基于H.264的FGS视频编码及其在视频会议系统中的应用

主要介绍视频会议系统的基本概念及其对视频编解码技术提出的要求,在MPEG-4精细可伸缩性编码(FGS)的基础上,提出了一种基于H.264的精细可伸缩性视频编码方案,仿真和实验结果表明,基于H.264的FGS具有更高的信噪比和视觉质量,能较好地满足基于IP的H.323视频会议系统不同终端的视频质量要求。     

Fine granularity scalable video: implications for streaming and a trace-based evaluation methodology

Fine granularity scalability (FGS) is a new development in the area of video coding, which is designed to facilitate video streaming over communication networks. With FGS coding, the video stream can be flexibly truncated at very fine granularity to adapt to the available network resources. In this article, we introduce the communications generalist to the basic properties of FGS video coding to provide background for the design of video streaming mechanisms for FGS video. We then outline a methodology for evaluating streaming mechanisms for FGS encoded video. The methodology relies on traces of the rate-distortion characteristics of FGS encoded video and enables networking researchers and practitioners without access to video codecs and video sequences to develop and evaluate rate distortion optimized streaming mechanisms for FGS encoded video.     

精细可分级编码技术及其应用

首先讲述精细可分级编码(FGS)的主要编码技术和它的精细分级特性,介绍了FGS几个先进特征和主要的改进方案;接着从网络视频应用特点的角度出发,讨论了在FGS抗误码方面和适应时变网络带宽方面的现有工作,并结合研究给出实例;最后描述了基于FGS的网络视频应用的单播和多播系统框架。     

Rate-distortion optimized unequal loss protection for FGS compressed video

Video communication with quality of service (QoS) is an important and challenging task. The transmitted video stream must be able to afford the bandwidth variance and unavoidable packet loss in the Internet. In particular, fine-granular-scalability (FGS) video coding has been adopted by the MPEG-4 standard as the core video-compression method for streaming applications. From this inception, the FGS scalability structure was designed to be packet resilient especially under unequal loss protection (ULP). In this paper, we use ULP to protect FGS compressed video, and under the restriction of the network bandwidth, joint source-channel rate-distortion based optimization is performed in bit allocation to minimize the end-to-end distortion. Simulation results demonstrate effectiveness of our approach.     

面向头肩序列图像的质量可精细扩展视频编码方法

FGS编码方法具有细粒度的可扩展能力,能很好地适应网络带宽的动态变化,被认为是一种适合于网络视频传输的编码方案.但现有的MPEG-4 FGS编码标准效率低,限制了其进一步的推广应用.因此,本文面向视频应用中常见的头肩序列图像,实现了一种质量可精细扩展的视频编码方法.该方法采用H.26L对基本层进行编码,采用基于DCT变换的SPIHT方法对原始图像与基本层重建图像之间的残差进行编码得到增强层的码流.然后将复杂背景下的人脸检测与跟踪技术与选择性增强技术结合起来,对人脸区域优先编码.实验结果表明,该方法不仅编码效率高于现有的MPEG-4 FGS标准,码流具有可精细扩展的特性,还可以选择性地提高人脸区域重建图像的主观感受水平.     

基于H.26L的精细度可伸缩视频编码

提出了一种基于H．26L精细度可伸缩(fine granularity scalability)视频编码方案，称为EFGS-H．26L。在该方案中，以MPEG-4的FGS为基础构造了一种新的可伸缩结构(EFGS，enhanced fine granularity scalability)，在EFGS结构中，基本层采用H．26L编码，增强层采用类似于JPEG2000的基于上下文的位平面编码。由于H．26L优良的编码性能，使得基本层的编码效率大大提高，为了提高增强层的编码效率，首先把残余图像按子带的顺序重新排列，这样就可以利用子带系数的相关性来实现冗余信息消除。JPEG2000标准中的EBCOT算法已经被证明是非常高效的位平面编码方法，所以对重排后的DCT系数采用一种类似于JPEG2000的基于上下文的位平面编码方法。实验结果证明，在高比特率时，本文提出的精细度可伸缩编码方案编码效率比MPEG-4中的FGS提高3．0dB左右。     

Architecture Design of Fine Grain Quality Scalable Encoder with CABAC for H.264/AVC Scalable Extension

In addition to coding efficiency, the scalable extension of H.264/AVC provides good functionality for video adaptation in heterogeneous environments. Fine grain scalability (FGS) is a technique to extract video bitstream at the finest quality level under the given bandwidth. In this paper, an architecture of FGS encoder with low external memory bandwidth and low hardware cost is proposed. Up to 99% of bandwidth reduction can be attained by the proposed scan bucket algorithm, early context modeling with context reduction, and first scan pre-encoding. The area-efficient hardware architecture is implemented by layer-wise hardware reuse. Besides, three design strategies for enhancement layer coder are explored so that the trade-off between external memory bandwidth and silicon area is allowed. The proposed hardware architecture can real-time encode HDTV 1920×1080 video with two FGS enhancement layers at 200 MHz working frequency, or HDTV 1280×720 video with three FGS enhancement layers at 130 MHz working frequency.     

Comparing the streaming of FGS encoded video at different aggregation levels: frame,GoP, and scene

Fine granularity scalability (FGS), a new coding technique that has recently been added to the MPEG‐4 video coding standard, allows for the flexible scaling of each individual video frame at very fine granularity. This flexibility makes FGS video very well suited for rate‐distortion optimized streaming mechanisms, which minimize the distortion (i.e. maximize the quality) of the streamed video by transmitting the optimal number of bits for each individual frame. The per‐frame optimization of the transmission schedule, however, puts a significant computational burden on video servers and intermediate streaming gateways. In this paper we investigate the rate‐distortion optimized streaming at different video frame aggregation levels. We find that compared to the optimization for each individual video frame, optimization at the level of video scenes reduces the computational effort dramatically, while reducing the video quality only very slightly. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Layered Wyner-Ziv video coding.

Following recent theoretical works on successive Wyner-Ziv coding (WZC), we propose a practical layered Wyner-Ziv video coder using the DCT, nested scalar quantization, and irregular LDPC code based Slepian-Wolf coding (or lossless source coding with side information at the decoder). Our main novelty is to use the base layer of a standard scalable video coder (e.g., MPEG-4/H.26L FGS or H.263+) as the decoder side information and perform layered WZC for quality enhancement. Similar to FGS coding, there is no performance difference between layered and monolithic WZC when the enhancement bitstream is generated in our proposed coder. Using an H.26L coded version as the base layer, experiments indicate that WZC gives slightly worse performance than FGS coding when the channel (for both the base and enhancement layers) is noiseless. However, when the channel is noisy, extensive simulations of video transmission over wireless networks conforming to the CDMA2000 1X standard show that H.26L base layer coding plus Wyner-Ziv enhancement layer coding are more robust against channel errors than H.26L FGS coding. These results demonstrate that layered Wyner-Ziv video coding is a promising new technique for video streaming over wireless networks.     

Layered Wyner–Ziv Video Coding

Following recent theoretical works on successive Wyner-Ziv coding (WZC), we propose a practical layered Wyner-Ziv video coder using the DCT, nested scalar quantization, and irregular LDPC code based Slepian-Wolf coding (or lossless source coding with side information at the decoder). Our main novelty is to use the base layer of a standard scalable video coder (e.g., MPEG-4/H.26L FGS or H.263+) as the decoder side information and perform layered WZC for quality enhancement. Similar to FGS coding, there is no performance difference between layered and monolithic WZC when the enhancement bitstream is generated in our proposed coder. Using an H.26L coded version as the base layer, experiments indicate that WZC gives slightly worse performance than FGS coding when the channel (for both the base and enhancement layers) is noiseless. However, when the channel is noisy, extensive simulations of video transmission over wireless networks conforming to the CDMA2000 1X standard show that H.26L base layer coding plus Wyner-Ziv enhancement layer coding are more robust against channel errors than H.26L FGS coding. These results demonstrate that layered Wyner-Ziv video coding is a promising new technique for video streaming over wireless networks     

精细分级编码在H.264视频编码中的一种实现

介绍了分级编码方法的基本原理,对几种典型实用的精细分级编码算法作了总结分析,并在此基础上实现了一个支持精细分级编码(FGS)的H.264编解码器,对FGS码流在基于IP的Intemet网络上的传输性能进行了研究.实验结果表明,该方案具有良好效果.     

A FINE GRANULAR JOINT SOURCE CHANNEL CODING METHOD

An improved FGS (Fine Granular Scalability) coding method is proposed in this letter,which is based on human visual characteristics.This method adjusts FGS coding frame rate according to the evaluation of video sequences so as to improve the coding efficiency and subject perceived quality of reconstructed images.Finally,a fine granular joint source channel coding is proposed based on the source coding method,which not only utilizes the network resources efficiently,but guarantees the reliable transmission of video information.     

A ROBUST ADAPTIVE VIDEO ENCODER BASED ON HUMAN VISUAL MODEL

A Robust Adaptive Video Encoder (RAVE) based on human visual model is proposed.The encoder combines the best features of Fine Granularity Scalabla (FGS) coding,frame-dropping coding,video redundancy coding,and human visual model.According to packet loss and available bandwidth of the network,the encoder adjust the output bit rate by jointly adapting quantization step-size instructed by human visual model,rate shaping,and periodically inserting key frame.The proposed encoder is implemented based on MPEG-4 encoder and is compared with the case of a conventional FGS algorithm.It is shown that RAVE is a very efficient robust videl encoder that provides improved visual quality for the receiver and consumes equal or less network resource.Results are confirmed by subjective tests and simulation tests.     

MPEG-4自然视频编码技术

对MPEG－4自然视频编码的关键技术作了详细的分析和阐述。首先介绍MPEG－4频语法结构，并对视频编码的框架概要分析。接着分析了自然视频编码中涉及到的关键技术，包括：VOP的产生；二值和灰度级α平面的编码技术；运动估计和补偿方法；纹理编码；基于对象的时间分级和空间分级；MPEG－4提供的再同步和各种错误掩盖，刷新方法，精 编码技术和零树小波基的静止图像编码技术。指出MPEG－4和MPEG－1，MPEG－2等标准的异同，突出MPEG－4的三个主要特点。最后给出MPEG－4技术在网络视频传输中的应用，并给出测试和分析。     

精细粒度可扩展编码中基于VOP的基本层加密算法

 本文提出的细粒度可扩展编码中基于VOP(video object plane)的基本层加密算法,是利用FGS(fine granularity scalable)压缩视频流的分层特点和MPEG4视频对象VO(video object)编码原则,结合改进的C&;S(chain and sum)加密算法,通过提取并加密基本层VOP的关键数据,包括形状、纹理、运动和全局背景等,实现FGS整体流的加密.本加密算法使加密数据流无需解密和加密操作就可支持网络节点的变换编码以适应带宽变化.以VOP为单位的加密策略和改进的C&;S加密算法的采用,使媒体流丢包、位错等传输错误受到限制,加密后的媒体流没有任何比特增加,加密密钥的相应变化,抵御了已知明文攻击.通过对MPEG提供的三个序列forman、akyio 和carphone以采样率为3、处理帧数为300帧的测试,测得C&;S,RC4和RC5的处理速度分别约为23.5, 64.5和42.7M 字节/每秒,加密安全特性和混乱视觉效果十分理想.     

适宜于质量可伸缩帧间编码的快速算法

根据质量可伸缩编码的特征,提出一种适合于中粒度质量可伸缩视频编码增强层的帧间快速编码算法。首先根据基本层宏块的模式和率失真值预测当前宏块编码模式采用的顺序;然后根据编码结构提出Direct编码方式判断,根据层间相关性提出了层间方式判断,利用空间相关性提出了相邻方式判断,最后根据已预测的模式顺序编码当前宏块,并利用这3种判断提前终止以提高编码速度。实验结果证明,与标准算法相比,所提算法的计算复杂度平均降低了68%,同时对编码质量和比特率几乎没有影响。     

一种基于信道预测的FGS视频信源信道联合编码新方法

提出一种基于信道预测的无线FGS视频信源信道联合编码的新方法。该方法利用马尔可夫链对无线信道进行预测，针对FGS分级编码视频流的优先级差异，提供非均匀FEC信道编码保护，根据信道预测的结果，调整视频传输的时隙位置，优化信道编码效率，使得视频在无线传输过程中所需要的数据量最小，同时满足用户的失真要求。实验结果证明了该方法的有效性。     

Efficient fine granularity scalability using adaptive leaky factor

Fine Granularity Scalability (FGS) video coding has been adopted by the MPEG-4 standard for video streaming applications. In this paper, we propose a novel FGS coding scheme, which applied adaptive leaky factors for the enhancement layer prediction to further improve the coding efficiency of FGS. A flexible method that can dynamically determine the leaky factors according to the network conditions is also presented. With the proposed method, a better trade-off between the coding efficiency and drifting reduction can be achieved, and the coding performance is further improved compared with using a fixed leaky factor. Experimental results show that the proposed method can further improve the coding efficiency over a wide range of bitrate and packet loss ratio, and still keep the original characteristics, such as fine granularity, and bandwidth adaptation.