VLC Refinement Symbol Grouping for Video Coding Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video coding standards face inefficiencies in compressing refinement symbols due to the inefficiency of variable length coding (VLC) techniques, particularly in achieving quality scalability, as they often result in a high number of fractional symbols that worsen compression efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves grouping binary refinement symbols based on their probability balance, bit-reversing and bundling symbols with similar but opposite polarity, and independently coding those with different probability balances to minimize fractional symbols, thereby improving compression efficiency using VLC tables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If VLC technique is used to code refinement symbols, then coding complexity is reduced, but compression efficiency deteriorates due to high number of fractional symbols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refinement symbols into distinct groups based on their probability characteristics. Binary symbols with probability balance closer to 0.5 (more frequent) are separated from those closer to 0 or 1 (less frequent). This segmentation allows each group to be coded with optimized VLC tables, reducing the number of fractional symbols and improving compression efficiency while maintaining the simplicity of VLC coding.
2Productivity
If arithmetic coding technology is used to code refinement symbols, then compression efficiency improves, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of VLC coding by creating multiple VLC tables with different code length distributions. Instead of using a single universal VLC table, the system selects and applies different tables based on the probability balance of the refinement symbols being coded. This parameter change enables efficient coding of low-probability symbols without requiring complex arithmetic coding operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If all binary refinement symbols are coded independently, then coding flexibility is maintained, but compression efficiency deteriorates due to redundant coding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges similar binary refinement symbols into groups based on their probability balance characteristics. Symbols with comparable probability distributions are combined and coded together using shared VLC tables. This merging reduces the total number of independent coding operations and minimizes fractional symbols, thereby improving compression efficiency while preserving the flexibility to handle different symbol probability distributions through adaptive table selection.
Data Source
AI summary
The layered coding technique is employed to achieve the image quality scalability for video coding standards. The desired image quality scalability can be achieved by refining the image coefficients in subsequent enhancement layers. In most cases, the refinement coefficient consists of some binary information such as whether this coefficient is refined in this coding pass, whether this coefficient is positively or negatively refined, etc. Because it is generally difficult to code binary information efficiently with VLC (Variable Length Coding) technology, this disclosure introduces a method to code refinement symbol more efficiently with VLC by grouping the symbols of distinct binary elements.