Video Encoding Texture Analysis for Artifact Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
MPEG encoders fail to account for the texture of video images during encoding, leading to artifacts in decoded images due to their reliance on energy values without considering the image texture.
Innovation Solution
A method that partitions video sections into sub-sections, computes statistical parameters, and selects an encoding technique based on these parameters to determine whether image values are centered about a particular value, using either an intrablock or interblock encoding scheme, thereby accounting for texture and avoiding artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If MPEG encoders use traditional energy value computation for macroblock encoding decisions, then encoding speed is maintained, but image quality deteriorates due to artifacts caused by ignoring texture information
Solution Approach 1:
The macroblock is divided into four 8x8 blocks, and the encoding decision process is segmented into multiple stages: initial energy computation, texture analysis, and final decision making. This allows comprehensive quality assessment without overwhelming computational complexity at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoder performs preliminary energy computation and texture analysis before making the final encoding decision. By pre-computing statistical parameters and comparing them against thresholds, the system prepares encoding decisions in advance, improving quality while managing complexity through staged processing.
2Productivity
If MPEG encoders perform motion estimation on macroblock level and DCT encoding on block level, then encoding efficiency is achieved, but artifacts appear in decoded images due to insufficient texture consideration
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder applies different encoding strategies to different regions within a macroblock based on local texture characteristics. By computing statistical parameters for each 8x8 block and comparing energy values with texture metrics, the system adapts the encoding approach to local image properties, maintaining efficiency while improving local quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoding process dynamically adjusts between intrablock and interblock modes based on real-time analysis of energy values and texture statistics. The system transitions between encoding strategies depending on the computed metrics, optimizing both efficiency and quality for each macroblock according to its specific characteristics.
3Ease of manufacture
If encoders compute macroblock energy as sum of coefficient values without texture consideration, then computational simplicity is maintained, but encoding accuracy deteriorates leading to artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
Statistical parameters serve as intermediary metrics between the simple energy computation and the final encoding decision. These parameters act as mediators that capture texture information without requiring complex computations, bridging the gap between simplicity and accuracy in the decision-making process.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoder transitions from using only energy values to using multiple parameters including statistical measures of texture. By changing the parameter set from single-value energy metrics to multi-parameter assessments, the system improves decision accuracy while maintaining computational feasibility through efficient statistical computations.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for encoding a video signal that is formed by a series of successive images. Each image includes several sections, and each section has a set of image values. To encode a particular section of a particular image, the method initially partitions the particular section into several sub-sections. For each of at least two particular sub-sections, the method then computes a statistical parameter regarding the image values of the particular sub-section. The method compares the computed statistical parameters, and based on the comparison, selects an encoding technique from a set of encoding techniques to encode the particular section. In some embodiments, the set of encoding schemes includes a first scheme that encodes the selected section without reference to any other section of any other image, and a second scheme that encodes the selected section by reference to at least one other section.