Patent ID: 8437394

Claim:
A video encoder that utilizes adaptive loop filtering for coding video data, comprising: a prediction unit, for performing prediction techniques according to original video data and reconstructed video data to generate prediction samples; a reconstruction unit, coupled to the prediction unit, for reconstructing the prediction samples to form the reconstructed video data; a reference picture buffer, for storing the reconstructed video data as reference video data; a filter parameter estimator, coupled to the reconstruction unit, for estimating filter parameters of a current picture according to the original video data of a current picture and the reconstructed video data of the current picture, wherein the filter parameters of the current picture are not for filtering the reconstructed video data of the current picture; and an adaptive loop filter, coupled between the reconstruction unit and the reference picture buffer, for filtering the reconstructed video data of the current picture according to stored filter parameters of a prior picture in coding order, wherein the filter parameter estimator and adaptive loop filter can operate in parallel for a current picture, thereby achieving one-pass picture data access without separating the filter parameter estimator and the adaptive loop filter with the reference picture buffer.