# US 10,375,403 B2 · Image processing apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,403 B2 - Document ID: US10375403B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/205,262 - Filed: 2018-11-30 - Published: 2019-04-04 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-04 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kazushi Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375403B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/18: the unit being a set of transform coefficients - H04N 19/119: Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks - H04N 19/124: Quantisation - H04N 19/126: Details of normalisation or weighting functions, e.g. normalisation matrices or variable uniform quantisers - H04N 19/14: Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation (H04N19/146 takes precedence) - H04N 19/174: the region being a slice, e.g. a line of blocks or a group of blocks - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/196: being specially adapted for the computation of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging previously computed encoding parameters (processing of motion vectors H04N19/513) - H04N 19/30: using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability (H04N19/63 takes precedence) - H04N 19/33: in the spatial domain - H04N 19/44: Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder - H04N 19/463: by compressing encoding parameters before transmission - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image processing apparatus, including processing circuitry configured to decode a bit stream to generate quantized data. The bit stream includes a flag, for each block, that specifies whether or not a difference quantization parameter is present in the bit stream. The flag is included in a first layer that is higher than a second layer in which the difference quantization parameter is set. The processing circuitry is configured to set, according to the flag, a current quantization parameter for a current sub block formed by block partitioning, which splits a block into smaller sub blocks. The processing circuitry is configured to inversely quantize the generated quantized data using the set current quantization parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus, comprising: processing circuitry configured to set a flag, for each block, that specifies whether a difference quantization parameter is present in a bit stream; set, according to the flag, a current quantization parameter for a current sub block formed by block partitioning, which splits a block into smaller sub blocks; quantize transform coefficient data using the current quantization parameter to generate quantized data; and encode the quantized data to generate the bit stream that includes the flag and is included in a first layer that is higher than a second layer in which the difference quantization parameter is set. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set the current quantization parameter for the current sub block using a value indicating a minimum sub block size for which the difference quantization parameter is set. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference quantization parameter is a difference value between the current quantization parameter for the current sub block and a previous quantization parameter for a previous sub block. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the previous sub block is a sub block that is decoded immediately before the current sub block in an order in which the bit stream is decoded. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference quantization parameter is a difference value between the current quantization parameter set for the current sub block and a current slice quantization parameter set for a current slice. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to set the flag as a syntax of the bit stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the block is a largest coding unit (LCU) and the sub block is a coding unit, and the LCU is recursively split into the coding units. ### Claim 8 An image processing method, comprising: setting, with processing circuitry, a flag, for each block, that specifies whether a difference quantization parameter is present in a bit stream; setting, according to the flag, a current quantization parameter for a current sub block formed by block partitioning, which splits a block into smaller sub blocks; quantizing transform coefficient data using the current quantization parameter to generate quantized data; and encoding the quantized data to generate the bit stream that includes the flag and is included in a first layer that is higher than a second layer in which the difference quantization parameter is set. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image processing method according to claim 8, further comprising: setting the current quantization parameter for the current sub block using a value indicating a minimum sub block size for which the difference quantization parameter is set. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the difference quantization parameter is a difference value between the current quantization parameter for the current sub block and a previous quantization parameter for a previous sub block. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the previous sub block is a sub block that is decoded immediately before the current sub block in an order in which the bit stream is decoded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the difference quantization parameter is a difference value between the current quantization parameter set for the current sub block and a current slice quantization parameter set for a current slice. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The image processing method according to claim 8, further comprising setting the flag as a syntax of the bit stream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The image processing method to claim 8, wherein the block is a largest coding unit (LCU) and the sub block is a coding unit, and the LCU is recursively split into the coding units.