Method and apparatus of texture image compression in 3D video coding

1. A method for three-dimensional video coding, the method comprising:

receiving processed multi-view images or both the processed multi-view images and processed multi-view depth maps from a media or a processor;

applying SAO process (sample adaptive offset process) to at least one dependent-view image of the processed multi-view images if the processed multi-view images are received; and

applying the SAO process to at least one dependent-view image of the processed multi-view images or at least one depth map of the processed multi-view depth maps if both the processed multi-view images and the processed multi-view depth maps are received, wherein first SAO parameters associated with a target region are generated based on second SAO parameters associated with a source region, wherein the first SAO parameters are generated by reusing at least a portion of the second SAO parameters or by predicting the first SAO parameters from the second SAO parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed multi-view images or the processed multi-view depth maps are associated with a color component of video data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed multi-view depth maps are associated with luma component and chroma components of color video data in 4:0:0 sampling format and the SAO process is applied to the luma component only.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAO parameters associated with the target region correspond to a first image of said at least one dependent-view image, wherein the second SAO parameters associated with the source region correspond to a second image corresponding to another view, wherein a first depth map of said at least one depth map reuses or is predicted by

a second depth map of said at least one depth map corresponding to another view,

wherein said another view is different from a first view associated with the first image or the first depth map.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target region and the source region are selected from a group comprising an entire image, a CTB (Coding Tree Block), and a 4×4 block.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the source region is determined based on the target region and a DV (disparity vector) associated with the target region and the source region.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein information related to the DV is incorporated in video bitstream for the three-dimensional video coding.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the DV is derived based on one or more DVs associated with spatial neighboring blocks or temporal co-located blocks of the target region or the source region.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the DV is derived based on another DV associated with another inter-view prediction, wherein said another inter-view prediction comprises inter-view motion parameter prediction and inter-view residual prediction.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the DV is derived based on an associated depth map using depth-to-DV conversion and camera parameters.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target region and the source region are co-located regions.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the SAO parameters associated with top-left part of a CTB (Coding Tree Block), top-right part of the CTB, bottom-left part of the CTB or bottom-right part of the CTB are used as the second SAO parameters, and wherein the CTB is within the source region.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the SAO parameters associated with a center CTB (Coding Tree Block) of the source region are used as the second SAO parameters, and wherein the center CTB is aligned with a smallest coding unit of the source region.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein an additional syntax element is used to indicate which view is used for SAO parameter prediction or sharing.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the additional syntax element is incorporated in a sequence level, a view level, a picture level, a slice level or a CTB level (Coding Tree Block level).

16. The method of claim 4 , wherein an additional syntax element is used to indicate whether SAO parameter prediction or sharing is enabled or disabled.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the additional syntax element is incorporated in a sequence level, a view level, a picture level, a slice level or a CTB level (Coding Tree Block level).

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first SAO parameters and the second SAO parameters correspond to partial SAO parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partial SAO parameters consist of syntax elements related to SAO parameter merging information and SAO type, and wherein the syntax elements comprise sao_merge_left_flag, sao_merge_up_flag, sao_type_idx_luma, sao_type_idx_chroma, sao_eo_class_luma, and sao_eo_class_chroma.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partial SAO parameters consist of syntax elements related to SAO parameter merging information, and wherein the syntax elements comprise sao_merge_left_flag and sao_merge_up_flag.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partial SAO parameters consist of syntax elements related to SAO type, and wherein the syntax elements comprise sao_type_idx_luma sao_type_idx_chroma, sao_eo_class_luma, and sao_eo_class_chroma.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partial SAO parameters consist of syntax elements related to SAO offset values and wherein the syntax elements comprise sao_offset_abs, sao_offset_sign, and sao_band_position.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partial SAO parameters correspond to any combination of sao_merge_up_flag, sao_merge_left_flag, sao_type_idx_luma, sao_type_idx_chroma, sao_eo_class_luma, sao_eo_class_chrom, and sao_band_position.

24. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second SAO parameters are buffered and the second image is associated with a base view.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second SAO parameters are buffered in a compressed form.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the compressed form is generated based on down sampling.

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein partial second SAO parameters are buffered.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flag to enable or disable the SAO process is incorporated in video bitstream for the three-dimensional video coding.

29. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the SAO process to a virtual reference image, wherein the virtual reference image is generating using view synthesis based on video data associated with the processed multi-view images or the processed multi-view depth maps.

30. An apparatus for three-dimensional video coding, the apparatus comprising at least one circuit configured for:

receiving processed multi-view images or both the processed multi-view images and processed multi-view depth maps from a media or a processor;

applying SAO process (sample adaptive offset process) to at least one dependent-view image of the processed multi-view images if the processed multi-view images are received; and

applying SAO process to at least one dependent-view image or at least one depth map of the processed multi-view depth maps if both the processed multi-view images and the processed multi-view depth maps are received, wherein first SAO parameters associated with a target region are generated based on second SAO parameters associated with a source region, wherein the first SAO parameters are generated by reusing the second SAO parameters or by predicting the first SAO parameters from the second SAO parameters.