Method and apparatus of video coding

A video coding apparatus, comprising:

• a processing circuit configured to:
• receive input data associated with a first block and a second block of an image frame, the first block and the second block defining a block boundary therebetween, the block boundary extending along a first direction, the first block having a first block size along a second direction different from the first direction, and the second block having a second block size along the second direction;
• identify a reference size along the second direction for coding the image frame;
• determine whether to perform a deblocking process on pixels adjacent to the block boundary;
• and
• perform the deblocking process if it is determined that the deblocking process is to be performed, including
• processing the pixels adjacent to the block boundary using a first set of deblocking filter settings if the first block size and the second block size are greater than the reference size, the first set of deblocking filter settings using at most a first number of pixels on each side of the block boundary;
• and
• processing the pixels adjacent to the block boundary using a second set of deblocking filter settings if the first block size or the second block size is not greater than the reference size, the second set of deblocking filter settings using at most a second number of pixels on each side of the block boundary, and the second number being less than the first number,
• wherein
• the reference size is N pixels, N being a positive integer,
• the second number is equal to or less than N/2,
• the processing circuit is further configured to, when the second set of deblocking filter settings includes weak filter settings and strong filter settings, and the first block size or the second block size is not greater the reference size,
• apply the strong filter settings if a first value representing first spatial activity corresponding to the block boundary is less than a first threshold, and
• apply the weak filter settings if the first value representing the first spatial activity corresponding to the block boundary is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and
• the processing circuit is further configured to, when the second set of deblocking filter settings includes unified filter settings that uses at most N/2 pixels on each side of the block boundary, and the first block size or the second block size is not greater the reference size,
• apply the unified filter settings.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions for causing a processing circuit of an apparatus to perform a video coding method, and the method comprising:

• receiving input data associated with a first block and a second block of an image frame, the first block and the second block defining a block boundary therebetween, the block boundary extending along a first direction, the first block having a first block size along a second direction different from the first direction, and the second block having a second block size along the second direction;
• identifying a reference size along the second direction for coding the image frame;
• determining whether to perform a deblocking process on pixels adjacent to the block boundary;
• and
• performing the deblocking process if it is determined that the deblocking process is to be performed, including
• processing the pixels adjacent to the block boundary using a first set of deblocking filter settings if the first block size and the second block size are greater than the reference size, the first set of deblocking filter settings using at most a first number of pixels on each side of the block boundary;
• and
• processing the pixels adjacent to the block boundary using a second set of deblocking filter settings if the first block size or the second block size is not greater than the reference size, the second set of deblocking filter settings using at most a second number of pixels on each side of the block boundary, and the second number being less than the first number,
• wherein
• the reference size is N pixels, N being a positive integer,
• the second number is equal to or less than N/2,
• when the second set of deblocking filter settings includes weak filter settings and strong filter settings, the processing the pixels if the first block size or the second block size is not greater the reference size comprises:
• applying the strong filter settings if a first value representing first spatial activity corresponding to the block boundary is less than a first threshold;
• and
• applying the weak filter settings if the first value representing the first spatial activity corresponding to the block boundary is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and
• when the second set of deblocking filters includes unified filter settings that uses at most N/2 pixels on each side of the block boundary, the processing the pixels if the first block size or the second block size is not greater the reference size comprises:
• applying the unified filter settings.