Video coding using arbitrarily shaped block partitions in globally optimal perspective

— Algorithms using content-based patterns to segment moving regions at the macroblock (MB) level have exhibited good potential for improved coding efficiency when embedded into the H.264 standard as an extra mode. The content-based pattern generation (CPG) algorithm provides local optimal result as only one pattern can be optimally generated from a given set of moving regions. But, it failed to provide optimal results for multiple patterns from entire sets. Obviously, a global optimal solution for clustering the set and then generation of multiple patterns enhances the performance farther. But a global optimal solution is not achievable due to the non-polynomial nature of the clustering problem. In this paper, we propose a near-optimal content-based pattern generation (OCPG) algorithm which outperforms the existing approach. Coupling OCPG, generating a set of patterns after clustering the MBs into several disjoint sets, with a direct pattern selection algorithm by allowing all the MBs in multiple pattern modes outperforms the existing pattern-based coding when embedded into the H.264.