text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 27, 1995
|Filing date
|Sep 30, 1992
|Priority date
|Sep 30, 1991
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Derek Andrew, Octavius J. Morris
|Original Assignee
|U.S. Philips Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (2), Non-Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (152), Classifications (32), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The invention relates to a method of estimating motion vectors for blocks of pixels in a frame of a digitised motion picture sequence, the method comprising, for each given block of pixels performing a vector search based around at least one starting vector derived from a previously estimated vector for a pixel block which is a neighbour in space and/or time of the given pixel block.
The techniques of motion vector estimation can be used to improve compression of motion picture data by reducing the temporal redundancy in the picture information, in a manner analogous to that in which well-known differential coding and transform coding techniques eliminate spatial redundancy for the compression of still picture data.
The International Standards Organisation has issued a Committee Draft Standard ISO 11172, well-known the art as the. MPEG specification and incorporated herein by reference. MPEG specifies a format for the encoding of compressed motion picture data, including motion vectors. An overview of the MPEG coding standard is provided by D. Le Gall in `MPEG: A Video Compression Standard for Multimedia Applications`, Comm. of the ACM, Vol. 34, No. 4, April 1991. MPEG encoding allows the reproduction of full-motion video from a data stream of only 1.2 Mbits per second, a rate low enough for the reproduction of video from MPEG data stored on a Compact Disc (CD-ROM), or received via some other data channel of similar bandwidth.
The MPEG specification provides for motion compensation by dividing a frame into blocks of 16�16 pixels, and assigning to each a motion vector in the range �64 pixels in the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) dimensions, to half-pixel precision. This will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings. The MPEG specification does not specify how the motion vectors are to be obtained, only how they are to be represented. A full search for the most accurate motion vector in the range permitted would involve comparing the current pixel block with over 16000 candidate pixel blocks, even at integer pixel precision. Dedicated hardware can be provided for this task, but there is also a need for software implementations that can be used in advance of the general availability of such hardware, and which offer more flexibility to investigate improvements in the vector search and other aspects of the encoding strategy.
A method as set forth in the opening paragraph has been described by G. de Haan and H. Huijgen in their paper `Motion estimator for TV-picture enhancement`, presented at the Fourth International Workshop on PIDTV, Turin, September 1991. That method has been developed for implementation in dedicated hardware and real-time operation, and involves the evaluation of relatively few candidate blocks. The method exploits the fact that, where object features moving in the motion picture sequence are larger than a few pixels blocks, as is generally the case, there is a high degree of correlation between the motion vectors of neighbouring blocks. Thus, by careful selection of starting vectors from among vectors estimated for neighbouring blocks, and by the selection of candidate vectors predicted from the starting vectors, good quality motion estimation can be achieved with relatively few candidate block comparisons. While the known technique can be implemented in software to produce a quicker result than the full search, even using a high speed programmable digital signal processor chip (DSP) the encoding process is still inconveniently slow.
A possibility for increasing the speed exists in theory in the use of available hardware systems comprising several DSPs operating in parallel, each processing a subset of the blocks in each frame. Unfortunately, this speed increase is not readily realisable with the method of de Haan and Huijgen because a given DSP processing a given block may have to wait while other DSPs process neighbouring blocks before the starting vectors for the given block are available.
It is an object of the invention to enable improved motion vector estimation to be performed using programmable hardware, for example to allow the use of parallel processing to achieve a faster result.
The invention provides in a first aspect a method as set forth in the opening paragraph, characterised in that the estimation of motion vectors for each frame is performed in parallel for at least two ordered subsets of the pixel blocks of the frame, the division and ordering of pixel blocks into the subsets and the selection of the neighbouring pixel block(s) being performed such that, where a neighbouring block whose estimated vector is to be used to predict that of the given block is selected from the same frame as the given block, the said neighbouring block is one of the same subset as the given block and is ordered in the subset so as to precede the given block. In this way, each subset can be processed at full speed, without waiting for results from the processing of blocks in the other subset(s).
Each subset may comprise a row of pixel blocks, the processor estimating motion vectors for the pixel blocks of the row in a predetermined sequence, the motion vector for each given block (disregarding the first block in each row) being predicted by the processor from the motion vector estimated for a block which precedes the given block in the said sequence. The rows may be horizontal or vertical, but a horizontal bias to the search may be advantageous since horizontal motion is predominant in typical motion picture sequences. A set of n processors may each take every n-th row of blocks in the image frame. Alternatively, each processor may take the next unprocessed row in the frame whenever it has finished a row of pixel blocks. Many other arrangements are of course possible.
In preferred embodiments of the method, for each given pixel block at least one further prediction of the motion vector is based on a motion vector estimated for a pixel block in a neighbouring frame in the motion picture sequence. By this means starting vectors can be chosen from neighbouring blocks effectively surrounding the given block, which improves the accuracy of the estimated motion vectors when object features move over the given block from a wide range of directions. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the terms `neighbouring` and `preceding` as used herein with reference to frames, blocks or pixels cannot be interpreted as referring only to strictly adjacent frames, blocks or pixels. In an MPEG encoding embodiment, for example, it is clear that `neighbouring` frames may be separated at least by a number of frame intervals of the same order of magnitude as the batch size In a particular embodiment, the predictions for each given pixel block (disregarding the first block in each subset) are based on motion vectors estimated previously for:
the said neighbouring block in the same subset as the given block; and
two blocks in a neighbouring frame occupying spatial positions relative to the given block so as to define with the said preceding block in the same subset as the given block a triangular distribution generally surrounding the given block.
In the prediction of a motion vector on the basis of the at least one starting vector, it may be for example that matching between the given block and a block in a previous frame is measured for an array of from 5 to 10 candidate vectors distributed around the starting vector. The candidate vectors may in particular be distributed within a few pixels of the starting vector, perhaps with a horizontal bias, and may include the starting vector itself.
It will often be the case, in the known method as well as in a method embodying the invention as described above, that a good set of starting vectors is not available, and perhaps only a single default starting vector is available for the given block. Such cases arise at the edges of the frames of pixel data, and also when encoding the first predicted frame of a sequence, for example following a scene change. Although such cases are in the minority, a full vector search may still be prohibitively time consuming.
The invention accordingly provides, in a second aspect, a method of estimating a motion vector for a given block of pixels in a frame of a digitised motion picture sequence, by performing an evaluation of a plurality of candidate vectors based around a starting vector, characterised in that the candidate vectors surround the starting vector and are evaluated in an ordered series of generally increasing distance from the starting vector. The ordered series of candidate vectors may form a spiral around the starting vector, for example. The area covered by the candidate vectors may be for example an order of magnitude smaller than that required for a full search, but, if the vector estimated for a neighbouring block is used as the starting vector, the process will tend to converge on an accurate motion vector within a few blocks, always assuming that the moving objects are larger than a few blocks.
Moreover, the ordering of the candidate vectors ensures that the best candidate vector will tend to occur sooner rather than later in the sequence, and various checks can be implemented when evaluating candidate vectors so as to terminate the evaluation of candidate vectors once the best candidate, or at least a "good enough" candidate has been found.
It is a further object of the invention to improve generally the motion picture quality encoded by a stream of motion-compensated image data.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of estimating a motion vector for a given block of pixels in a frame of a digitised motion picture sequence, which estimated vector is to be encoded in a data steam encoding the motion picture sequence, the method comprising:
generating a set of candidate vectors for evaluation;
evaluating the quality of prediction provided by each of the candidate vectors; and
comparing the results of said evaluations to select one of the candidate vectors as the estimated vector for encoding in a stream of data encoding the motion picture sequence,
wherein the amount of data required to encode the estimated motion vector is dependent on the value of the estimated motion vector and wherein the selection of the estimated vector from among the candidate vectors depends not only on the quality of prediction provided by each candidate, but also on the amount of data required to encode each candidate in a data stream, such that the candidate vector selected is not the one providing the highest quality of prediction, if it is determined that another one of the candidate vectors can be encoded in less data while providing a prediction quality which is within a pre-determined threshold of the highest prediction quality.
This third aspect of the invention enables an overall improvement in the quality of motion pictures encoded within a bit stream at a limited data rate. If the quality threshold is set appropriately, the bit stream capacity which has been freed by more economical coding of the selected motion vector can be used to improve the encoding quality of other parts of the picture sequence, even if some of the freed capacity is required for increased error information resulting from the selection of a motion vector which does not quite give the best prediction for a given block. Of course, use of the invention in its third aspect is not limited to any combination with the other aspects of the invention.
As a particular example, the MPEG coding standard provides a special format for encoding blocks which have the zero vector as their motion vector. In some circumstances a zero vector does not have to be encoded at all. In certain picture sequences, including for example cartoon animation sequences, it has been found that a significant amount of bit stream capacity is "wasted" when conventional encoders seek to encode "best" motion vectors for a large number of blocks representing, say, uniform blue sky. For such blocks, the only change from frame to frame in fact comprises only random noise superimposed upon the plain coloured area. It has been found that for these sequences the invention in its third aspect can lead to great savings in bit stream capacity, and hence great improvements in overall picture quality, when the quality threshold is set just high enough that the encoder will ignore the random noise motion information.
The invention still further provides methods and apparatuses for performing motion vector estimation, and for encoding and storing motion picture sequences. These and further advantageous techniques and features will be apparent to the skilled reader in the following description of specific embodiments of the invention.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates the problem of motion vector estimation in the MPEG coding system;
FIG. 2 shows in block form a parallel DSP system suitable for implementing methods embodying the invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of the system of FIG. 2 in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates the allocation of ordered subsets of pixel blocks between four DSPs in a method embodying the invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates the generation of a set of candidate vectors in accordance with a first search strategy;
FIG. 6 shows three alternative patterns for selection of starting vectors; and
FIG. 7 illustrates tile generation of a set of candidate vectors from a starting vector in accordance with a second search strategy.
The embodiment to be described encodes digitised video images for storage and reproduction in accordance with the MPEG decoder specification, cited above. Within this specification, there are many layers of compression encoding and much flexibility for improved encoding strategies to provide greater image quality and/or compression, and the present description is concerned chiefly with improvements in the method of motion vector estimation, which will not be defined in the standard. For full details of the MPEG coding system, reference can be made to the MPEG specification or the article by Le Gall, both cited above.
FIG. 1 illustrates certain steps in the motion vector estimation for a sequence of five frames I0,B1,B2,P3,B4,P5 of pixel data which form part of a motion picture sequence to be encoded. MPEG defines three types of frames, with different degrees of motion compensated compression. The sequence (any sequence) begins with an I-typeframe (intrapicture) I0, which is coded with reference only to itself, and relies on no information from neighbouring frames. The sequence continues with `batches` of predicted frames, including B-type (bidirectional predicted) frames and P-type frames (predicted).
The batch size M can vary typically from one to four frames, and each batch comprises (M-1) B frames followed by a P frame. Thus in the example sequence of FIG. 1, frames B1,B2,P3 form a batch of M=3 frames, while frames B4 and P5 form a second batch with M=2. It will be apparent that a batch with M=1 comprises a single P-type frame. The arrows at the foot of FIG. 1 indicate that each P frame is to be `forward predicted` from the preceding I or P frame, while each B frame is to be both forward and backward predicted from the I and/or P frames on either side.
The principle of motion compensated prediction will now be described briefly, with reference to the forward prediction of frame P3. Each frame to be predicted is divided into an array of blocks of 16�16 pixels, represented (on an enlarged scale) by the block A in frame P3. Having encoded the starting or reference frame I0 for the sequence, the block A is not directly encoded, but rather a motion vector VA is encoded which predicts that the block A is the same as a 16�16 pixel block A' in the reference frame I0. Data compression is thereby achieved by temporal redundancy reduction. Since the two blocks A and A' will not generally be exactly the same, the difference (prediction error) is then also coded with spatial redundancy reduction by the discrete cosine transform technique (DCT), working on smaller blocks of 8�8 pixels.
Thus the first problem faced by the MPEG coder is that of motion vector estimation for each block in the current frame P3: how to identify the block A' in the reference frame (I0) which best matches the current block A, and hence identify the best motion vector VA? MEPG allows motion vectors to take a limited range in x (horizontal pixel dimension) and y (vertical) respectively where in the latest specification these ranges Rx and Ry are both �64 pixels. This creates a limited forward search area FSA, shown in FIG. 1, in which to locate the best matching block A', but a full search even of this area would require the evaluation of many thousand candidate blocks. For each candidate block, 16�16=256 pixel comparisons must be made, and the squared pixel differences accumulated (for example) to arrive at a mean squared difference value by which to measure the matching of the candidate block. While a full search may be possible with dedicated hardware, it is presently desired as mentioned in the introduction above to implement motion compensated image coding in software, using readily available processing hardware.
Outside the field of MPEG encoding, de Haan and Huijgen, cited above, have developed motion vector estimation methods which measure matching for relatively few candidate blocks, based on the observations (i) that there is generally a correlation between motion vectors of neighbouring blocks and (ii) that subjective image quality can best be maintained if the motion vector field is smooth, rather than accurate. In other words, there is no great loss in subjective picture quality if the estimated motion vectors are constrained to vary only a little from block to block within a frame. Thus, within the large search area FSA, only a few candidate vectors are used for matching, and these candidate vectors are based on starting vectors estimated previously for blocks neighbouring the current block, spatially and/or temporally.
While the techniques of de Haan and Huijgen can be adapted to a software implementation, which operates many times faster than one with a full-search, this is still several hundred times real time, even with a high performance processor. The present inventors have looked to systems of parallel digital signal processor chips (DSPs), such as the ANDROX ICS-400 image processor board, available from ANDROX in Boston, Mass., and illustrated in block form in FIG. 2.
The system of FIG. 2 comprises a circuit board housing four processors, referenced DSP0 to DSP3, which can be controlled by a host computer system via a VME bus interface unit 200. The board can be housed for example inside a Sun Microsystems or similar workstation-type computer, which provides a convenient and familiar development environment. The VME interface is connected to a high speed bus 202, through which flows all information processed by the DSP system. A bus controller 204 is provided to manage such operations. A memory 206 is connected to the bus for the storage of the video data frames being encoded.
Each processor DSP0-3 is connected to the bus 202 by a pair of cache memories CM0 and CM1. Each cache memory CM0 or CM1 can in practice hold the current block of 16�16 pixel values, together with the pixel values of the search area FSA and other data necessary to estimate a motion vector for the block, although to this end the range (Rx,Ry) of candidate vectors is limited in the present embodiment to (�48,�48). In operation, one cache of the pair is connected to the DSP at a time, while the other cache can be unloaded and reloaded with data for processing via the bus 202. In this way, a constant supply of fresh data is available to keep the respective DSP working full-time. Each DSP further has a pair of program memories PM0 and PM1. Memory PM0 is used to store the program for the DSP, while memory PM1 is used to store temporary values and data which is common to several blocks.
FIG. 3 shows briefly in block form how the task of MPEG coding has been partitioned in the present embodiment. Original pixel data for a batch of M frames (plus reference frame) is received at IMIN, and a first module INTV performs the search for motion vectors to integer precision for the whole batch (for example frames B1,B2,P3), using exclusively the original pixel data. Only this first module INTV need be described in any detail for an understanding of the present invention, but the remaining modules will be described briefly as follows. Four modules HLFV/MDEC/FDCT, Q/RLC, RLD/DEQ and IDCT/REC form a main loop of the encoding process. The module HLFV/MDEC/FDCT receives the integer motion vectors and calculates predicted blocks and the resulting prediction errors, making mode decisions and performing the forward DCT compression in accordance with MPEG published recommendations. In this process, the motion vectors are `fine tuned` to half-pixel precision.
Module Q/RLC quantises and run-length codes the DCT information and passes these to a module BITS/KEG which generates the final MPEG bit stream. The module BITS/REG also provides regulatory feedback to the quantiser module to maintain the output bit rate at the desired value (typically 1.2 Mbits per second). Returning to the main loop, modules RLD/DEQ and IDCT/REC reconstruct the pixel data actually encoded, which is fed back to allow module HLFV/MDEC/FDCT to make correct mode decisions, locate the best half pixel vectors and so forth. Finally a module DIS allows display of tile original or reconstructed pictures.
In the implementation of these modules, the parallel system of four DSPs can only provide a four-fold increase in processing power over a single DSP if all four DSPs are busy all the time. To this end, the ANDROX system is interrupt driven so that each DSP operates independently, but this creates problems for the implementation of the known methods of vector estimation in module INTV, because of the need to predict starting vectors from the vectors of neighbouring blocks. If neighbouring blocks are assigned to different DSPs, and particularly since the estimation may take a shorter time for some blocks than others, there will be times when DSP2, say, requires a starting vector which has yet to be calculated by DSP3. Because of this, much of the potential for parallel processing would remain unexploited.
FIG. 4 shows how the blocks of a frame can be partitioned into ordered subsets, as part of a solution to the above problem. In this embodiment, the blocks are divided into their horizontal rows, and all the blocks of a row are processed, in left to right order, by a single DSP. In the particular embodiment illustrated, every fourth row is processed by the same DSP, with the rows relevant to DSP0 being highlighted in the Figure. In connection with the alternation of usage of the CM0 and CM1 caches, alternate blocks are shaded differently to illustrate which block is processed in which cache. Processing the blocks in horizontal rows is preferred for most natural image sequences, where horizontal motion predominates. There is in principle no reason why the blocks should not be processed in vertical rows (columns), diagonal rows or other sequences.
It will now be explained how the module INTV estimates integer motion vectors, firstly for the blocks of the first batch of frames B1,B2,P3, represented by block A in FIG. 1, and then for the blocks of subsequent batches, represented by block B in frame P5. Two alternative vector search strategies are embodied in the implementation to be described, depending on whether the reference frame (I- or P-type) being used for the current frame has itself been motion predicted. (It may be noted here that I frames are often encoded in a sequence to provide an `entry points` into the sequence, even though these frames can be motion predicted; for such frames it is in fact advantageous to find motion vectors to enable use of the second search strategy, even though these vectors will not be encoded in the MPEG bit stream). Both strategies rely on the choice of a good starting vector for the search, from which is generated a set of candidate vectors, pointing to a corresponding set of candidate pixel blocks within the reference frame.
Referring now to the vector search for block A, in accordance with the scheme of FIG. 4, the row of blocks containing block A are all processed in left to right order by DSP3. Thus it is guaranteed that the block LB(A) immediately to the left of the current block A on the current frame P3 will have been processed already by DSP3, and an estimated motion vector will thus be available which predicts the block LB(A) from some block in the reference frame I0. This vector can be used as one starting vector on which to base a search for the motion vector that will predict block A from a block A' in frame I0. On the assumption that no motion vectors have been found for the reference frame I0, nor yet the frames B1 and B2, a limited area-search strategy is used for the blocks of frame P3, as illustrated by FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 shows a spiral search pattern which, on the integer pixel grid, extends �15 pixels in the horizontal direction (Δx) and �8 pixels vertically (Ay). This horizontal bias is provided in recognition of the fact that horizontal motion predominates in a typical motion picture sequence, as mentioned above. The program memory PM1 of the relevant DSP contains an ordered list of offset pairs (Δx,Δy) which define a set of candidate vectors `o` relative to a starting vector, indicated by `+` at offset (0,0). The sequence of candidate vectors `o` spirals generally outward from the starting vector at `+` to fill the search area up to (Δx,Δy)=(�15,�8). In this way, even with a single starting vector, 527 candidate vectors `o` are defined. Each candidate vector in turn identifies a candidate block in the reference frame I0 to be compared with the current block A which it desired to predict.
For each block in the fourth row of blocks in the frame P3 to be predicted, the DSP must therefore identify a starting vector. For the first block in a row, the zero vector (0,0) is used as a default starting vector, but thereafter the vector just estimated for the block LB(A) to the left of the current block is used as the starting vector. This brings important benefits since in most cases there will be a high degree of coherence between neighbouring vectors in the vector field. Having identified the starting vector `+`, the stored sequence of offsets can be used to generate the set of 527 candidate vectors `o` in the spiral sequence.
For each candidate vector `o`, the current block A in frame P3 is compared with a candidate block in reference frame I0 whose spatial position (x,y) is given by the candidate vector relative to the spatial position (x,y) of the origin of the current block. The comparison is performed pixel by pixel in principle for all 256 pixels in the block, accumulating to a mean squared difference (or other value measuring the degree of similarity between the blocks), until the best matching candidate block is identified. It may be noted, however, that a candidate block can in principle be rejected as soon as the accumulated difference exceeds the difference found for the best candidate block tried so far, resulting in a considerable saving of time. Since checking the accumulated squared difference against the best so far will generally occupy at least one cycle of the DSP's time, to make such a check after every pixel would slow down the entire matching process. A good compromise has been found in an embodiment where the accumulated squared difference is checked against the best so far only at the end of each row of 16 pixels in the block.
While only a few per cent of the possible motion vector area FSA (FIG. 1) is explored by this spiral search pattern, it is found that the estimated vectors converge upon the true motion vector within a few blocks of the picture's edge. It may be noted that inaccuracies of the motion vectors do not directly reduce the quality of the corresponding blocks in the image when decoded and displayed. Rather, inaccurate motion compensation merely reduces the degree of compression that can be achieved by the next stage in the MPEG coding process, namely spatial redundancy reduction by DCT.
Although far fewer than the number of candidate blocks involved in a full search of the area FSA (FIG. 1), 527 candidate blocks per block of the current frame is still a heavy computational task. The ordering of the candidates into a spiral brings potential savings, however, on the assumption that motion vectors are generally coherent from one block to the next. Because of this coherence, the starting vector chosen will, more often than not, be close to the desired motion vector for the current block. The ordering of candidates according to distance from the starting vector means that the best matching candidate block will tend to be found sooner rather than later in the sequence of 527 candidates.
By incorporating in the DSP programming a set of test conditions designed to detect the best candidate as soon as it appears, the search can be terminated, on average, after relatively few candidate blocks have been compared to the current block. One such condition is the setting of a threshold value of the accumulated mean squared difference. Below this threshold (which allows, among other things, for noise in the pixel data), the blocks are judged a `perfect` match, and the spiral search is terminated. Thus, for example, the generation and evaluation of candidate vectors `o` might end with the discovery of a `perfectly` matching candidate block corresponding to the starting vector plus the offset (Δx,Δy)=(3,-2), as illustrated in FIG. 5. Up to this point, only 48 candidate blocks have been compared.
Around the location of the best integer candidate vector `o`, represented at (Δx,Δy)=(3,-2) in FIG. 5, nine crosses `x` indicate the nine candidate vectors that will be explored to half-pixel precision by the module HLFV/MDEC/FDCT, described above with reference to FIG. 3.
Clearly, the order of candidates can be modified simply by modifying the list of offsets (Δx,Δy) stored in the DSP program memory PM1. The range of offsets Δx and Δy can be expanded or decreased as desired, and circular or elliptical spirals or other sequences can be implemented, offering some improvement over the square and truncated spiral of FIG. 5.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the second vector search strategy, to be applied, by way of example to blocks in frame P5, represented by the block B. The strategy to be used for frame P5 compares far fewer candidate blocks even than the limited area search strategy described above with reference to FIG. 5. This second strategy relies heavily on the choice of a few starting vectors, at least one of which should be a good prediction of the motion vector for the current block. Coupled with the rule that the vector field is better smooth than accurate, even these few candidates are found to allow a `good` yet extremely fast motion vector estimate.
Turning to FIG. 1, the block LB(B) immediately to the left of the current block B is again known to have been processed already, because of the ordered allocation of the whole row of pixel blocks to a single DSP. The vector just estimated for block LB(B) can therefore be used as one starting vector. Unfortunately, no other neighbouring blocks in the current frame P5 are known to have been processed at this time. The strategy implemented therefore looks to the neighbouring blocks which are known to have been processed, namely neighbouring blocks in neighbouring frames, such as the current reference frame, the previous P frame P3.
For the representative block B, two blocks UR(B) and DR(B) are shaded in frame P3, these being spatially diagonally up-and-right and down-and-right neighbours of the block B respectively, as well as temporal neighbours of the current block B (frame PS). The two neighbouring blocks provide a further two starting vectors for use in estimating the motion vector of block B.
It may be noted at this point that such starting vectors may need to be scaled versions of the vectors estimated for the neighbouring blocks. For example the vector VA predicting block A in frame P3, say, from block A' in frame I0 represents motion of some image feature over a time period of three frame intervals (M=3), whereas a vector predicting block B in frame P5 from a block B' (not shown) in frame P3 represents motion over two frame intervals only. Thus the vector estimated previously for block UR(B) must be scaled by a factor of 2/3 to obtain a good starting vector for the vector estimation of block B, and so forth. (If backward prediction vectors, found for blocks in a B frame, are being estimated or used as starting vectors, negative scaling factors will also be required).
FIG. 6A shows the pattern formed by the chosen neighbouring blocks around the current block, with different hatching to distinguish blocks which are spatial neighbours in the same frame (t=T) and blocks which are both spatial and temporal neighbours (t≠T). The chosen neighbour blocks generally form a triangle around the current block, with a slight horizontal bias to the distribution. The horizontal bias is in recognition of the fact that in most natural motion picture sequences, horizontal motion predominates. Choosing neighbour blocks to the left and right of the current block helps to ensure that at least one of the starting vectors will be suitable when an object moving into the current block comes from the left or the right.
FIG. 6B shows an alternative pattern of neighbouring blocks to yield three starting vectors, and FIG. 6C shows a pattern yielding four starting vectors, without horizontal bias. Always in FIG. 6 the block LB to the left of the current block is in the current frame (t=T). Of course other patterns can be readily envisaged by those skilled in the art, each having its own merits and demerits, depending on the motion picture content, and the pattern can be changed by changing the contents of the program memories PM0, PM1 for each DSP. The pattern of FIG. 6A has been found most satisfactory in the present embodiment, for a range of picture sequences. Of course, yet different patterns will be required where the allocation of blocks to the DSPs is different to that of FIG. 4. The block rows might run vertically or even diagonally across the picture, or the subsets might be convoluted and/or interleaved for whatever reason; the principles disclosed herein can still be applied.
Having obtained three starting vectors for the current block A, the DSP in the present embodiment evaluates the block matching for a group of up to 21 candidate vectors based upon these three starting vectors.
FIG. 7 shows how seven candidate vectors, marked by circles `o`, are defined by a predetermined pattern of offsets (Δx,Δy) relative to the starting vector, marked `+`. The pattern of seven candidates `o` includes the starting vector `+` itself, and again has a horizontal bias in recognition of the predominance of horizontal motion in the human environment. By applying this pattern of seven offsets to each of the three starting vectors, a set of 21 candidate vectors is obtained. Before any time-consuming block matching calculations are performed, however, the candidate set is checked to eliminate duplicates and candidates outside the legal range.
Once the best matching candidate vector `o` has been found, again a final comparison is performed in module HLFV/MDEC/FDCT (FIG. 3) with nine half-pixel candidate vectors, marked as `x` around the rightmost candidate vector `o` in FIG. 7. This leads to a final encoded motion vector for the current block, estimated to half-pixel precision and derived using reconstructed pixel data.
It will be apparent to the reader that evaluating at most candidate vectors instead of the thousands required for a full search of the area FSA (FIG. 1) achieves a significant time saving, but with the disadvantage that the vector estimated for the current block may not in fact be the most accurate one. The subjective quality of images decoded after encoding by this method is good, however, because of the above mentioned observation by de Haan and Huijger that the motion vector filed should be above all smoothly-varying, rather than strictly accurate. Moreover, when object features moving in an image are many pixel blocks in size, the slowly varying vector field will tend to converge upon the most accurate vector within a few blocks after entering the object.
FIG. 1 also shows how, on the assumption that motion vectors have been estimated already for the interpolated frame B4, as well as the reference frame P3, a further four possible starting vectors are obtainable from by scaling the forward and backward vectors estimated for the UR and DR neighbouring blocks in frame B4, shaded with dotted lines in FIG. 1. Thus a total of up to six starting vectors are available in addition to the vector estimated for the preceding block LB(B). A further four or eight starting vectors could be available for the last frame in a batch of three or four frames. Rather than evaluate a set of seven candidate vectors for every one of these starting vectors, the present embodiment in fact first evaluates only the starting vectors themselves, before forming candidate sets around the starting vectors which give the best matching candidate blocks. Thus, for example, candidate sets according to the pattern of FIG. 7 may be formed on the basis of vectors estimated for the block LB(B), the block UR(B) from frame P3 and the backward prediction vector for the DR block in frame B4, all scaled as necessary to account for the different time intervals spanned.
In practice, the vector search for each batch of M frames is performed in the order indicated by circled numbers by the curved arrows at the foot of FIG. 1. By adopting this order, and with appropriate scaling, forward and backward prediction vectors of neighbouring blocks in the interpolated frames B1 and B2 are all available as candidate starting vectors when estimating motion vectors for frame P3. Similarly, the forward vectors for frame B1 can be scaled and used as starting vectors in the forward vector search for frame B2.
The remainder of the MPEG encoding process involves variation of many parameters such as the batch size M and quantisation scaling, in order to achieve a desired compromise between picture quality and data compression, as described in the MPEG specification and the article by Le Gall. These aspects are outside the scope and purpose of the present description, but it has been found that the complete MPEG coding of motion picture sequences including the motion estimation methods described above can be achieved at only 90 times real time using the four DSPs of the ANDROX system, mounted in a Sun workstation. Thus a few minutes of full motion video can be encoded for storage on CD-ROM or similar on an overnight basis, using readily available hardware in a small, compact system.
A further modification of the above strategies can be made when the encoding scheme results in some vector values being more economical to encode than others. In the particular examples of the MPEG encoding format, motion vectors are encoded in the MPEG bit stream by variable length codes, such that shorter vectors require fewer bits. Thus, when two candidate vectors have almost equal matching quality, the modified strategy will favor the vector which requires fewer bits to encode. This may necessitate a little more error information being encoded for a given block, but there will often be a net saving in encoded data which allows the image to be encoded with an overall improvement in quality.
A particular feature of the MPEG variable length codes for motion vectors is that zero displacements Δx and by can be encoded in only one bit each. Moreover, at least in a p-type frame a block having zero motion (Δx=Δy=0) can be coded with no motion information at all. This is signalled by the appropriate variable length code for "macroblock type" in the MPEG bit stream. Thus there is a great economy of data in encoding blocks which have zero motion from one frame to the next. Thus an overall improvement can be obtained when the evaluation of candidate vectors is modified to favour the zero vector, when the matching quality obtained is only slightly below that of the best candidate.
Of course, in some sequences, the zero vector will rarely be among the best candidates. It may be noted however, that certain types of motion picture sequence, for example animated cartoons, contain a large number of blocks with substantially zero motion. Moreover, large areas of these block comprise uniform areas of colour, for example blue sky. Conventional motion compensation techniques will nevertheless estimate and encode motion vectors for these blocks, if only because they contain noise information which "moves" from frame to frame. For encoding these sequences, it has been found that very significant quality improvements are afforded by use of the invention in its third aspect: if the noise level is low, the zero vector will be just one of a large number of candidate vectors for which the matching quality is the same within a relatively narrow threshold.
From reading the present disclosure, many modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, in addition to those mentioned above. Such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the fields of picture encoding, motion estimation and digital signal processing and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present application also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention. The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom.
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|U.S. Classification
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|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 30, 1992
Owner name: U.S. PHILIPS CORP., NEW YORK
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Mandy Patinkin Appears Live on CBS THIS MORNING: SATURDAY Today
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Actor Mandy Patinkin of the Emmy Award-winning SHOWTIME series "Homeland" will appear live today, Dec. 15 on CBS THIS MORNING: SATURDAY (check local listings) on the CBS Television Network.
A day before the highly anticipated season two finale, Patinkin will talk about his role as CIA officer Saul Berenson on the terrorism thriller. A Tony Award and Emmy Award winner, Patinkin will also discuss his career on Broadway and in films.
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Item #: 0006-74101-1039
This lovely, plus size bed jacket caresses your skin with softness. Check out the pretty, comfortable shirttail hemline and the open scoop neckline.
Women's plus size bed jackets & robes in sizes M(14W-16W), L(18W-20W), 1X(22W-24W), 2X(26W-28W), 3X(30W-32W), 4X(34W-36W), 5X(38W-40W)The Comfort FactorIs there anything more cozy and comfortable than cling-free chenille on your skin as you fall asleep? This pretty bed jacket is just what you need on a chilly night and is great to toss on over a sleep top.What Customers LoveWomen can't get enough of the feminine tie front and soft chenille. They love the pretty, feminine colors and find it so soft and cozy to wear.
(based on 297 reviews)
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars
Best Uses
Feels full size too small
Feels half size too small
Feels true to size
87% (68 reviews)
(68 reviews)
Feels half size too big
Feels full size too big
Feels too short
Feels true to length
89% (24 reviews)
(24 reviews)
Feels too long
Feels too small
66% (108 reviews)
(108 reviews)
Feels too big
Feels too narrow
Feels true to width
75% (18 reviews)
(18 reviews)
Feels too wide
88% (144 reviews)
(144 reviews)
Reviewed by 297 customers
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I would buy again and have.
By BC
from North Fl
About Me Classic Dresser
Comments about fullbeauty Chenille bed jacket by Only Necessities:
sizing is only Con
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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Too heavy and not at all soft
By Jude
from Houston
About Me Casual Dresser
Would have returned it, but that would have cost almost as much as what I paid for it!!
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Chenille Bed Jacket
By Laurie
from palm Harbor Florida
The color was much different than the picture.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Chenille Bed jacket
By Casual Granny
from Odessa, Texas
Overall, this is a good bed jacket to have. It is warm, comfortable and long enough to do some cover up. I wear it all the time.The thing I don't like is the sleeves. The inside seams are all bunched up around the wrist cuffs and it is not comfortable. I would prefer no cuffs with less lumpy seams.Still happy I bought it. Thanks.
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
good quality for the money
By garnet lady
from southwest alabama
Good product only problem runs a little small in upper arm. Would buy again, just next size up. Everywhere else it fit great.
Not good...
By FAB
from Orlando
Cut way too small and too bulky.
By Big Girl
from Baltimore, MD
This Bed Jacket was purchased as a gift. The person receiving the gift was happy with the color, and the softness in the material.
Much more than I expected
By faeriegrandma
from Salem, OR
I didn't expect this to be so nice. It's well made, soft and silky and I love it. Put off buying a bed jacket for a long time but this had appeal for me and now I'm so glad I bought it. It's even better than it looked in the photo. There is a daintiness and a quality appeal to it that I just love. Reminds me in some ways of clothing from the 20's or 30's.
By Stowite
from Stow OH
Bought the same size I always buy. It shrunk so much I can't put it on. Better buy 2 sizes bigger to allow for the shrinkage. Maybe after Christmas I'll try again.
Bought the same size I always buy. It shrunk so much I can't get it on. Better buy 2 sizes bigger to allow for shrinkage. Maybe after Christmas I'll get another.
Our goal is your complete satisfaction! If we have not delighted you, all unworn, unwashed or defective merchandise may be returned within 90 days. We are happy to send you a new size, color or style or issue a refund for the purchase price (excluding shipping and handling charges). For returns made after 90 days we will issue a gift card equal to the purchase price (less shipping and handling charges) that can be used toward a future purchase.
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Ana y Jose Charming Hotel & Spa
No prices found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Suites
- Continental Breakfast
- Room service
- Swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Beach
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TravelPod Member ReviewsAna y Jose Charming Hotel & Spa Tulum
Historical Traveler Reviews Ana y Jose Charming Hotel & Spa Tulum
Relaxed elegance at Ana y Jose
My husband and I just came back from a wonderful 4 night vacation at Ana y Jose. My favorite things were the immaculate beach, the fabulous food and the wonderful staff. This is a small hotel (15 rooms) and therefore can afford to get to know its guests and their needs. We did try a couple of other restaurants along the Tulum beach, but nothing comared to Ana y Jose. (If you like Sangria, this place has the best.) While we did spend plenty of time relaxing on the beach or in a hammock by the pool, we also took great day trips to Xel-ha and Hidden Worlds to snorkle and explore the cenotes. While it doesn't seem hard to get taxis, we just preferred the freedom of going when we wanted to. We stayed in a standard room in the back because that was the only thing available, and like some other reviews have said, they are nothing special, but they're clean and serve their function. But next time I'd definitley get the ocean view or ocean front rooms - they're worth the extra money.
Gets better with each visit!!
We have been to the cabanas 4 times each visit has been better than the last.The rooms are very nice and clean.The food is GREAT!The beaches are never crowded.I cant wait till the next time we visit.
Now we know...
Why Ana y Jose keeps getting raves. Friendly, helpful, solicitous staff. Beautiful beach. Outstanding sand-floor restaurant serving fresh seafood. Interesting and interested guests. Perfect place to relax. We couldn't get an ocean-view, or even a poolside room, for our two-night stay, but no matter...if you have a couple of nights to spend in Tulum (or want to avoid the crowds at Playa del Carmen), this is it. Reached by a road that is more pothole than pavement - enjoy the ride, and think of the tour buses that can't get to where you're going. Can't imagine a better spot for a laidback beach vacation.
We Should Have Stayed Longer
I have never been to a better place. My wife and I honeymooned there in August, 2003 and loved every relaxing moment under the sun. The beach, perfect. The staff, perfect. Food? You got it. We stayed three nights in one of two ocean front cabanas and one night in one of the pool-side suites. Both are excellent but you can't beat being ocean front. We were picked up at the airport and driven to the hotel by a member of the hotel staff (nice way to go if you aren't familiar with the area).
Once we got there, we rarely left the beach or restaurant. Side note, if you are going to the ruins, go early before the loads of Cancun daytrippers arrive. We were the first ones there and it made a huge difference. Once the trainloads of people arrived, we went back to Ana Y Jose's and played in the sun. We too received one of the grasshoppers made from palm leaves, just a little touch of how they care for their guests. "Nacho", our waiter for almost every meal, was the best!
I Was Married at Cabanas Ana & Jose
I found Cabanas Ana & Jose on the internet and with blind faith, asked if they could facilitate my wedding. I was expecting about 1/3 of my dream wedding BUT WHAT I RECEIVED was phenominal. Dona Ana spent 3 days cooking my meal, my suite was decorated, the restaurant was blocked for my party and there was a twilight wedding on the beach with a perfect 3-piece band. They surpassed my desires and, without a doubt, are amazing.
Quiet, beautiful, delicious food
We spent one night in an oceanfront cabana and two nights in the suite and loved this place. If you want peace and quiet, a beautiful beach, delicious food, and an attentive staff, this is the place for you. If you want an all-inclusive resort with a buffet at every meal, nonstop activities, and lots of nightlife, stay in Cancun. The beach at Ana y Jose is great - no rocks or seaweed, powdery white sand, and perfectly maintained (no cigarette butts or bits of trash lying around), with just the right number of lounge chairs and palapa umbrellas. While there are buildings in both directions as you walk down the beach, it looks like a lot of the resorts never really came back after a hurricane a few years ago; many of the buildings are either boarded up or just look vacant. The oceanfront cabanas at Ana y Jose are well-furnished and are just steps from the beach; the suite is perfect for couples looking for a romantic, elegant room. Outside, the suite has its own small balcony. Inside, there is a couch and coffee table, books in English and Spanish, bathrobes, candles, two ceiling fans, a bed covered in mosquito netting, and a bathroom with a stone floor, a sink with a large conch seashell for a faucet, and a shower (no tub) with a floor made of pebbles. At night, the lighting is beautiful thanks to many small spotlights mounted around the ceiling and on the balcony, and due to recessed lighting in the bed's headboard. The suite is above the restaurant, which means you can sometimes faintly hear music, but never too early or too late in the day, and it's never so loud to the point of being annoying. The food at the restaurant is delicious, and the atmosphere is great - sand floor, candlelit at night, Mexican music playing, in a screened building with a tall palapa roof. We found all of the staff members to be polite, friendly, and always eager to please, even when both their English and our Spanish was limited. When you get tired of the beach, the front desk can have a taxi there within 15 minutes to take you to the Tulum ruins or anywhere else you want to go. The staff's attention to detail shows in the cleanliness of the hotel grounds, the beach, and the rooms, and in the restaurant's food. Finally, it seemed, for the most part, that the class of guests here was higher than what we encountered in Playa del Carmen and Cancun. Everyone seemed very laid-back, and, even though there were some children, the kids were all well-behaved, not running around screaming like wild animals (something we witnessed at the place we stayed near Playa del Carmen).
Everything about this place was FANTASTIC
My husband and I picked the Ana y Jose Cabanas blindly while booking a 10 day long trip to Tulum back in April of 2003. We couldn't have been more lucky. If you plan to visit - spend the extra money to stay in one of their two beachfront cabana's. The beach is beautiful and well maintained by the friendly staff. We used their car rental as well - which was great - they picked us up at the airport and brought us back at the end of our trip. The restaurant is also FANTASTIC... Near the end of our trip we simply ate dinner every night here because after trying so many other places - the food just couldn't be beat. I just can't say enough about this place. In fact, what prompted this review is the fact that I was checking into booking another 10 days in Tulum at this hotel again in 2004.
Good stays at Ana y Jose & Mayatulum
I just returned from spending three nights each at Cabanas Ana y Jose and Mayatulum in Tulum, Mexico. Both are very good. Mayatulum is quiet and full of vacationing yoga practitioners, mostly from America, and has large, clean rooms with mosquito-netting over the beds. It's restaurant is in a beautiful, large cabana with new age music in the background, with very good food. The only complaint is the beach, which is not as nice as at other Tulum destinations. When I was there, the beach was often full of seaweed, even when the beaches at other, nearby hotels were not. On the other hand, the beach at Ana y Jose was gorgeous. It was populated with more Europeans and the rooms, while not quite as sunny, were clean and comfortable. On the day of our departure, however, we had no water available, which was a big disappointment. Also, the restaurant, while fine, was more expensive and no better than many other restaurants at other Tulum hotels.
Simply glorious seaside paradise
We stayed here in January 2003, it is a wonderful place to be, lovely cabanas in a wonderful setting and really greast food. It is more expensive than most places in the peninsula, and the last 2 or 3km of road is really bad - we got a flat - but apart from that it's impossible to fault the place. It's a seaside paradise.
Great food, wonderful people
In November 2000, I had a wedding on the gorgeous beach at Cabanas Ana Y Jose. The hotel was wonderful. The restaurant was great, with sand floors and ocean breezes coming through the screened-in side of the palapa-roofed building. The food was outstanding, not only my special wedding dinner but all the meals throughout the week. My guests were very pleased. There was a lovely yogurt-fresh fruit breakfast for just a few dollars, or you could fill up on huevos rancheros or a variety of items. Lunch and appetizers throughout the day were always fresh and carefully prepared. The drinks were fabulous--have a virgin pina colada if you want to stay away from alcohol while under the hot sun. I think my party drank enough grande margaritas to fill the swimming pool! A wonderful restaurant (and beautiful hotel). Highly recommended, and worth a stroll from one of the area's other hotels. The staff was wonderful too--patient with splitting up bills between 25 Americans. The dear bartender even made my mom a grasshopper by intricately folding a palm leaf!
TripAdvisor Reviews Ana y Jose Charming Hotel & Spa Tulum
Travel Blogs from Tulum
Tasting in Tulum
... as good as everyone says and decided to join the queue. Luckily because the party in front of us was so big we ended being the next people to be seated as they gave us the next two seater that became available. We'd read that the portions were pretty big so decided to get one starter and one main to share. I ordered the smallest prawn ceviche portion that they offered and Stu ordered ...
Four days in Tulum
... the condo and rang the bell, nothing, we tried again, still nothing. I walked around the side to see if I could shout to anyone. At which point I realised it wasn't the condo we were looking for but just a random house. We discreetly left and made our way a hundred yards up the road to the actual condo we wanted. I suspect the owners of the house had been peering out the curtains as we left wondering what the weird Gringo's with backpacks on were doing ringing ...
Die karibische Seite / The Caribbean side
... interessanter.
Als ich zum Hostel zur�ck wollte, war das ein bisschen wie eine Schnitzeljagd, denn ich hatte mir weder den genauen Weg noch den Namen meines Hostels gemerkt (wirklich sehr clever). Zum Gl�ck lag es aber an der Hauptstra�e, so dass es nicht allzu schwer war zur�ckzufinden.
At the airport I met a German girl who was a Spanish teacher for foreigners in Guadalajara. I had a nice chat with her during my 6-hours-flight to Cancun. I ...
Oh My God - we did a theme park in Mexico.
We've had a lovely time so far. The days are both long and short. Hugo said to me yesterday - "Wow, we did so much today but it feels like it just whizzed by. At the same time, I can't believe it's only Sunday." The first part of our trip we were accompanied by Lisa and Rachel and that had its own flavor and rhythm. Next came Uncle Don - again, a certain character imbues the memory. Now we are in the nuclear family phase - just Hugo, Declan and I. I have to admit to a little terror ...
The lure of diving Cenotes - hook, line & sinkhole
... boardwalk, lockers, big toilet block, tables and chairs and a heap of snorklers in the water. Luckily, we are diving, so we get away from the chaos :) At first, it feels like you could do this cenote just by snorkelling in the main area.....but as the dive continues, you realise that if you were only snorkelling, you would have missed soooooo much. This dive weaves in and out of huge stalactite and stalactite formations, and it continues to get more and more interesting ...


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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Swarm Reigns (Down) by Isis. Please check back for more Isis lyrics.
Swarm Reigns (Down) Lyrics
Artist: Isis
Album: Celestial
Wait for me dead
When light hits floor
When our cancer
Has swept her away
We are the sleepers
Black sun heralds new dawn
It's all we know
Black holes and static eyes
We are the sleepers
Swarm contained in her tower
We mesh our flesh and bone
With her mechanical mind
We are the sleepers
We are dead and reborn
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Isis Celestial Lyrics
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