Reference Picture Set Signaling Overhead Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing popularity of digital media has led to challenges in efficiently representing, storing, and playing back high-quality digital media, particularly in terms of reducing reference picture set signal overhead in electronic devices.

Innovation Solution

The systems and methods described involve encoding and decoding reference picture sets (RPS) by indicating a reference picture set based on an initialized index value, deriving partial RPS from full RPS, and deleting unnecessary reference pictures to reduce signal overhead, with techniques such as using flags and bit fields in picture parameter sets and slice headers to manage RPS.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If full reference picture sets are signaled in the bitstream, then decoding accuracy is improved, but signal overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoidsignal overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary reference picture information by deriving a partial reference picture set from a full reference picture set. Instead of signaling all reference pictures, the system extracts and signals only the differences or modifications needed for accurate decoding, thereby reducing overhead while maintaining decoding accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the reference picture set into a full reference picture set and a partial reference picture set. The full set is stored but not fully signaled, while the partial set contains only the essential information needed for decoding. This segmentation allows the system to balance between having complete reference information and minimizing signal overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If partial reference picture sets are derived, then signal overhead is reduced, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal overheadVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-defining the full reference picture set and pre-computing the partial reference picture set derivation rules. The partial set is derived using predetermined algorithms that operate on the full set, allowing the system to reduce overhead without requiring complex real-time computations during actual decoding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If reference pictures are deleted from RPS, then storage requirements are reduced, but decoding reliability may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage requirementsVSAvoiddecoding reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selectively deleting only unnecessary reference pictures from the reference picture set while preserving those that are essential for decoding. The system determines which reference pictures can be removed based on their actual usage patterns and importance for maintaining decoding reliability, rather than uniformly removing all references.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2805508B1Reducing reference picture set signal overhead and signalling keep or not for reference pictures
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2805508B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2805508B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2805508B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for decoding video bitstream includes identifying a reference picture set from said bitstream; and decoding said video bitstream using inter prediction with said reference picture set; and receiving an indication of the corresponding reference pictures to be kept from said reference picture set of the current picture for decoding subsequent pictures.