BDOF Image Decoding With Gradient-Based Motion Refinement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing demand for high-resolution and high-quality images leads to a significant increase in transmission and storage costs due to the rise in the amount of transmitted information, necessitating high-efficient image compression technologies.

Innovation Solution

An image encoding/decoding apparatus that performs bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) to derive a gradient and BDOF offset, enhancing encoding/decoding efficiency and enabling the transmission of a bitstream generated by the encoding apparatus.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If high-resolution and high-quality images are transmitted, then image quality is improved, but transmission cost and storage cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidamount of transmitted information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of gradient calculation by applying right-shifting operations with different shift amounts (first shift and second shift) to the prediction samples. This parameter change allows the system to work with reduced precision intermediate values while maintaining final output quality, thereby reducing the amount of transmitted information without sacrificing image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If conventional BDOF gradient calculation is used, then processing is simpler, but encoding/decoding efficiency is lower

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidencoding/decoding efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary right-shifting operations on the prediction samples before gradient calculation. By pre-processing the data with appropriate shift amounts, the system prepares optimized input values that enable more efficient subsequent processing, thereby improving encoding/decoding efficiency while maintaining manageable processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4478707B1Image encoding/decoding device for performing BDOF, and device for transmitting bitstream
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP4478707B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4478707B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4478707B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An image encoding/decoding method and apparatus are provided. An image decoding method according to the present disclosure is performed by an image decoding apparatus. The image decoding method may comprise deriving a prediction sample of a current block based on motion information of the current block, determining whether bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) applies to the current block, based on that the BDOF applies to the current block, deriving a gradient for a current subblock in the current block, deriving motion refinement (vx, vy) for the current subblock based on the gradient, deriving a BDOF offset based on the gradient and the motion refinement, and deriving a refined prediction sample for the current block based on the prediction sample of the current block and the BDOF offset.