Multi-Stage Video Coding with Pre-Encoding and Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current video coding technologies face challenges in achieving high compression ratios with minimal loss in image quality, leading to increased complexity and resource usage in encoding and decoding processes, particularly with the rise of next-generation video coding standards.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a multi-stage encoding and decoding system that includes pre-encoder and post-decoder stages to optimize video signals before and after entropy encoding and decoding, reducing variance and complexity through remapping and adaptive quantization, and reversing these processes to maintain original signal quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If video data is compressed using traditional single-stage coding, then the compression ratio is improved, but the image quality deteriorates due to higher loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression ratioVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The video coding system is divided into multiple independent encoding stages (first encoder, second encoder, third encoder) that process the video data sequentially. Each encoder applies different compression techniques and operates with different complexity levels, allowing the system to achieve high overall compression while maintaining image quality through the cumulative effect of multiple refinement passes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If next-generation video coding standards are implemented to improve compression performance, then the compression ratio is enhanced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression performanceVSAvoidencoding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex encoding task is segmented across multiple encoders with different complexity levels. The first encoder handles initial compression with moderate complexity, while subsequent encoders apply more advanced techniques selectively. This distribution of complexity across multiple components achieves next-generation compression performance without requiring a single overly complex device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different encoders in the cascade are assigned different complexity levels and processing strategies appropriate to their specific function. The first encoder uses standard techniques for general compression, while later encoders apply more sophisticated methods only where needed to refine specific aspects of the video data, optimizing the complexity-performance tradeoff locally at each stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If higher compression ratios are achieved through aggressive encoding, then the data size is reduced, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata sizeVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The encoding process is divided into multiple time-separated stages, where each encoder processes the data sequentially rather than simultaneously. This segmentation allows computationally intensive operations to be distributed over time, reducing the peak processing time while achieving high overall compression ratios through the cumulative effect of all encoding stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11323749B2Video coding with successive codecs
Publication Date: 2022.05.03 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • US11323749B2 patent drawing
  • US11323749B2 patent drawing
  • US11323749B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A video coding mechanism is disclosed. The mechanism includes at least one pre-encoder configured to pre-encode a received input video signal, and output a pre-encoded video signal. The mechanism also includes an encoder configured to obtain the pre-encoded video signal from the pre-encoder, and encode the pre-encoded video signal as a bitstream for transmitting the bitstream to decoder for decoding.