IP Library Granted Patent US 12,666,005
Granted Patent B2
US 12,666,005 · App. 18/474,517 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Systems and methods for smooth mode predictions

Inventors: Xin Zhao (Palo Alto, CA); Jing Ye (Palo Alto, CA); Liang Zhao (Palo Alto, CA); Han Gao (Palo Alto, CA); Shan Liu (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
H04N19/105H04N19/132H04N19/159H04N19/176H04N19/50
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,666,005
App. No.
18/474,517
Filed
Sep 26, 2023
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2488
USPC
375/240.12
Abstract

The various implementations described herein include methods and systems for encoding and decoding video. In one aspect, a method of video decoding includes receiving video data that includes a first block from a video bitstream, where the first block is encoded in a smooth mode. The method further includes identifying a set of reference samples for the first block and deriving a first prediction value for the first block. The method also includes deriving a refined first prediction value for the first block using a weighted sum of a first reference sample of the set of reference samples and the first prediction value and decoding the first block based on the refined first prediction value.

Claims (67)

1 . A method of video decoding performed at a computing system having memory and one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving video data comprising a plurality of blocks, including a first block, from a video bitstream, wherein the first block is encoded in one of a plurality of smooth modes;

when the first block is encoded in a horizontal smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a first set of reference samples for the first block that includes a top-right sample and a left sample;

deriving a first prediction value for the first block by applying a linear interpolation using the top-right sample;

deriving a refined first prediction value for the first block using a first weighted sum of the left sample and the first prediction value, wherein neither a first weight for the left sample nor a second weight for the first prediction value is equal to zero, and wherein the first and second weights are based on dimensions of the first block; and

decoding the first block based on the refined first prediction value; and

when the first block is encoded in a vertical smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a second set of reference samples for the first block that includes a bottom-left sample and a top sample;

deriving a second prediction value for the first block by applying a second linear interpolation using the bottom-left sample; and

deriving a refined second prediction value for the first block using a second weighted sum of the top sample and the second prediction value, wherein weights of the second weighted sum are non-zero and based on the dimensions of the first block; and

decoding the first block based on the refined second prediction value.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the first block is encoded in a combined smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

deriving the first prediction value and the second prediction value for the first block;

deriving the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value for the first block;

deriving a combined prediction value using a weighted sum of the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value; and

decoding the first block using the combined prediction value.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first prediction value for the first block is derived using a weighted sum of a left reference sample and a top reference sample.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the first set of reference samples to identify the left sample.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the top sample by filtering the second set of reference samples.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the first block comprise a height of the first block and a width of the first block.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving the first and second weights using a scaling factor based on the dimensions of the first block.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving the first prediction value for the first block comprises applying the second linear interpolation using the top-right sample and the left sample.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving the second prediction value for the first block comprises applying the linear interpolation using the bottom-left sample and the top sample.

10 . A method of video encoding performed at a computing system having memory and one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving video data comprising a plurality of blocks, including a first block;

when the first block is to be encoded in a horizontal smooth mode of a plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a first set of reference samples for the first block that includes a top-right sample and a left sample;

deriving a first prediction value for the first block by applying a linear interpolation using the top-right sample;

deriving a refined first prediction value for the first block using a first weighted sum of the left sample and the first prediction value, wherein neither a first weight for the left sample nor a second weight for the first prediction value is equal to zero, and wherein the first and second weights are based on dimensions of the first block; and

encoding the first block based on the refined first prediction value; and

when the first block is to be encoded in a vertical smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a second set of reference samples for the first block that includes a bottom-left sample and a top sample;

deriving a second prediction value for the first block by applying a second linear interpolation using the bottom-left sample; and

deriving a refined second prediction value for the first block using a second weighted sum of the top sample and the second prediction value, wherein weights of the second weighted sum are non-zero and based on the dimensions of the first block; and

encoding the first block based on the refined second prediction value.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising, when the first block is to be encoded in a combined smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

deriving the first prediction value and the second prediction value for the first block;

deriving the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value for the first block;

deriving a combined prediction value using a weighted sum of the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value; and

encoding the first block using the combined prediction value.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising filtering the first set of reference samples to identify the left sample.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising identifying the top sample by filtering the second set of reference samples.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the dimensions of the first block comprise a height of the first block and a width of the first block.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving the first and second weights using a scaling factor based on the dimensions of the first block.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein deriving the first prediction value for the first block comprises applying the second linear interpolation using the top-right sample and the left sample.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein deriving the second prediction value for the first block comprises applying the linear interpolation using the bottom-left sample and the top sample.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing system to perform a video bitstream generation method, the video bitstream generation method comprising:

receiving video data comprising a plurality of blocks, including a first block;

when the first block is to be encoded in a horizontal smooth mode of a plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a first set of reference samples for the first block that includes a top-right sample and a left sample;

deriving a first prediction value for the first block by applying a linear interpolation using the top-right sample;

deriving a refined first prediction value for the first block using a first weighted sum of the left sample and the first prediction value, wherein neither a first weight for the left sample nor a second weight for the first prediction value is equal to zero, and wherein the first and second weights are based on dimensions of the first block; and

encoding the first block based on the refined first prediction value;

when the first block is to be encoded in a vertical smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

identifying a second set of reference samples for the first block that includes a bottom-left sample and a top sample;

deriving a second prediction value for the first block by applying a second linear interpolation using the bottom-left sample; and

deriving a refined second prediction value for the first block using a second weighted sum of the top sample and the second prediction value, wherein weights of the second weighted sum are non-zero and based on the dimensions of the first block; and

encoding the first block based on the refined second prediction value; and

transmitting a video bitstream comprising the encoded first block.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the video bitstream generation method further comprises, when the first block is to be encoded in a combined smooth mode of the plurality of smooth modes:

deriving the first prediction value and the second prediction value for the first block;

deriving the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value for the first block;

deriving a combined prediction value using a weighted sum of the refined first prediction value and the refined second prediction value; and

encoding the first block using the combined prediction value.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the video bitstream generation method further comprises filtering the first set of reference samples to identify the left sample.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2023
From: ZHAO, XIN; YE, JING; ZHAO, LIANG; GAO, HAN; LIU, SHAN
To: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 065126/0890 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63464155 · May 4, 2023
Related Publication 20240372983A1 · Nov 7, 2024
References Cited (31)
US 11388395B2 · Lee · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20170374379A1 · Chen et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180316918A1 · Drugeon et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190110045A1 · Zhao · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190200012A1 · Lee et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190335199A1 · Joshi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200204826A1 · Rath et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200228800A1 · Joshi et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200336739A1 · Choi et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210297663A1 · Jiang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220060734A1 · Chen · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220377341A1 · Zhu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220377367A1 · Liu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220417497A1 · Zhao et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230007299A1 · Zhao et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230056211A1 · Wang · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2022218285A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2023050072A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
Tencent Technology, Isr/WO, PCT/CN2023/033886, Feb. 6, 2024, 19 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Luc N. Trudeau et al., “Predicting Chroma from Luma in AV1”, 2018 Data Compression Conference, 2018 IEEE, 9 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Jonathan Pfaff et al., “Intra Prediction and Mode Coding in VVC”, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, 15 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Liang Zhao et al., “Improved Intra Coding Beyond AV1 Using Adaptive Prediction Angles and Reference Lines”, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sep. 2020, 3 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Liang Zhao et al., “Wide Angular Intra Prediction for Versatile Video Coding”, IEEE, 2019 Data Compression Conference (DCC), Snowbird, UT, USA, 2019, 3 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Peter de Rivaz et al., “AV1 Bitstream & Decoding Process Specification”, The Alliance for Open Media, Jan. 8, 2019, 681 pgs. Retrieved from the Internet: https://aomediacodec.github.io/av1-spec/ac1/spec.pdf. [cited by applicant]
Xin Zhao et al., “Study on Coding Tools Beyond AV1,” 2021 IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME), Shenzhen, China, 2021, 6 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Xin Zhao et al., “Tool Description for AOMedia Video Model (AVM)”, Document: CWG-B100_v1, Alliance for Open Media Codec Working Group, Jan. 3, 2022, 52 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Yao-Jen Chang et al., “Intra Prediction Using Multiple Reference Lines for the Versatile Video Coding Standard”, Proceedings of the SPIE, Applications of Digital Image Processing XLII, 1113716, Sep. 2019, 1 pg. [cited by applicant]
Yize Jin et al., “Improved Intra Mode Coding Beyond AV1”, Acoustics Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) ICASSP 2021—2021 IEEE International Conference on, 5 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Yue Chen et al., “An Overview of Core Coding Tools in the AVI Video Codec”, 2018 IEEE Picture Coding Symposium, San Francisco, CA, USA, 5 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Tencent Technology, ISRWO of 7801-WO, PCT/CN2023/033887, Jan. 8, 2024, 14 pgs. [cited by applicant]
Tencent Technology, ISRWO of 7906-WO, PCT/CN2023/033888, Jan. 8, 2024, 18 pgs. [cited by applicant]