Real-time simplified edge detector architecture for 3D-HEVC depth maps coding

This paper introduces the Simplified Edge Detector (SED) architecture for 3D-HEVC depth maps coding. The SED algorithm classifies the encoding block as homogeneous or edge. When SED classifies the encoding block as homogeneous, the encoding is simplified skipping the bipartition modes evaluation. This approach is capable of reducing 96.7% the bipartition modes evaluation with a drawback of only 0.94% in BD-rate. The SED hardware is capable of providing the decision for all available blocks inside a 32×32 block in only 34 cycles, with a power dissipation of only 25 μW per frame, when synthesized for 65 nm ST standard cells technology.