TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure describes embodiments generally related to point cloud compression.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Various technologies are developed to capture and represent world, such as objects in the world, environments in the world, and the like in 3-dimensional (3D) space. 3D representations of the world can enable more immersive forms of interaction and communication. Point clouds can be used as 3D representation of the world. A point cloud is a set of points in a 3D space, each with associated attributes, e.g. color, material properties, texture information, intensity attributes, reflectivity attributes, motion related attributes, modality attributes, and various other attributes. Such point clouds may include large amounts of data and may be costly and time-consuming to store and transmit.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for point cloud compression and decompression. In some examples, an apparatus for point cloud compression/decompression includes processing circuitry.

According to some aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus for point cloud decompression includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry decodes prediction information of a point cloud from a coded bitstream and reconstructs a geometry reconstructed cloud according to a geometry image of the point cloud that is decoded from the coded bitstream. Further, the processing circuitry applies a filter to at least a geometry sample inside a patch of the geometry reconstructed cloud in addition to boundary samples of the patch to generate a smoothed geometry reconstructed cloud, and reconstructs points of the point cloud based on the smoothed geometry reconstructed cloud.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry selects an area inside the patch with a level of high frequency components higher than a threshold level. In some examples, the processing circuitry detects edges inside the patch based on depth values of the geometry reconstructed cloud.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry selects an area inside the patch with a level of motion content higher than a threshold level. In some examples, the processing circuitry selects points inside the patch based on motion information of corresponding pixels in the geometry image.

In some embodiments, the prediction information includes a flag indicative of applying a selective smoothing inside patches of the point cloud. In some examples, the prediction information is indicative of a specific algorithm to select points inside the patches. Further, the prediction information includes parameters for the specific algorithm.

According to some aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus for point cloud compression includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry compresses a geometry image associated with a point cloud and reconstructs a geometry reconstructed cloud according to the compressed geometry image of the point cloud. Then, the processing circuitry applies a filter to at least a geometry sample inside a patch of the geometry reconstructed cloud in addition to boundary samples of the patch to generate a smoothed geometry reconstructed cloud, and generates a texture image for the point cloud based on the smoothed geometry reconstructed cloud.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry selects an area inside the patch with a level of high frequency components higher than a threshold level. For example, the processing circuitry detects edges inside the patch based on depth values of the geometry reconstructed cloud.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry selects an area inside the patch with a level of motion content higher than a threshold level. For example, the processing circuitry selects points inside the patch based on motion information of corresponding pixels in the geometry image.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry includes, in a coded bitstream for the compressed point cloud, a flag indicative of applying a selective smoothing inside patches of the point cloud. In some examples, the processing circuitry includes in the coded bitstream of the compressed point cloud, an indicator indicative of a specific algorithm to select points inside the patches to apply the selective smoothing, and parameters for the specific algorithm.

Aspects of the disclosure also provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer for point cloud compression/decompression cause the computer to perform the method for point cloud compression/decompression.

