Patent ID: 8081682

Claim:
A video-encoder-implemented video encoding method comprising: determining a plurality of similarity measures for a video image block, each similarity measure being an indicator of a similarity of the video image block to a content category selected from a plurality of content categories, the plurality of content categories including a subset of priority content categories and a subset of non-priority content categories, the plurality of content categories including the subsets of priority and non-priority of content categories being defined according to at least two subsets selected from a group consisting of texture, motion, edge and color content; determining whether the similarity measure of the video image block with respect to a priority content category selected from the subset of the priority content categories exceeds a predetermined threshold if the similarity measure of the video image block with respect to the priority content category exceeds the predetermined threshold, selecting an encoding mode for the video image block according to the priority content category and substantially independently of the non-priority content categories; and if the similarity measure of the video image block with respect to at least one priority content category does not exceed the predetermined threshold, selecting an encoding mode for the video image block according to at least one of the non-priority content categories.