HDR Video Transport Color Mapping for Bit-Efficient Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video streaming systems struggle to efficiently transport High Dynamic Range (HDR) video content due to inefficiencies in encoding, static mapping, and dynamic mapping requirements, leading to degradation and unrealistic viewing experiences.
Innovation Solution
A video transport method and system that transforms the input colour space of HDR images into a transport colour space by plotting colour component values across a multi-dimensional space, identifying a bounding box, and applying transformations to utilize the entire dynamic range of the transport colour space, minimizing bit wastage and ensuring accurate representation across different devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If lossy encoding with 10-bit colour depth is used for HDR video content, then colour values can be quantized to 1024 discrete steps, but additional metadata is required to convey HDR information which increases processing resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential HDR information (min and max colour values) from the full 1024 discrete steps, eliminating the need to transmit all colour depth information. This allows the system to maintain HDR capabilities while reducing metadata requirements and processing resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of transmitting complete colour depth information for all 1024 steps, the patent applies partial action by only transmitting the minimum and maximum colour values. This partial information is sufficient to reconstruct HDR content when combined with tone mapping curves, avoiding excessive data transmission while preserving essential HDR characteristics.
2Device complexity
If static mapping is performed on every frame using the same mapping scheme, then processing is simplified, but the viewing experience is degraded because maximum and minimum brightness remain constant throughout streaming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the mapping scheme to adapt to each frame's content characteristics. The minimum and maximum brightness values are calculated dynamically for each frame based on its actual colour range, allowing the mapping to respond to changing scene conditions and maintain optimal viewing experience throughout the stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mapping parameters (minimum and maximum brightness values) for each frame based on the frame's actual colour range. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the same simplified mapping process to produce different results for different frames, optimizing viewing experience without requiring complex per-frame processing.
3Ease of operation
If dynamic mapping with additional metadata is employed to adjust brightness and colour reproduction for every frame, then viewing experience is improved, but the HDR content can only be viewed with compatible video players which limits compatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tone mapping curves as intermediary elements that bridge the gap between HDR source content and various display devices. These curves act as a universal translator that can be applied by different video players to adapt the HDR content to their specific capabilities, maintaining viewing quality across diverse playback devices without requiring a single proprietary format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal HDR transport format that can be processed by different video players through standardized tone mapping operations. By using widely-supported tone mapping curves and open standards, the system achieves multi-functionality where various players can interpret and display HDR content correctly, eliminating the need for proprietary player requirements.
4Device complexity
If one-dimensional linear transformation is used to scale and shift colour channels, then processing is simplified, but bits are wasted and colour fidelity is degraded leading to non-immersive viewing experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional linear transformations to multi-dimensional non-linear transformations that operate on colour spaces in higher dimensions. This allows the system to simultaneously adjust multiple colour channels and their relationships in a single operation, preserving bit efficiency while maintaining colour fidelity through transformations that account for the full multi-dimensional colour space structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a video transport method including receiving high dynamic range (HDR) video content comprising HDR images; performing HDR mastering for HDR images according to HDR mastering parameters; transforming an input colour space of each HDR image amongst HDR images into a transport colour space, and transporting HDR images having transport colour space. Herein, transforming an input colour space of HDR images into transport colour space is performed by: plotting colour component values (CCVs) of pixels in a first HDR image amongst a given set of HDR images, across a multi-dimensional colour space; identifying a bounding box corresponding to the first HDR image, wherein the bounding box encloses CCVs of two or more colour components represented in multi-dimensional colour space; determining a transformation to be applied to input colour space of the given set of HDR images; applying transformation to each HDR image in given set of HDR images.