Cross-Component Loop Filtering for Chroma Refinement in Video Coding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video coding technologies lack an efficient mechanism for encoding and decoding chroma and luma components of an image frame while maintaining image quality, particularly in the context of cross-component adaptive loop filtering.

Innovation Solution

Implement a cross-component adaptive loop filter (CC-ALF) that refines chroma components based on surrounding chroma components and adjacent luma components, using an anchor luma component to form difference luma components for refinement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If cross-component adaptive loop filter is applied to refine chroma components using luma components, then coding efficiency and image quality are enhanced, but computational complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different filtering operations to different components (luma and chroma) based on their specific characteristics. The cross-component filter selectively uses luma components to refine chroma components only where beneficial, rather than applying uniform filtering across all components. This localized approach maintains image quality while reducing unnecessary computational overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The filtering process is segmented into distinct stages: first applying adaptive loop filtering to luma and chroma components separately, then applying cross-component filtering to refine chroma using luma. This segmentation allows each filtering operation to be optimized independently, balancing quality improvement with computational complexity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If cross-component adaptive loop filter is applied to refine chroma components, then video compression performance is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression performanceVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs adaptive loop filtering on luma and chroma components as preliminary processing before applying the cross-component filter. By preparing the components in advance and organizing them in a reference picture buffer, the subsequent cross-component filtering operation can proceed more efficiently, reducing overall processing time while maintaining compression performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If adaptive loop filtering is applied separately to luma and chroma components, then component-specific optimization is achieved, but overall filtering efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent-specific optimizationVSAvoidfiltering efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the separate adaptive loop filtering operations with a cross-component filtering operation. After independently filtering luma and chroma components, the cross-component filter combines information from both components to refine chroma further. This merging approach maintains the benefits of component-specific optimization while improving overall filtering efficiency through coordinated processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4447446B1Cross component adaptive loop filter for video coding
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 BEIJING DAJIA INTERNET INFORMATION TECH CO LTD
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AI summary

This application is directed to processing video data that includes a plurality of luma samples and a plurality of chroma samples corresponding to a plurality of pixel groups of a video frame. For each pixel group, an electronic device identifies a respective chroma sample and a set of luma samples and determines an anchor luma sample from the set of luma samples. A chroma refinement value is generated based on the set of luma samples by differencing a respective luminance value of each luma sample in the set by an anchor luminance value of the anchor luma sample and applying a cross component filter to the difference luminance values of the set of luma samples. The electronic device then updates the chroma sample using the chroma refinement value for each pixel group and stores the updated respective chroma sample of each pixel group in association with the video frame.