CABAC dQP Binarization Using Separate Absolute Value and Sign

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current video coding standards, such as HEVC, face inefficiencies in encoding Delta-QP (dQP) due to asymmetric bit allocation and lack of symmetry in probability distribution, leading to suboptimal compression and increased complexity.

Innovation Solution

The Separate Absolute Value and Sign (SAVS) method for binarization in CABAC entropy coding, where dQP is flagged for zero or non-zero values, and if non-zero, its absolute value is mapped using unary codes followed by encoding its sign, or vice versa, to leverage the symmetric distribution of dQP probabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional unary coding is used for dQP in CABAC, then the encoding process is simple, but the coding efficiency is suboptimal due to asymmetric bit allocation not matching the symmetric probability distribution of dQP

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoding efficiencyVSAvoidbinarization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dQP value is segmented into two separate components: the absolute value and the sign. The absolute value is encoded using unary coding, and the sign is encoded separately using a dedicated sign bit. This segmentation allows the encoding to match the symmetric probability distribution of dQP, improving coding efficiency by allocating bits symmetrically around zero rather than using asymmetric unary coding for the entire signed value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If separate absolute value and sign encoding is used for dQP, then coding efficiency improves by matching symmetric distribution, but the binarization process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebit rate reductionVSAvoidbinarization process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dQP value is segmented into two separate components: the absolute value and the sign. The absolute value is encoded using unary coding, and the sign is encoded separately using a dedicated sign bit. This segmentation allows the encoding to match the symmetric probability distribution of dQP, improving coding efficiency by allocating bits symmetrically around zero rather than using asymmetric unary coding for the entire signed value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of directly encoding the signed dQP value using traditional asymmetric unary coding, the invention inverts the approach by first encoding the absolute value and then separately encoding the sign. This inversion of the encoding sequence and methodology allows the system to exploit the symmetric distribution properties of dQP, achieving better compression while maintaining a relatively simple encoding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If asymmetric bit allocation is used for dQP encoding, then the encoding structure is simple, but it does not match the symmetric probability distribution of dQP values

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding structure simplicityVSAvoidcompression efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The dQP value is segmented into two separate components: the absolute value and the sign. The absolute value is encoded using unary coding, and the sign is encoded separately using a dedicated sign bit. This segmentation allows the encoding to match the symmetric probability distribution of dQP, improving coding efficiency by allocating bits symmetrically around zero rather than using asymmetric unary coding for the entire signed value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different encoding methods are applied to different parts of the dQP value based on their statistical properties. The absolute value component, which follows a non-negative distribution, is encoded using unary coding. The sign component, which has approximately equal probability for positive and negative values, is encoded using a dedicated sign bit. This local quality approach optimizes the overall encoding efficiency by matching the encoding method to the local statistical characteristics of each component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3886325A1Binarization of dqp using separate absolute value and sign (SAVS) in cabac
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3886325A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3886325A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3886325A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4B

AI summary

A bit stream, comprising an absolute value of a differential quantization parameter, wherein the differential quantization parameter is a difference between a quantization parameter of a current coding unit and a predicted quantization parameter of the current coding unit and a sign value of the differential quantization parameter, wherein the absolute value and the sign value are separately encoded in an order from the absolute value of the differential quantization parameter to the sign value of the differential quantization parameter and are encoded in the order from the absolute value of the differential quantization parameter to the sign value of the differential quantization parameter in syntax of the bit stream..