Bit Resolution Enhancement for Video Contouring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current consumer video formats with 8 bits per channel often result in visible contouring or banding artifacts when displayed on higher bit-depth displays, as they fail to effectively utilize the additional bit-depth offered by new digital interfaces and displays, leading to undesirable blurring and loss of sharpness.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that classify pixels based on gradient and variance values to identify smooth regions, selectively re-classify and filter high-resolution pixels to mitigate contouring artifacts, and adaptively adjust bit depth to enhance image representation without blurring edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If 8-bit pixel data is appended with extra bits to create 10-bit pixel values for display on high bit-depth displays, then the bit depth is increased to match display capabilities, but contouring or banding artifacts become visible in smooth regions with slow variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing treatments to different regions of the image based on local characteristics. Smooth regions are identified and subjected to selective filtering to remove contouring artifacts, while edge regions are preserved to maintain sharpness. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying quality enhancement only where needed without introducing artifacts in smooth areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic thresholding and adaptive filtering where the filtering strength and range adjustment are dynamically determined based on local image characteristics such as gradient magnitude and variance. This dynamic approach allows the system to adaptively balance between removing contouring artifacts and preserving edge sharpness, resolving the contradiction between smooth region enhancement and edge preservation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional dithering, blurring, and smoothing techniques are used to increase bit depth, then contouring artifacts are reduced, but unintentional blurring and loss of sharpness occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively applies filtering operations only to smooth regions identified by gradient and variance analysis, while preserving edge regions. This local quality approach ensures that contouring artifacts are removed from smooth areas without introducing blurring to edge regions, thus maintaining image sharpness while reducing artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image into smooth regions and edge regions based on local gradient and variance characteristics. By segmenting the processing target, the system can apply different treatments: filtering to remove contouring in smooth regions while preserving sharpness in edge regions, thus resolving the contradiction between artifact reduction and sharpness maintenance.
3Measurement precision
If selective filtering is applied to smooth regions to remove contouring artifacts, then bit depth utilization is improved and artifacts are reduced, but edge sharpness must be preserved to avoid blurring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies selective filtering with dynamically adjusted range based on local image characteristics. In smooth regions, filtering is applied to remove contouring artifacts and utilize the full bit depth range. In edge regions, the filtering range is reduced or disabled to preserve sharpness. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing bit depth utilization in smooth areas while maintaining edge sharpness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic range adjustment where the filtering range is adaptively determined based on local gradient magnitude and variance. This dynamic control allows the system to maximize bit depth utilization in smooth regions for artifact removal while automatically reducing filtering strength near edges to preserve sharpness, thus resolving the contradiction between artifact reduction and edge preservation.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with bit resolution enhancement are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes logic configured to produce a high-resolution pixel from a low-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to classify the high-resolution pixel as being in a smooth region of an image based on at least one of a gradient value and a variance value associated with the low-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to selectively re-classify the high-resolution pixel as not being in the smooth region of the image based on a set of neighboring high-resolution pixels associated with high-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to selectively filter the high-resolution pixel based on whether the high-resolution pixel remains classified as being in the smooth region of the image.