A low energy intra prediction hardware for high efficiency video coding

Intra prediction algorithm in the recently developed high efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard has very high computational complexity. Therefore, in this paper, we propose pixel equality and pixel similarity based techniques for reducing amount of computations performed by HEVC intra prediction algorithm and, therefore, reducing energy consumption of HEVC intra prediction hardware. The proposed techniques significantly reduce the amount of computations performed by 4 × 4 and 8 × 8 luminance angular prediction modes with a small comparison overhead. Pixel equality based technique does not affect the PSNR and bit rate. Pixel similarity based technique increases the PSNR slightly for some video frames and it decreases the PSNR slightly for some video frames. We also designed and implemented a low energy HEVC intra prediction hardware for 4 × 4 and 8 × 8 angular prediction modes including the proposed techniques using Verilog HDL. The proposed techniques significantly reduce the energy consumption of this HEVC intra prediction hardware.     

An early split and skip algorithm for fast intra CU selection in HEVC

The rapid development and increase of multimedia applications, as well as the demand for higher video-quality services at restricted resources such as storage capacity, transmission bandwidth and power consumption, has brought the urgent need for more efficient video compression techniques. The new video coding standard high efficiency video coding (HEVC) has a significant superiority over its predecessor advanced video coding (AVC). HEVC is reported to halve the bit rate with the same visual quality, or a better quality with the same bit rate when compared with AVC. Beside other improvements, HEVC significantly gets its power from the use of dynamic hierarchical quad-tree structure by partitioning the frames into smaller regions called coding units (CU), by means of a rate–distortion optimization process. However, this improvement yields to a dramatic increase of high computational complexity and increased encoding time, which primarily restricts its adaptation in real-time applications. In this paper, we proposed an early CU determination algorithm for fast encoder realization to reduce the encoding time which is the most important part of the standard standing for development. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has approximately 45 % encoding time saving with a 4.6 % bit-rate increment, on average.     

基于HEVC的帧内预测模式决策和编码单元划分快速算法

针对高效视频编码（HEVC）帧内预测过程中的高计算复杂度问题,提出一种基于纹理特征的预测模式选择和编码单元划分的快速帧内预测算法。利用每一深度层纹理方向强度判断编码单元是否需要进行分割,并且减少候选模式数量。首先,在每一深度层编码单元上结合像素方差,以像素点为单位计算相应的纹理方向强度,确定其纹理复杂度并结合阈值策略预测最终划分深度;其次,比较垂直和水平方向强度关系及统计预测候选模式概率分布,以减少预测模式数量,确定最优候选模式子集,进一步降低编码复杂度。所提算法与平台HM15.0相比,编码时间平均节省51.997%,BDPSNR（Bjontegaard Delta Peak Signal-to-Noise Rate）仅降低0.059 dB,BDBR（Bjontegaard Delta Bit Rate）仅上升了1.018%。实验数据表明,在保证信噪比和比特率基本不变的同时,所提算法能有效降低编码复杂度,利于HEVC的实时视频应用。     

Fast CU size decision and mode decision algorithm for intra prediction in HEVC

In the intra prediction process, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) provides a quadtree-based coding unit (CU) block partitioning structure and up to 35 kinds of prediction modes to improve the coding performance. These technologies improve the coding efficiency significantly while the coding complexity is simultaneously increased rapidly as well. In this paper, a novel fast CU size decision and mode decision algorithm is proposed for the intra prediction of HEVC. The overall algorithm consists of two processes, the fast CU size decision and fast mode decision. In the fast CU size decision process, we adopt an adaptive discretization total variation (DTV) threshold-based CU size determination algorithm to skip some specific depth levels. In the fast mode decision process, an orientation gradient-based mode decision is proposed to reduce the candidate modes involved in the rough mode decision (RMD) and the rate distortion optimization (RDO) process. The experimental results on the HEVC reference software HM demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the coding time with negligible performance loss.     

基于梯度的H.265/HEVC帧内预测硬件加速算法研究

HEVC即H.265,是目前最新的视频编码标准。相比于前一代视频编码标准,H.265/HEVC虽然能够明显改善视频压缩效率,但是却带来了更高的计算复杂度,尤其是在帧内预测过程中。为了解决这个问题,提出一种基于梯度的帧内预测硬件加速算法来跳过一些帧内预测模式和划分深度的预测过程,从而达到减少计算的目的。利用图像梯度信息来粗略估计编码单元的纹理方向和纹理复杂度,其中纹理方向用来估计编码单元的最优帧内预测方向,纹理复杂度用来判断是否跳过当前划分深度的预测编码过程。实验表明,相比于H.265/HEVC测试模型HM16.18,本文提出的算法能够减少6059%的编码时间,仅造成0.38 dB的BD PSNR减少和8.52%的BD-Rate增加。     

基于图形信息的HEVC帧间预测快速算法

由于最新的视频编码标准HEVC（high efficiency video coding）应用四叉树的递归结构进行编码单元的划分,使得帧间预测的过程极为复杂,编码的时间效率比较低下。针对HEVC帧间预测过程,提出了一种基于纹理信息和稳定区域检测的快速算法,旨在检测出相对平坦的区域和随时间变化较稳定的区域,来提前终止四叉树的编码单元的划分。这些平坦或者稳定的区域用较大的编码预测单元就能进行比较准确的运动估计和预测,不需要再进行更小编码预测单元的划分,因此HEVC编码器的时间复杂度大幅度降低。实验结果表明,改进后的算法编码时间平均节省了34%左右,并且造成的视频质量损失非常低,有0.038 dB的PSNR下降和0.56%的码率增加。     

利用时空相关性的HEVC帧内编码块快速划分

目的 为了提升高效视频编码（HEVC）的编码效率,使之满足高分辨率、高帧率视频实时编码传输的需求。由分析可知帧内编码单元（CU）的划分对HEVC的编码效率有决定性的影响,通过提高HEVC的CU划分效率,可以大大提升HEVC编码的实时性。方法 通过对视频数据分析发现,视频数据具有较强的时间、空间相关性,帧内CU的划分结果也同样具有较强的时间和空间相关性,可以利用前一帧以及当前帧CU的划分结果进行预判以提升帧内CU划分的效率。据此,本文给出一种帧内CU快速划分算法,先根据视频相邻帧数据的时间相关性和帧内数据空间相关性初步确定当前编码块的编码树单元（CTU）形状,再利用前一帧同位CTU平均深度、当前帧已编码CTU深度以及对应的率失真代价值决定当前编码块CTU的最终形状。算法每间隔指定帧数设置一刷新帧,该帧采用HM16.7模型标准CU划分以避免快速CU划分算法带来的误差累积影响。结果 利用本文算法对不同分辨率、不同帧率的视频进行测试,与HEVC的参考模型HM16.7相比,本文算法在视频编码质量基本不变,视频码率稍有增加的情况下平均可以节省约40%的编码时间,且高分辨率高帧率的视频码率增加幅度普遍小于低分辨率低帧率的视频码率。结论 本文算法在HEVC的框架内,利用视频数据的时间和空间相关性,通过优化帧内CU划分方法,对提升HEVC编码,特别是提高高分辨率高帧率视频HEVC编码的实时性具有重要作用。     

HEVC-based lossless intra coding for efficient still image compression

Latest advancements in capture and display technologies demand better compression techniques for the storage and transmission of still images and video. High efficiency video coding (HEVC) is the latest video compression standard developed by the joint collaborative team on video coding (JCTVC) with this objective. Although the main design goal of HEVC is the compression of high resolution video, its performance in still image compression is at par with state-of-the-art still image compression standards. This work explores the possibility of incorporating the efficient intra prediction techniques employed in HEVC into the compression of high resolution still images. In the lossless coding mode of HEVC, sample- based angular intra prediction (SAP) methods have shown better prediction accuracy compared to the conventional block-based prediction (BP). In this paper, we propose an improved sample-based angular intra prediction (ISAP), which enhances the accuracy of the highly crucial intra prediction within HEVC. The experimental results show that ISAP in lossless compression of still images outclasses archival tools, state-of-the-art image compression standards and other HEVC-based lossless image compression codecs.     

HEVC optimization based on human perception for real-time environments

High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is the new emerging video coding standard of the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). The HEVC standard provides a significant improvement in compression efficiency in comparison with existing standards such as H264/AVC by means of greater complexity. In this paper we will examine several HEVC optimizations based on image analysis to reduce its huge CPU, resource and memory expensive encoding process. The proposed algorithms optimize the HEVC quad-tree partitioning procedure, intra/inter prediction and mode decision by means of H264-based methods and spatial and temporal homogeneity analysis which is directly applied to the original video. The validation process of these approaches was conducted by taking into account the human visual system (HVS). The adopted solution makes it possible to perform HEVC real time encoding for HD sequences on a low cost processor with negligible quality loss. Moreover, the frames pre-processing leverages the logic units and embedded hardware available on an Intel GPU, so the execution time of these stages are negligible for the encoding processor.

     

Fast and efficient intra mode decision for HEVC,based on dual-tree complex wavelet

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The new video coding standard, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) uses up to 33 angular intra modes to achieve better coding efficiency in intra coding. While...     

基于纹理特性与空域相关的高效视频编码帧内分级快速算法

为了降低高效视频编码(HEVC)标准的编码复杂度,提出一种基于纹理特性与空域相关性的帧内分级快速算法。首先,采用最大编码单元(LCU)级的快速算法,通过利用相邻LCU的编码深度值加权预测得到当前LCU的预测深度,并利用块标准差和自适应阈值策略确定当前LCU的纹理复杂度,将当前LCU的预测深度和纹理复杂度相结合来预测当前LCU的最有可能深度范围(MPDR);其次,采用编码单元(CU)级的深度判决快速算法(CUDD-FA),将基于边缘图的CU深度预判策略和基于率失真(RD)代价相关性的CU提前中止策略相结合,实现了CU级深度的提前确定,进一步降低了帧内编码复杂度。与原始HEVC算法相比,所提算法在全I帧编码模式下编码时间平均减少41.81%,BD-rate(Bjøntegaard Delta bit rate)仅上升0.74%,BDPSNR(Bjøntegaard Delta Peak Signal-to-Noise Rate)仅降低0.038 dB;与代表性文献算法相比,所提算法在编码时间节省更多的情况下率失真性能更好。实验结果表明,在率失真性能损失可以忽略不计的前提下,所提算法能有效降低HEVC帧内编码复杂度,特别是高分辨率视频序列,有利于HEVC的实时视频应用。     

利用深度学习的HEVC帧内编码单元快速划分算法

新一代视频编码标准高效视频编码(High Efficiency Video Coding,HEVC)中编码单元(Coding Unit,CU)大小不同的特性使得编码效率得到显著提升,但同时带来了极高的计算复杂度.为了去除CU划分中多余的计算从而降低编码复杂度,本文提出了一种利用深度学习的编码单元快速划分算法.首先使用原始视频亮度块及编码信息建立了一个HEVC中CU划分的数据库,用于接下来本文深度学习神经网络的训练.然后,为了更好地贴合编码单元划分的层级结构,本文提出了一种基于Inception模块的神经网络结构,使之内嵌于HEVC编码框架中对编码单元的划分进行提前预测,有效地去除了All Intra配置下中冗余的CU划分计算.实验结果表明,本文提出的算法与HEVC官方测试模型(HM16.12)相比,编码时间平均降低了61.31%,而BD-BR与BD-PSNR仅为1.86%和-0.13dB.     

Fast coding unit (CU) determination algorithm for high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) in smart surveillance application

High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) is a successor to the H.264/AVC standard as the newest video-coding standard using a quad-tree structure with the three block types of a coding unit (CU), a prediction unit (PU), and a transform unit (TU). This has become popular to apply to smart surveillance systems, because very high-quality image is needed to analyze and extract more precise features. On standard, the HEVC encoder uses all possible depth levels for determination of the lowest rate-distortion (RD) cost block. The HEVC encoder is more complex than the H.264/AVC standard. An efficient CU determination algorithm is proposed using spatial and temporal information in which 13 neighboring coding tree units (CTUs) are defined. Four CTUs are temporally located in the current CTU and the other nine neighboring CTUs are spatially situated in the current CTU. Based on the analysis of conditional probability values for SKIP and Merge modes, an optimal threshold value was determined for judging SKIP or Merge mode according to the CTU condition and an adaptive weighting factor. When SKIP or Merge modes were detected early, other mode searches were omitted. The proposed algorithm achieved approximately 35 % time saving with random-access configuration and 29 % time reduction with low-delay configuration while maintaining comparable rate-distortion performance, compared with HM 12.0 reference software.     

HEVC快速帧内模式决策算法

在高效视频编码(HEVC)标准中,为降低编码单元和预测单元算法的计算复杂度,提出一种基于编码单元纹理和预测单元模式决策的快速帧内预测算法。通过统计编码单元的纹理复杂度,分析编码单元纹理的相关性,设定合理的纹理阈值,快速地决策当前编码单元的大小。改进预测单元模式决策算法,利用三步搜索方法,减少候选模式数量和帧内模式预测时间。算法结合了编码单元和预测单元的特点,仿真结果表明,与HEVC参考软件HM8.0相比,在增加较少码率,降低较少峰值信噪比的情况下,该算法的编码时间平均缩减40.9%,降低了编码复杂度。     

Digital video watermarking based on intra prediction modes for audio video coding standard

Digital video watermarking provides means for carrying information targeted for synchronization, error resilience or copyright protection. However, it is difficult to get a good trade-off between the embedding capacity, imperceptibility and efficiency. In this paper, a novel digital video watermarking algorithm based on intra prediction modes of AVS (audio video coding standard) is proposed. The algorithm hides one bit in each qualified intra 8 × 8 luma block by modifying intra 8 × 8 prediction modes based on the mapping rules between the modes and hidden bits. The specific positions of the host 8 × 8 blocks are determined by the features of every block and a position template indicated by the key. Watermark information can be retrieved by decoding the intra prediction modes from bitstream, requiring neither original media nor complete video decoding. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has little impact on video quality and video stream features. A comparatively high embedding rate is obtained with little impact on bit rate.     

Fast transcoding from H.264 to HEVC based on region feature analysis

The new video coding standard, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), achieves much higher coding efficiency than the state-of-the-art H.264. Transcoding H.264 video to HEVC video is important to enable gradual migration to HEVC. Therefore, a fast H.264 to HEVC transcoding algorithm based on region feature analysis is proposed. First, each frame is segmented into three regions in units of coding tree unit (CTU) based on the correlation between image coding complexities and coding bits of the H.264 source stream. Then the searching depth range of each CTU is adaptively decided according to the region type. After that, motion vectors are de-noise filtered and clustered in order to analyze the region features of coding unit (CU). Based on the analysis results, the minimum searching depth of CU and partitions of prediction unit (PU) are optimally selected, and the motion vector predictor and search window size of motion estimation are also optimally decided for further reduction of the computational complexity. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves a significant improvement on transcoding speed, while maintaining high Rate-Distortion performance.     

Fast encoding algorithm for high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) system based on spatio-temporal correlation

Video compression technology is an important research part to the intelligent user interface for interactive multimedia system using technologies and services such as image processing, pattern recognition, computer vision and cloud computing service. Recently, high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) has been established as the demand of very high-quality multimedia service like ultrahigh definition video service. High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard has three units such as coding unit (CU), prediction unit (PU) and transform unit. It has too many complexities to improve coding performance. We propose a fast algorithm which can be possible to apply for both CU and PU parts. To reduce the computational complexity, we propose CU splitting algorithm based on rate–distortion cost of CU about the parent and current levels to terminate the CU decision early. In terms of PU, we develop fast PU decision based on spatio-temporal and depth correlation for PU level. Finally, experimental results show that our algorithm provides a significant time reduction for encoding with a small loss in video quality, compared to the original HEVC Test Model (HM) version 10.0 software and the previous algorithm.     

面向CPU-GPU平台的HEVC编码器优化

针对CPU-GPU平台提供了一种能显著降低高效视频编码(high efficiency video coding,简称HEVC)复杂度的优化方案.根据编码器的复杂度分布及不同模块的特点,针对帧内预测、帧间预测以及环路滤波分别进行了优化.在帧内预测中,基于相邻编码单元(coding unit,简称CU)之间的相关性,提出了一种CU的深度决策方法以及一种减少率失真优化(RDO)的模式数量的方法,降低了帧内编码的复杂度.在帧间预测中,提出将耗时最大的运动估计模块完善在图形处理单元(GPU)上,通过中央处理单元(CPU)和GPU的流水线工作获得了明显的加速,并基于预测残差的能量提出了一种编码单元提前终止划分的方法,有效降低了帧间编码复杂度.在环路滤波中,提出了一种GPU端的自适应样本点补偿(sample adaptive offset,简称SAO)参数决策方法及去块滤波方法,有效分担了CPU端的复杂度.上述优化实现在HM16.2上,实验结果表明,提出的优化方案可以获得高达68%的编码复杂度节省,而平均性能损失仅为0.5%.     

联合深度视频增强的3D-HEVC帧内编码快速算法

目的 针对高效3维视频编码标准（3D-HEVC）深度视频编码复杂度高和获取不准确的两个问题,现有算法单独进行处理,并没有进行联合优化。为了同时提升深度视频编码速度和编码效率,提出一种联合深度视频增强处理和帧内快速编码的方法。方法 首先,引入深度视频空域增强处理,消除深度视频中的虚假纹理信息,增强其空域相关性,为编码单元（CU）划分和预测模式选择提供进一步优化的空间;然后,针对增强处理过的深度视频的空域特征,利用纹理复杂度将CU进行分类,提前终止平坦CU的分割过程,减少了CU分割次数;最后,利用边缘强度对预测单元（PU）进行分类,跳过低边缘强度PU的深度模型模式。结果 实验结果表明,与原始3D-HEVC的算法相比,本文算法平均节省62.91%深度视频编码时间,并且在相同虚拟视点质量情况下节省4.63%的码率。与当前代表性的帧内低复杂度编码算法相比,本文算法深度视频编码时间进一步减少26.10%,相同虚拟视点质量情况下,编码码率节省5.20%。结论 该方法通过深度视频增强处理,保证了虚拟视点质量,提升了编码效率。对深度视频帧内编码过程中复杂度较高的CU划分和预测模式选择分别进行优化,减少了率失真代价计算次数,有效地降低了帧内编码复杂度。     

结合随机森林的FVC帧内编码单元快速划分

目的 未来视频编码（FVC）是在高效视频编码标准（HEVC）的基础上提出的新一代编码技术,复杂度极高。针对现有的基于HEVC的快速编码方法不适用于FVC中的四叉树加二叉树编码结构或节省时间有限的问题,提出了一种结合随机森林的FVC帧内编码单元（CU）快速划分算法。方法 针对FVC中的四叉树加二叉树结构进行优化。首先,提取视频编码过程中的各CU的图像纹理特征和划分结果;然后,分别使用各划分深度下的纹理特征和划分结果进行在线训练,建立多个随机森林模型,不同深度的CU对应不同的模型;最后,使用模型对视频其余帧的CU进行划分结果预测,从而减少了划分模式遍历和率失真代价计算的次数,节省了编码时间。结果 实验结果表明,与原始平台算法相比,本文算法能够节省44.1%的时间,在相同峰值信噪比的情况下,比特率仅上升2.6%;与当前先进的方法相比,能进一步节省20%以上的时间。结论 通过提取图像的纹理特征,建立随机森林模型,对CU划分结果进行预测,在保证编码率失真性能的前提下,有效地降低了FVC的帧内CU划分复杂度。