Point Cloud Boundary Detection for Video-Based Compression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Point clouds require significant bandwidth for transmission due to their large bitrate, and existing compression methods often necessitate specialized hardware or result in visual artifacts when compressed and decompressed.

Innovation Solution

Convert point clouds into a 2D representation using projection onto multiple planes, separating geometry and attribute information into separate frames, and apply existing 2D video codecs for compression, with boundary point detection to reduce visual artifacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If point clouds are transmitted uncompressed, then visual quality is maintained, but bandwidth requirements become excessively large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual qualityVSAvoidbandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the point cloud data by separating geometry information (spatial coordinates) from attribute information (color, texture, material properties). This segmentation enables independent compression of each type of data, allowing aggressive compression of geometry while preserving attributes, thus reducing overall bandwidth while maintaining visual quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces 2D image frames as an intermediary representation between the original 3D point cloud and the compressed data stream. By projecting point cloud geometry onto 2D planes and using existing 2D video codecs, the system leverages mature compression technology to achieve efficient bandwidth reduction without sacrificing the essential visual information needed for quality reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If specialized hardware is used for point cloud compression, then compression efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoidhardware requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a copy of the compression approach by adapting existing 2D video compression standards (H.264, H.265, AV1) to handle 3D point cloud data. Instead of developing new specialized hardware, the system replicates proven 2D compression algorithms in a way that works for 3D data, achieving comparable efficiency with standard hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes existing 2D video codecs universal by applying them to 3D point cloud compression through the intermediary 2D frame representation. This allows standard video processing hardware to perform point cloud compression functions, eliminating the need for dedicated 3D compression hardware while maintaining compression efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If point clouds are compressed using existing methods, then bandwidth is reduced, but visual artifacts appear during reconstruction

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebitrateVSAvoidvisual quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different compression strategies to different parts of the point cloud data based on their importance. Geometry information is compressed more aggressively since it forms the structural foundation, while attribute information retains higher fidelity. This local differentiation of quality ensures that compression reduces bandwidth without creating noticeable artifacts in the reconstructed visual output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3957076B1Single-pass boundary detection in video-based point cloud compression
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3957076B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3957076B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3957076B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A decoding device includes a communication interface configured to receive a bitstream, and a processor configured to decode from the bitstream a first frame, a second frame and an occupancy map frame, to reconstruct the 3D point cloud using the first frame, the second frame, and the occupancy map frame, to perform a single pass of the occupancy map frame to identify points of the reconstructed 3D point cloud.