Image processing method and image processing apparatus

1. An image processing method of performing filtering on image blocks using a plurality of deblocking filters having different filter strengths, the image processing method comprising:

a first calculating step of calculating a boundary strength between two adjacent image blocks;

a second calculating step of calculating a parameter determining a range of filtered data outputted from each of the deblocking filters, based on a linear sum of the boundary strength and a quantization parameter; and

a selecting step of selecting a deblocking filter to be used in the filtering from among the deblocking filters, using one or more threshold values which are determined based on the parameter.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the second calculating step, the parameter is calculated such that a value of the parameter is larger when a value of the boundary strength is larger.

3. The image processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein, in the second calculating step, the parameter is calculated such that the value of the parameter is larger when a value of the quantization parameter is larger.

4. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the selecting step, each of the one or more threshold values is calculated such that the threshold value is larger when a value of the parameter is larger.

5. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the selecting step:

a first threshold value and a second threshold value are determined, the first threshold value being for selecting one of the deblocking filters, and the second threshold value being for determining whether or not to select any one of the deblocking filters; and

the one of the deblocking filters or not to use any one of the deblocking filters is selected.

6. The image processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising

an executability determining step of determining whether or not to perform the filtering using the boundary strength before executing the selecting step.

7. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first calculating step includes:

a first determining step of determining whether or not at least one of the two adjacent image blocks is a block to be intra coded; and

a setting step of setting a first fixed value to the boundary strength when it is determined in the first determining step that the at least one of the two adjacent image blocks is the block to be intra coded.

8. The image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first calculating step further includes

a setting step of setting, to the boundary strength, a second fixed value different from the first fixed value when it is determined in the determining step that both of the two adjacent image blocks are blocks not to be intra coded.

9. The image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first calculating step further includes:

a second determining step of determining whether or not at least one of the two adjacent image blocks includes at least one non-zero transform coefficient when it is determined in the first determining step that both of the two adjacent image blocks are blocks not to be intra coded; and

a setting step of setting the boundary strength using a result of the second determining step.

10. The image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein, when it is determined in the first determining step that both of the two adjacent image blocks are blocks not to be intra coded, the first calculating step further includes:

a second determining step of determining whether or not at least one of the two adjacent blocks includes at least one non-zero coefficient;

a third determining step of determining whether or not the two adjacent image blocks have different reference indices each indicating a reference picture in inter coding;

a fourth determining step of determining whether or not a difference absolute value between the two adjacent image blocks exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the difference absolute value being one of a difference absolute value between horizontal motion vector components of the two adjacent image blocks and a difference absolute value between vertical motion vector components of the two adjacent image blocks; and

a setting step of setting the first fixed value to the boundary strength in the case where (i) it is determined in the second determining step that the at least one non-zero transform coefficient is included, (ii) it is determined in the third determining step that the reference picture indices are the same, and (iii) it is determined in the fourth determining step that the difference absolute value exceeds the predetermined threshold value; or in cases other than the case, a setting step of setting a second fixed value different from the first fixed value to the boundary strength.

11. The image processing method according to claim 1 , comprising:

a compressing step of compressing a prediction error block which is a difference between a current block to be coded and a prediction block each of which includes a plurality of pixels;

a reconstructing step of generating a reconstructed block by decoding the prediction error block compressed and adding the decoded prediction error block to the prediction block;

a filtering step including the first calculating step, the second calculating step, and the selecting step, the filtering step being executed for the reconstructed block;

a predicting step of generating a prediction block using the reconstructed block filtered in the filtering step; and

a coding step of coding the compressed prediction error block to generate a coded bitstream.

12. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

an obtaining step of obtaining a bitstream including a current block to be decoded;

a generating step of generating a reconstructed block by decoding the current block to be decoded and adding the decoded current block to a prediction block;

a filtering step including the first calculating step, the second calculating step, and the selecting step, the filtering step being executed for the reconstructed block; and

a predicting step of generating a prediction block using the reconstructed block filtered in the filtering step.

13. An image processing apparatus which performs filtering on image blocks using a plurality of deblocking filters having different filter strengths, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a first calculating unit configured to calculate a boundary strength between two adjacent image blocks;

a second calculating unit configured to calculate a parameter determining a range of filtered data outputted from each of the plurality of deblocking filters, based on a linear sum of the boundary strength and a quantization parameter; and

a selecting unit configured to select a deblocking filter to be used in the filtering from among the plurality of deblocking filters, using one or more threshold values which are determined based on the parameter,

wherein the second calculating unit is configured to calculate, as the value of the parameter, a total value of the boundary strength and the quantization parameter.