varying frequency components within a video frame.

Innovation Solution

A video processing apparatus that divides images into areas, determines optimal bandwidths for each area based on frequency characteristics, and applies adaptive filtering using filter coefficient arrays to achieve specific image quality without encoding or repetitive operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a prefilter with limited bandwidth is applied to reduce noise and improve encoding efficiency, then encoding efficiency is improved, but image quality is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencoding efficiencyVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and each block is further divided into frequency regions (low-frequency and high-frequency components). Different filtering operations are applied to different frequency regions within each block, allowing selective noise reduction while preserving important image details.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filtering operation is adapted to local characteristics of each block. By analyzing the frequency components of each block individually and applying different filter strengths to different frequency regions within each block, the method achieves local optimization of both noise reduction and detail preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the bandwidth of the prefilter is narrowed to reduce noise, then noise reduction is improved, but image quality is extremely degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise reductionVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different frequency regions within each block are treated differently. Low-frequency components receive stronger filtering for noise reduction, while high-frequency components receive weaker filtering to preserve edges and details. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between noise reduction and image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The filter bandwidth parameter is dynamically adjusted based on the frequency characteristics of each block. By changing the bandwidth parameter adaptively for different blocks and frequency regions, the method achieves optimal noise reduction while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the same bandwidth is applied to all frames of a video image, then processing simplicity is maintained, but image quality varies significantly across frames

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing simplicityVSAvoidimage quality uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Each frame is divided into multiple blocks, and each block is analyzed individually for its frequency characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to local variations in each block while maintaining a systematic processing approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filtering bandwidth is dynamically adjusted for each block based on its frequency characteristics rather than using a fixed bandwidth for the entire frame. This dynamic adaptation ensures consistent image quality across frames with varying content while maintaining processing efficiency through automated analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Manufacturing precision

If repetitive operations are performed to achieve optimal filtering for each image, then filtering precision is improved, but processing time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltering precisionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The image processing is segmented into blocks that can be processed independently and in parallel. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity compared to processing the entire image sequentially, achieving optimal filtering precision while reducing processing time through parallel computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8467460B2Video processing method and apparatus, video processing program, and storage medium which stores the program

Publication Date: 2013.06.18 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP

AI summary

A video processing method includes dividing a processing target image, which forms a video image, into a plurality of divided areas; determining a bandwidth applied to the divided areas; computing a filter coefficient array for implementing frequency characteristics corresponding to a band limitation using the bandwidth; subjecting the image data to a filtering process using the filter coefficient array; deriving a value of error information between the obtained data and the original image data, and computing an allocation coefficient used for determining an optimum bandwidth, based on the derived value; determining, for each divided area, the optimum bandwidth corresponding to the allocation coefficient, and computing an optimum filter coefficient array for implementing the frequency characteristics corresponding to a band limitation using the optimum bandwidth; subjecting the image data of the divided area to a filtering process using the optimum filter coefficient array; and synthesizing the obtained data of each divided area.