基于结构张量的H.266帧内预测快速算法

新一代视频编码标准H.266将帧内预测模式从35种扩展到67种,提高预测准确率的同时大大增加了编码的计算复杂度。本文根据视频内容纹理方向和帧内预测模式选择相关性强的特点提出了一种基于结构张量的H.266帧内预测模式快速选择算法,以编码单元CU为单位,计算其结构张量矩阵,再依据结构张量奇异值分解后得到的特征向量来确定当前CU的纹理方向,缩小候选模式的选择范围,减少进行代价计算的模式数量。实验结果表明,在全I帧条件下,该算法相较于H.266 VTM-7.3标准平台在节省17.28%编码时间的同时只增加1.12%的码率,有效地降低了编码复杂度。      

H.266/VVC帧内预测关键技术研究

国际视频编码最新标准H.266/VVC在H.265/HEVC基础上,采用新的编码工具来提升编码效率。帧内预测能有效的去除像素间的空间冗余,是视频编码的关键环节。H.266/VVC在传统帧内编码技术基础上针对新的应用需求进一步扩展,并提出了新的编码技术。本文研究H.266/VVC帧内预测关键技术的最新进展,对比了与H.265/HEVC帧内预测技术的主要差异,分析了编码技术的性能和复杂度,为我国新一代视频编码标准帧内预测技术的选择提供参考。     

基于已重建先验信息的VVC快速仿射运动估计算法

针对H.266/多功能视频编码(Versatile Video Coding,VVC)帧间仿射运动估计复杂度高的问题,提出了一种基于已重建先验信息的快速仿射运动估计算法.该算法利用帧间跳过(Skip)模式和仿射运动估计(Affine)模式之间的互斥性,根据上层级编码块(Coding Unit,CU)、本层级子CU和相邻...     

基于决策树的HEVC SCC帧内编码快速算法

为减少HEVC屏幕内容编码的编码时间,提高编码 效率,本文提出了一种基于决策树的HEVC屏幕内容帧内编码快速 CU划分和简单PU模式选择的算法。对视频序列特性分析,提取有效的特征值,生成决策树模 型。使用方差、梯度信息熵和 像素种类数用于生成CU划分决策树,使用平均非零梯度、像素信息熵等用于生成PU模式分类 决策树。在一定深度的决策 树模型中,通过对相应深度的CU的特征值的计算快速决策当前CU的划分与PU模式的类型。这 种利用决策树做判决的算法 通过减少CU深度和PU的模式遍历而降低编码复杂度,达到快速帧内编码的效果。实验结果表 明,与HEVC屏幕内容的标 准算法相比,该算法在峰值信噪比(PSNR)平均下降0. 05 dB和码率 平均增加1.15%的情况下,能平均减少30.81% 的编码时间。     

一种屏幕内容编码帧间模式快速选择算法

屏幕内容编码(SCC)作为高效视频编码(HEVC )的扩展,在压缩屏幕内容方面有着显著的效果, 但也导致了编码器计算复杂度较高的问题。为此,本文提出一种屏幕内容编码帧间模式快速 选择算法。首 先,根据像素点亮度值的变化情况,提前判断出静止区域并使用Skip模式;其次,根据屏幕 内容多包含有 水平及竖直边缘的特点,利用编码单元(CU)的水平及竖直活动性确定相应的预测单元(PU )划分模式, 减少帧间预测时需要遍历的PU个数;最后,根据时空域相邻CU的深度信息预测当前CU的深度 范围,跳 过不必要的深度遍历。实验结果表明,与SCM-8.0相比,在随机接入与低延时两种编码模式 下,本文所提 算法分别节省43.6%和49.09%的编码时间,码 率分别上升3.06%和3.43%,视频质量几乎不变 。     

一种HEVC帧内快速编码算法

高效视频编码(HEVC)采用编码单元(CU)四叉树的 分割结构,相比H.264/AVC显著地提升了编码效 率,但却使编码复杂度急剧增加。为此,本文提出一种帧内快速编码算法。首先,根据视 频图像纹理复 杂度,提前判断是否进行最大编码单元(LCU)分割。然后,根据空域相邻CU的深度预测当前C U的深度范围, 跳过不必要的计算;最后,根据预测模式被选为最优预测模式的统计特性,去掉可能性小的 帧内预测模式。本文算法在HM14.0的基础上实现。 仿真结果表明,本文算法在全I帧模式下与HM14.0相比,帧内编码时 间平均减少38%,码率(BR)只增加1.41%,峰值信噪比(PSNR)只降低0.29dB,在保证编码性能和视频质量几乎不变的 情况下,本文算法降低了编码的计算复杂度。     

基于时域相关性的快速HEVC帧间模式判决方法

高效率视频编码(HEVC)相比目前的国际视频编码标准H.264/AVC,在压缩率方面有了较大的提高,但也带来了巨大的编码计算复杂度。为了降低HEVC的编码计算复杂度,提出了一种快速HEVC帧间模式判决方法。统计并分析了相邻两帧之间对应块的编码单元(CU)和预测单元(PU)的时域相关性,在此相关性基础上,跳过了一些冗余CU分割层和PU预测模式,CU层最多只取两种PU预测模式,从而大大减少了所需要进行的率失真代价计算的数量,实验结果显示,与HM7.0相比,该方法在仅损失了0.21%-1.66%的压缩率和0.01~0.09 dB的峰值信噪比的前提下,降低了52.3%~63.5%的编码时间。     

基于多分支网络的深度图帧内编码单元快速划分算法

3维高效视频编码(3D-HEVC)标准是最新的3维(3D)视频编码标准,但由于其引入深度图编码技术导致编码复杂度大幅增加。其中,深度图帧内编码单元(CU)的四叉树划分占3D-HEVC编码复杂度的90%以上。对此,在3D-HEVC深度图帧内编码模式下,针对CU四叉树划分复杂度高的问题,该文提出一种基于深度学习的CU划分结构快速预测方案。首先,构建学习深度图CU划分结构信息的数据集;其次,搭建预测CU划分结构的多分支卷积神经网络(MB-CNN)模型,并利用构建的数据集训练MB-CNN模型;最后,将MB-CNN模型嵌入3D-HEVC的测试平台,通过直接预测深度图帧内编码模式下CU的划分结构来降低CU划分复杂度。与标准算法相比,编码复杂度平均降低了37.4%。实验结果表明,在不影响合成视点质量的前提下,该文所提算法有效地降低了3D-HEVC的编码复杂度。     

一种基于时域相关性的高性能视频编码快速帧间预测单元模式判决算法

为了降低高性能视频编码(HEVC)的编码计算复杂度,根据视频时域上高度相关性的特点,该文提出一种快速高性能视频编码(HEVC)帧间预测单元(PU)模式判决算法。分析了时域上相邻帧两帧相同位置编码单元(CU)的PU模式之间的相关性;同时,针对视频中可能存在对象运动,还分析了前一帧对应位置CU的周边CU与当前帧中当前CU间PU模式的相关性。根据分析的时域相关性,跳过当前CU中冗余的PU模式,从而降低编码复杂度。实验结果表明,在编码效率和峰值信噪比(PSNR)损失很小的情况下,在目前已有的HEVC快速帧间预测算法的基础上,进一步降低了31.30%的编码时间。     

基于深层特征学习的高效率视频编码中帧内快速预测算法

高效视频编码(HEVC)标准相对于H.264/AVC标准提升了压缩效率,但由于引入的编码单元四叉树划分结构也使得编码复杂度大幅度提升。对此,该文提出一种针对HEVC帧内编码模式下编码单元(CU)划分表征矢量预测的多层特征传递卷积神经网络(MLFT-CNN),大幅度降低了视频编码复杂度。首先,提出融合CU划分结构信息的降分辨率特征提取模块;其次,改进通道注意力机制以提升特征的纹理表达性能;再次,设计特征传递机制,用高深度编码单元划分特征指导低深度编码单元的划分;最后建立分段特征表示的目标损失函数,训练端到端的CU划分表征矢量预测网络。实验结果表明,在不影响视频编码质量的前提下,该文所提算法有效地降低了HEVC的编码复杂度,与标准方法相比,编码复杂度平均下降了70.96%。     

结合内容特性与纹理类型的HEVC-SCC帧内预测快速算法

本文提出了一种结合内容特性与纹理类型的HEVC-SCC帧内预测快速算法。利用自然内容和屏幕内容视频DCT变换后系数能量分布不同的特点,结合当前预测单元（Prediction Unit, PU）梯度信息,将编码树单元（Coding Tree Unit, CTU）分成自然内容CTU,简单屏幕内容CTU和复杂屏幕内容CTU。对于自然内容CTU,选择35种传统帧内模式作为候选模式,跳过帧内块复制（Intra Block Copy, IBC）和调色板（Palette mode, PLT）模式;对于简单屏幕内容CTU,选择DC,PLANAR,水平和垂直模式作为候选模式,跳过IBC和PLT模式;对于复杂屏幕内容CTU,选择IBC和PLT模式,跳过其他候选模式。实验结果表明,在全I帧条件下,该算法相较于SCM-8.3可以节省38.55%的编码时间,大幅度降低了编码复杂度的同时只增加了1.82%的码率。      

Fast CU size and prediction mode decision method for HEVC encoder based on spatial features

In the high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard, intra prediction has higher computational complexity compared with H.264/AVC (advanced video coding) because of increasing the number of intra prediction modes and also higher number of coding unit (CU) sizes. The HEVC encoder evaluates 35 prediction modes on five possible prediction unit (PU) sizes to find the one with the minimum rate–distortion cost. Although this approach improves coding efficiency, it is very time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a fast intra prediction method to reduce the complexity of I-frame coding. The proposed method consists of three stages which is based on smoothness spatial feature. In the first stage, a measure is introduced to estimate CU smoothness by using sum of absolute differences (SAD) among CU pixels in four directions. By considering that a smooth region can be predicted with larger CUs, when the measured smoothness parameter is lower than a predefined threshold, only the prediction modes in the current CU are evaluated. In the second stage, the number of intra prediction modes is reduced based on the calculated SADs in the previous stage. In the last stage, if the first three candidate modes resulted from rough mode decision stage in the previous PU and the current PU are similar, then the best mode prediction of the previous PU is selected as the best candidate mode. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can reduce the coding time on average to 43 % and maintain coding video quality, whereas bitrate increases negligibly (0.5 %).     

A fast algorithm based on gray level co-occurrence matrix and Gabor feature for HEVC screen content coding

To reduce the computational complexity of screen content video coding (SCC), a fast algorithm based on gray level co-occurrence matrix and Gabor feature model for HEVC-SCC, denoted as GGM, is proposed in this paper. By studying the correlation of non-zero number in gray level co-occurrence matrix with different partitioning depth, the coding unit (CU) size of intra coding can be prejudged, which selectively skips the intra prediction process of CU in other depth. With Gabor filter, the edge information reflecting the features of screen content images to the human visual system (HVS) are extracted. According to Gabor feature, CUs are classified into natural content CUs (NCCUs), smooth screen content CUs (SSCUs) and complex screen content CUs (CSCUs), with which, the calculation and judgment of unnecessary intra prediction modes are skipped. Under all-intra (AI) configuration, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm GGM can achieve encoding time saving by 42.13% compared with SCM-8.3, and with only 1.85% bit-rate increasement.     

Rough mode cost–based fast intra coding for high-efficiency video coding

The quadtree-based coding unit (CU) and transform unit (TU) structure, as well as various prediction units (PUs) of HEVC, considerably increase encoding complexity in intra coding and inter coding. This paper proposes a rough mode cost (RMC)-based algorithm for accelerating CU/TU depth decisions and PU mode decisions in HEVC intra coding. For CU depth decisions, RMC values are used for the fast determination of CU partition. In the case of PU mode decisions, modes with higher RMCs are removed from the candidate list to reduce the number of test modes. For TU depth decisions, the TU partition of the mode with the least RMC is used to determine the TU partitions of remaining modes. The proposed TU partitioning method demonstrates superior performance to the default method in reference software. The proposed algorithm can reduce encoding time by approximately 51% on average, with a 0.69% increase in the Bjøntegaard-Delta (BD) rate.     

CU encoding depth prediction,early CU splitting termination and fast mode decision for fast HEVC intra-coding

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a new video coding standard achieving about a 50% bit rate reduction compared to the popular H.264/AVC High Profile with the same subjective reproduced video quality. Better coding efficiency is attained, however, at the cost of significantly increased encoding complexity. Therefore, fast encoding algorithms with little loss in coding efficiency is necessary for HEVC to be successfully adopted for real applications. In this paper we propose a fast encoding technique applicable to HEVC all intra encoding. The proposed fast encoding technique consists of coding unit (CU) search depth prediction, early CU splitting termination, and fast mode decision. In CU search depth prediction, the depth of encoded CU in the current coding tree unit (CTU) is limited to predicted range, which is mostly narrower than the full depth range. Early CU splitting skips mode search of its sub-CUs when rate distortion (RD) cost of current CU is below the estimated RD cost at the current CU depth. RD cost and encoded CU depth distribution of the collocated CTU of the previous frame are utilized both to predict the encoding CU depth search range and to estimate the RD cost for CU splitting termination. Fast mode decision reduces the number of candidate modes for full rate distortion optimized quantization on the basis of the low complexity costs computed in the preceding rough mode decision step. When all these three methods are applied, proposed fast HEVC intra encoding technique reduces the encoding time of the reference encoder by 57% on the average, with only 0.6% of coding efficiency loss in terms of Bjontegaard delta (BD) rate increase under the HEVC common test conditions.     

Fast algorithm based on the sole- and multi-depth texture measurements for HEVC intra coding

In High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), intra coding plays an important role, but also involves huge computational complexity due to a flexible coding unit (CU) structure and a large number of prediction modes. This paper presents a fast algorithm based on the sole- and multi-depth texture measurements to reduce the complexity from CU size and prediction mode decisions. For the CU size decision, evaluation results in the CU coding with one and multiple depths are utilized to classify CUs into heterogeneous, homogeneous, depth-prominent and other ones. Fast CU size decisions are made for different kinds of CUs. For the prediction mode decision, the tendencies for different CU sizes are detected based on multiple depths. The number of searching modes is decreased adaptively for the CU size with fewer tendencies. Experimental results show the proposed algorithm by off-line training reduces 53.32% computational complexity, with 1.47% bit-rate increasing.     

Accelerating QTMT-based CU partition and intra mode decision for versatile video coding

The H.266/VVC achieves about 50% bitrate saving compared to its predecessor H.265/HEVC at the expense of exponentially increased computational complexity. The most efficient but complex technique for H.266/VVC intra frame coding is the QuadTree with a nested Multi-type Tree encoding structure (QTMT), which usually requires traversing the Rate-Distortion (R-D) cost of each partition and each mode for the best option. To alleviate such computational burden while preserving the coding efficiency as much as possible, this paper develops a multi-feature guided Fast CU Partition (FCP) and Laplacian guided Fast Mode Selection (FMS) to accelerate the intra QTMT decision together. For FCP, we regard the CU partition as a classification problem and adopt the Support Vector Machine (SVM) for its low-complexity implementation; after evaluating the contribution of a set of features, three representative features of video textures are selected and used to train the SVM model. Additionally, an advanced technique is applied by adopting a soft decision in SVM for a more flexible trade-off between the complexity and R-D performance. For FMS, we utilize the Laplace operator to determine the most probable directions of the current CU and skip half of the candidate modes for runtime saving. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed FCP reduces the encoding time of H.266/VVC by 51.03% with 1.65% Bjøntegaard Delta Bit-Rate (BDBR) increase; the proposed FMS reduces the encoding time by 12.68% with 0.09% BDBR loss. Their direct combination and advanced combination finally lead to 54.84% encoding time reduction with 1.74% BDBR increase and 40.39% encoding time reduction with 1.33% BDBR increase, respectively, outperforming state-of-the-art approaches significantly.     

A high performance and low complexity sampling-based intra coding method for H.264/AVC

The H.264/AVC video coding standard can achieves higher compression performance than previous video coding standards, such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.263. Especially, in order to obtain the high coding performance in intra pictures, the H.264/AVC encoder employs various directional spatial prediction modes and the rate-distortion (RD) optimization technique inducing high computational complexity. For further improvement in the coding performance with the low computational complexity, we introduce a sampling-based intra coding method. The proposed method generates two sub-images, which are defined as a sampled sub-image and a prediction error sub-image in this paper, from an original image through horizontal or vertical sampling and prediction processes, and then each sub-image is encoded with different intra prediction modes, quantization parameters, and scanning patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the intra coding performance and reduces the encoding complexity with the smaller number of the RD cost calculation process.