Patent ID: 7076113
Filing Date: 2006-07-11
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for reducing noise in a block-based decoded image signal including a luminance component, said apparatus comprising: an image region classifier responsive to said luminance component for analyzing each luminance pixel value of the luminance component according to a corresponding luminance pixel spatial context in a same frame of said image signal to classify the luminance pixel to a selected one of a plurality of predetermined image region classes associated with distinct image region spatial characteristics and to generate a corresponding selected region class indicative signal; a shape-adaptive luminance noise power estimator responsive to said luminance component and said selected region class indicative signal for estimating statistical characteristics of said luminance pixel by using local window segmentation data associated with the luminance pixel, to generate a corresponding luminance noise power statistical characteristics indicative signal; and a shape-adaptive luminance noise reducer for filtering said luminance component according to said luminance noise power statistical characteristics indicative signal.