Video Codec Deblocking Control for Patch Boundary Preservation

The patent applies different processing rules to different regions of the image. Specifically, it identifies patch boundaries and applies the deblocking filter selectively - reducing filter strength or skipping filtering at patch boundaries while maintaining normal filter application in non-patch regions. This local differentiation preserves the beneficial artifact reduction in regular blocks while protecting the integrity of patch boundaries.

The patent segments the image into different types of blocks: regular blocks where deblocking filter should be applied, and patch boundary blocks where filter application should be modified or skipped. By dividing the processing approach based on block type and location, the system can selectively apply filtering to avoid degrading patch boundary quality while still reducing blocking artifacts in appropriate regions.

The patent modifies the deblocking filter operation to have different behavior at patch boundaries versus regular block boundaries. At patch boundaries, the filter strength is reduced or filtering is skipped entirely to preserve the sharp transitions between patches from different viewpoints. In regular blocks, normal deblocking filtering is applied to reduce artifacts, thus maintaining compression efficiency while protecting patch boundary integrity.

The patent performs preliminary identification of patch boundaries before applying the deblocking filter. By detecting and marking patch boundary locations in advance, the system can prepare to apply modified filtering rules at these specific locations, ensuring that patch boundary sharpness is preserved while still achieving compression through deblocking in non-patch regions.

The patent divides the video content into different processing zones by identifying patch boundaries. It segments blocks into those adjacent to patch boundaries and those that are not. This segmentation enables the system to apply different filtering rules - simplified or skipped filtering at patch boundaries while maintaining uniform filtering in other regions, thus balancing operational simplicity with content preservation.

The patent implements location-dependent filtering behavior where the deblocking filter operation varies based on the spatial location of blocks. At patch boundary locations, the filter is modified or skipped to preserve content integrity. In non-boundary regions, standard filtering applies. This local quality approach maintains relatively simple processing while reliably preserving patch video content through targeted adjustments.