Content-Adaptive Video Slice Layout for Balanced Encoding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current video encoding standards fail to consider video content balance, leading to unbalanced encoding performance in terms of encoding delays and speeds across slices, which affects overall video encoding efficiency.

Innovation Solution

Predict encoding performance for subsequent video frames based on previous frames to dynamically adjust slicing solutions, ensuring balanced encoding performance by adjusting slice areas and boundaries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If even segmentation is used for slice segmentation, then device complexity is reduced, but encoding performance becomes unbalanced when video content changes are unbalanced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslicing solution complexityVSAvoidencoding performance balance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static even segmentation to dynamic content-adaptive segmentation. The system continuously monitors video content change degrees and adjusts slice segmentation accordingly, allowing the slicing solution to adapt to varying content characteristics across different frames and regions, thereby resolving the contradiction between simplicity and performance balance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the segmentation parameters based on video content characteristics. Instead of fixed even division, the system modifies slice boundaries and areas according to measured content change degrees, adjusting segmentation parameters dynamically to achieve balanced encoding performance across slices with varying content complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If content-adaptive slicing is implemented, then encoding performance balance is improved, but device complexity and computation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding performance balanceVSAvoidslicing solution complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing content change degree analysis and prediction before actual encoding. The system pre-calculates optimal slice segmentation based on predicted content characteristics, allowing the encoder to be prepared with an optimized slicing solution before processing begins, thus reducing runtime complexity while maintaining performance balance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where encoding performance metrics from previous frames are fed back to adjust slicing solutions for current frames. This closed-loop approach allows the system to learn from past performance and continuously optimize segmentation, reducing the need for complex real-time calculations during encoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Speed

If parallel encoding is performed on multiple slices, then encoding speed is improved, but encoding delay becomes unbalanced across slices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding speedVSAvoidencoding delay balance
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different slice configurations to different regions of the video frame based on local content characteristics. High-motion or complex regions receive different segmentation treatment compared to static regions, allowing parallel encoding to proceed with locally optimized slice boundaries that balance encoding delays across all slices while maintaining overall encoding speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4716213A1Video encoding method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 HUAWEI CLOUD COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
  • EP4716213A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4716213A1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)
  • EP4716213A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

This application provides a video encoding method and apparatus. The video encoding method includes: obtaining a first slicing solution of a first video frame; determining encoding performance prediction values of N second slices obtained when the first slicing solution is used for a second video frame; determining a second slicing solution of the second video frame based on the encoding performance prediction values of the N second slices; segmenting the second video frame into N third slices according to the second slicing solution; and separately encoding the N third slices. In embodiments of this application, predicted encoding performance of a current video frame, namely, the second video frame, is determined, to determine the second slicing solution that is suitable for the second video frame and in which encoding performance is more balanced, thereby significantly improving encoding performance of the video frame and an entire video.