# US 10,484,703 B2 · Adapting merge candidate positions and numbers according to size and/or shape of prediction block > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,703 B2 - Document ID: US10484703B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/874,650 - Filed: 2018-01-18 - Published: 2018-08-09 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-07 - Assignees: Mediatek Inc. - Applicants: Mediatek Inc. - Inventors: Chun-Chia Chen; Chih-Wei Hsu; Yu-Wen Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484703B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/52: by predictive encoding - H04N 19/105: Selection of the reference unit for prediction within a chosen coding or prediction mode, e.g. adaptive choice of position and number of pixels used for prediction - H04N 19/107: between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh - H04N 19/139: Analysis of motion vectors, e.g. their magnitude, direction, variance or reliability - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/96: Tree coding, e.g. quad-tree coding - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method for video coding includes receiving a prediction block (PB) of a picture, and determining a number of merge candidate positions of the PB according to a size of the PB. The merge candidate positions on sides of the PB can be determined according to the number of the merge candidate positions. A candidate list can be constructed that includes motion data of a subset of the merge candidate positions. In some examples, a number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB is determined according to a side length of the respective side, or a width-height ratio of the PB. In some examples, the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB overlap or are adjacent to points that equally divide the respective side. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for video coding, comprising: receiving a prediction block (PB) of a picture; determining a first number of merge candidate positions of the PB according to a size of the PB, the merge candidate positions being positions of spatial or temporal merge candidates; determining the merge candidate positions on sides of the PB according to the first number of the merge candidate positions, the merge candidate positions being distributed along the sides of the PB and not adjacent to each other; and constructing a candidate list including motion data of a subset of the merge candidate positions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first number of the merge candidate positions of the PB includes: determining a second number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a side length of the respective side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first number of the merge candidate positions of the PB includes: determining a third number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a width-height ratio of the PB. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the merge candidate positions includes: determining the nonadjacent one or more merge candidate positions on one side of the PB to be positions that overlap or are adjacent to one or more points along the respective side that equally divide the respective side, a number of the one or more points equal a number of the one or more merge candidate positions on the one side of the PB. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the merge candidate positions includes: when a first merge candidate at a first position of the determined merge candidate positions on a first side of the PB is not available, searching for a second merge candidate at a second position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position; and when the second merge candidate at the second position is not available, searching for a third merge candidate at a third position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the positions of the merge candidates of the PB include candidate positions on two opposite sides of the PB that interleave with each other along a direction parallel with the two opposite sides of the PB. ### Claim 7 An apparatus for video coding, comprising circuitry configured to: receive a prediction block (PB) of a picture; determine a first number of merge candidate positions of the PB according to a size of the PB, the merge candidate positions being positions of spatial or temporal merge candidates; determine the merge candidate positions on sides of the PB according to the first number of the merge candidate positions, the merge candidate positions being distributed along the sides of the PB and not adjacent to each other; and construct a candidate list including motion data of a subset of the merge candidate positions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to: determine a second number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a side length of the respective side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to: determine a third number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a width-height ratio of the PB. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to: determine the nonadjacent one or more merge candidate positions on one side of the PB to be positions that overlap or are adjacent to one or more points along the respective side that equally divide the respective side, a number of the one or more points equal a number of the one or more merge candidate positions on the one side of the PB. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to: when a first merge candidate at a first position of the determined merge candidate positions on a first side of the PB is not available, search for a second merge candidate at a second position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position; and when the second merge candidate at the second position is not available, searching for a third merge candidate at a third position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the positions of the merge candidates of the PB include candidate positions on two opposite sides of the PB that interleave with each other along a direction parallel with the two opposite sides of the PB. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform a method for video coding, the method comprising: receiving a prediction block (PB) of a picture; determining a first number of merge candidate positions of the PB according to a size of the PB, the merge candidate positions being positions of spatial or temporal merge candidates; determining the merge candidate positions on sides of the PB according to the first number of the merge candidate positions, the merge candidate positions being distributed along the sides of the PB and not adjacent to each other; and constructing a candidate list including motion data of a subset of the merge candidate positions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the first number of the merge candidate positions of the PB includes: determining a second number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a side length of the respective side. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the first number of the merge candidate positions of the PB includes: determining a third number of the merge candidate positions on one side of the PB according to a width-height ratio of the PB. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the merge candidate positions includes: determining the nonadjacent one or more merge candidate positions on one side of the PB to be positions that overlap or are adjacent to one or more points along the respective side that equally divide the respective side, a number of the one or more points equal a number of the one or more merge candidate positions on the one side of the PB. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the merge candidate positions includes: when a first merge candidate at a first position of the determined merge candidate positions on a first side of the PB is not available, searching for a second merge candidate at a second position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position; and when the second merge candidate at the second position is not available, searching for a third merge candidate at a third position on the first side of the PB that is adjacent to the first position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the positions of the merge candidates of the PB include candidate positions on two opposite sides of the PB that interleave with each other along a direction parallel with the two opposite sides of the PB.