Video Codec Using Uniform DCT Blocks for Fast Seeking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video codecs used in the lighting industry require special decompression hardware and lack support for encoding an alpha channel without compromising quality and compression ratios.
Innovation Solution
A video codec designed to run on existing hardware like CPUs and GPUs, which uses only key image frames and uniform sized discrete cosine transformation blocks for partial frame decoding without intraframe prediction, and optionally supports an alpha channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional video codecs (h264, h265/HEVC, VP9, VP10/AV1) are used, then file size is minimized through intra- and inter-frame prediction, but decoding complexity increases requiring expensive hardware and complex decoding logic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes intraframe prediction from the decoding process, keeping only interframe prediction. This eliminates the complex intraframe prediction logic while maintaining compression efficiency through interframe references, directly resolving the contradiction between file size minimization and decoder complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the frame into macroblocks and further divides them into prediction blocks and transformation blocks, allowing independent processing of each segment. This segmentation enables parallel processing and simplifies the overall decoding architecture by breaking down complex prediction operations into manageable, independent units.
2Adaptability or versatility
If lighting industry codecs (ProRes, HAP) are used, then alpha channel support is provided, but special decompression hardware is required and compression ratios are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal codec framework that can handle both standard video and alpha channel data through the same decoding pipeline. By processing alpha channels as additional color planes through the existing macroblock and transformation block structure, the system achieves multi-functionality without requiring special hardware, resolving the contradiction between alpha channel support and hardware complexity.
3Loss of substance
If intraframe prediction is used, then compression ratio is improved, but decoding speed decreases and fast seeking becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By removing intraframe prediction entirely and relying solely on interframe prediction, the patent enables faster decoding since interframe prediction can be skipped during seeking operations. The compression ratio is maintained through efficient interframe references and transformation blocks, resolving the contradiction between compression ratio and decoding speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A video compression/decompression method designed to carefully balance the amount of work done by the CPU and GPU processes only key image frames to allow fast seeking and backward playback. By using only uniform sized discrete cosine transformation blocks partial frame decoding can be achieved, without using intraframe prediction, enabling playback at increased speeds and skipping decoding of frames that are not displayed. The disclosed video codec may optionally support alpha channel data.