Methods and systems for reducing blocking artifacts with reduced complexity for spatially-scalable video coding

1. A method for characterization of a block boundary between neighboring image blocks within a spatial scalability enhancement layer wherein at least one of said neighboring image blocks is encoded using inter-layer texture prediction, said method comprising:

operating a block identifying portion to identify the neighboring image blocks;

characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a first boundary strength indicator when one of said identified neighboring image blocks is determined to be encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction.

2. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a second boundary strength indicator when, said identified neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; and

any of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have non-zero transform coefficients.

3. A method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a third boundary strength indicator when, said identified neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction;

all of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have no transform coefficients; and

said neighboring image blocks are predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

4. A method as described in claim 3 further comprising:

characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a fourth boundary strength indicator when, said identified neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction;

all of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have no transform coefficients; and said neighboring image blocks are not predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

5. A method as described in claim 4 further comprising applying a deblocking filter to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator, said second boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said third boundary strength indicator and said third boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said fourth boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

6. A method as described in claim 2 further comprising applying a deblocking filter to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein

said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

7. A method as described in claim 3 further comprising applying a deblocking filter to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator and said second boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said third boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

8. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a second boundary strength indicator when, said identified neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; and

said neighboring image blocks are predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

9. A method as described in claim 8 further comprising applying a deblocking filter to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

10. A system for characterization of a block boundary between neighboring image blocks within a spatial scalability enhancement layer wherein at least one of said neighboring image blocks is encoded using inter-layer texture prediction, said system comprising:

a block identifying portion configured to identify the neighboring image blocks; and

a prediction mode analyzer for characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a first boundary strength indicator when one of said neighboring image blocks is encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction.

11. A system as described in claim 10 further comprising: a coefficient analyzer for characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a second boundary strength indicator when, said neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; and any of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have non-zero transform coefficients.

12. A system as described in claim 11 further comprising: a) a second prediction reference block analyzer for characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a third boundary strength indicator when, i) said neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; ii) all of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have no transform coefficients; and iii) said neighboring image blocks are predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

13. A system as described in claim 12 further comprising: a block boundary analyzer for characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a fourth boundary strength indicator when, said neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; all of said neighboring image blocks and blocks from which said neighboring image blocks are predicted have no transform coefficients; and said neighboring image blocks are not predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

14. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising a deblocking filter operable to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator, said second boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said third boundary strength indicator and said third boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said fourth boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

15. A system as described in claim 11 further comprising a deblocking filter operable to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

16. A method as described in claim 12 further comprising a deblocking filter operable to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator and said second boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said third boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.

17. A system as described in claim 10 further comprising: a prediction reference block analyzer for characterizing said block boundary between neighboring image blocks identified by said block identifying portion with a second boundary strength indicator when, said neighboring image blocks are not encoded using an intra-prediction mode other than said inter-layer texture prediction; and said neighboring image blocks are predicted with reference to different reference blocks.

18. A method as described in claim 17 further comprising a deblocking filter operable to filter said block boundary, the strength of filtering by the deblocking filter being determined by each boundary strength indicator, wherein said first boundary strength indicator triggers more aggressive smoothing by the deblocking filter than said second boundary strength indicator when applying the deblocking filter to filter said block boundary.