Spatial Varying Transform Signaling for Video Coding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current video coding systems face challenges in efficiently compressing residual blocks with uneven data distribution, leading to increased data size and complexity in signaling transform positions, which affects compression efficiency and rate distortion optimization.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of Spatial Varying Transforms (SVT) with blocks sized half the residual block, limiting positions to vertical or horizontal transforms, and signaling these positions using a candidate position step size and index, reduces the number of candidate positions and signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If Spatial Varying Transforms are applied to compress residual blocks, then compression efficiency is improved, but the complexity of signaling transform positions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoidsignaling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the residual block into multiple candidate positions for SVT blocks, organizing them in a structured grid pattern. This segmentation allows the system to represent transform positions using a limited set of predefined locations rather than arbitrary coordinates, reducing signaling complexity while maintaining compression efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter space for transform position signaling from continuous or arbitrary coordinates to a discrete set of candidate positions defined by a grid pattern. By transforming the position representation into a indexed form based on candidate positions, the signaling overhead is reduced while preserving the ability to achieve high compression efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If multiple SVT block positions are allowed, then compression performance is improved, but the number of encoding schemes to test increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression performanceVSAvoidrate distortion optimization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary organization of SVT block positions into a predefined grid of candidate positions before the rate distortion optimization process. This preliminary structuring reduces the search space for RDO by limiting positions to a manageable set of candidates rather than all possible positions, thereby reducing optimization complexity while maintaining compression performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies SVT blocks to a subset of candidate positions within the residual block rather than requiring evaluation of all possible positions. By selecting a representative set of candidate positions that capture the essential compression benefits, the system achieves good compression performance with reduced computational complexity for rate distortion optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Manufacturing precision

If SVT block size is reduced to half the residual block, then transform precision is improved, but the number of candidate positions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransform precisionVSAvoidnumber of candidate positions
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs asymmetric SVT block sizes (half the residual block width or height) that are strategically positioned to capture the most significant energy components. This asymmetric design provides transform precision benefits while the positioning strategy keeps the number of meaningful candidate positions manageable through the grid-based candidate position approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3677031B1Spatial varying transforms for video coding
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3677031B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3677031B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3677031B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A video decoding device receives a bitstream including a prediction block and a residual block with coefficients transformed by a Spatial Varying Transform (SVT). The video decoding device determines a type of SVT employed to transform the coefficients in the residual block and determines a position of the SVT relative to the residual block by determining a candidate position step size and a position index for the SVT. The video decoding device applies an inverse transform to the coefficients based on the SVT type and position to create a reconstructed residual block. The video decoding device applies the reconstructed residual block to the prediction block to reconstruct a video block and reconstructs a video sequence for display, the video sequence including a video frame that includes the reconstructed video block.