HUA YANG

Member, Technical Staff
Corporate Research, Thomson Inc.

8 Bolton Circle,
Princeton, NJ 08540
[Send email using form at bottom]
http://yanghua23.googlepages.com


PROFILE
*  Over 14 years’ research and development experience in information technology
and engineering: 4 years in industry, 10 years in academia, 5 journal papers, 16
conference papers, 11 patent applications, invited reviewer for 5 journals and 12
conferences, US green card holder
*  Expertise on video coding, video/multimedia streaming, digital signal
processing and communications, etc.
*  Excellent communication, coordination, and management skills

EDUCATION 
9/2000 ~ 9/2005   Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of
California, Santa Barbara. 
Thesis: End-to-End Estimation and Optimization Techniques for Error-Resilient
Video Coding and Networking
Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Rose. (GPA: 4.0/4.0)	
9/1997 ~ 7/2000    M.S. in Electrical Engineering Dept., Tsinghua Univ.,
Beijing, P. R. China. (Top 5%)
Thesis: Radar Target Recognition Based on High-Resolution One-Dimension Range
Profiles                   	
9/1992 ~ 7/1997    B.S. in Electrical Engineering Dept., Tsinghua Univ.,
Beijing, P. R. China. (Top 5%)
Thesis: Part-I Research, Design and Implementation of a Speaker-Dependent
Chinese Speech Recognition System for Isolated Digits; Part-II Design and
Implementation of a Speech Compression System with AMBE-1000 for Codec and
ADSP2105 for Controller             

HONORS
* 2008 Key contributor to Thomson ViBE Mobile TV Encoder, Cable & Satellite
International Product of the Year Award for Best Mobile TV Technology or Service
* 2006 Cash Spot Award, Thomson Inc., US
* 2005 IEEE ICIP paper rated “Top 10%” among all the more than 966 papers
* 2005 IEEE ICASSP paper rated “Top in its Category” and selected as “Finalist
for Student Paper Award Contest” (4%) among all the 1362 papers
* 2005 Graduate Fellowship, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA, US.
* 2000 Excellent Master’s Thesis, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China.
* 1998 Orient Telecommunication Fellowship, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China.
(1%)
* 1997 Excellent Graduate, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China.
* 1996 SanHe Bank Fellowship, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China. (2%)
* 1995 Dong’s Orient Fellowship, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China. (1%)
* 1994 IBM Fellowship, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, China. (3%)
* 1993 First Class Fellowship of Academic Excellence, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing,
China. (3%)

SKILLS
Standard:    H.264, H.263, MPEG4, MPEG2
Programming: C/C++, MATLAB, Perl, FORTRAN, assembly languages, etc.
Software:    MS Visual Studio, Protel, Maxplus, Latex, MS Office, etc.
Hardware:    Logic Analyzer, ADSP, SHARC, MACH, EPLD, etc.
Language:    English (fluent), Chinese (native)

HOBBIES
* 1997 Captain of the Championship Team of Tsinghua University Graduate Men
Basketball Tournament, P.R.China
* 1996 Captain of the Championship Team of Tsinghua University Undergraduate Men
Basketball Tournament, P.R.China
* 1997 Champion of Man 100m Breaststroke in Tsinghua University Swimming
Tournament, P.R.China

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1. Corporate Research, Thomson Inc., Princeton, NJ (Oct. 2005 ~ present)  
   Member, Technical Staff 
* Lead Architect of a GOP-parallel multi-threaded H.264/AVC real-time video
encoder (brand named “Thomson ViBE Mobile TV Encoder”, commercially shipped in
July 2007, one of the best in the market, won “2008 Cable & Satellite
International Product of the Year Award for Best Mobile TV Technology or
Service”, all C++ programming): 
- Developed effective rho-domain GOP-, frame-, and macroblock-level rate control
algorithms
- Developed various effective video coding quality improvement algorithms,
including: I-frame and B-frame flicker artifact removal, trailing artifact
removal, bad Skip-mode macroblock correction, etc.
- Developed various effective video activity detection algorithms, including:
scene-cut detection, fade in/out detection, lighting change detection, etc.
- Developed effective P/B frame-type selection algorithm for H.264/AVC
main-profile coding
- Developed effective picture adaptive frame and field selection algorithm for
interlaced video coding
- Developed effective support for HRD conformance
- Designed effective rho-domain statistical multiplexing solution for multiple
video programs’ coding
- Designed effective time control solution for optimal real-time coding
performance
- Designed optimized weighted prediction for improved coding efficiency
- Upgraded the encoder from baseline profile to main-profile
- Upgraded the encoder from progressive CIF-resolution coding to interlaced
SD-resolution coding
- Constant code maintenance and support, including: coding algorithm speed-up,
bug fix on coding algorithms, code stability, and standard conformance, etc.,
time control support for main-profile and interlace coding, bi-directional
P-frame support, etc.

* Exploratory research on video quality measurement:
- Developed effective quality metrics for measuring flicker and blockiness
artifacts
- Mentored intern and developed subjective video quality metrics for video with
packet losses

* Exploratory research on robust video streaming over lossy networks:
- Developed low complexity error resilient video coding algorithms
- Mentored intern and developed complexity scalable error resilient video coding
algorithms
   
* Exploratory research on optimized multiple weighted prediction options:
- Designed effective iterative optimization algorithms
- Mentored junior colleague and developed the proposed algorithms          

2. Signal Compression Lab, ECE Dept., Univ. of California, Santa Barbara (Apr
2001 ~ Sept 2005)
   Research Assistant [Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Rose]
* Ph.D. thesis research on robust video coding and streaming over lossy
networks, including: error resilient drift management for scalable video coding,
error resilient motion estimation, source-channel prediction, improved end-to-end
distortion estimation algorithms and related applications for either live or
pre-compressed video streaming, etc.
* Major contributor to NSF and UC MICRO research proposals in multimedia areas 

3. Multimedia Technologies Group, IBM T.  J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown,
NY (Jun 2003 ~ Sept 2003)
   Summer Intern [Advisor: Dr. Ligang (Larry) Lu]
* Upgraded MPEG4 short header encoder to MPEG4 simple profile encoder
* Developed error resilient rate control algorithm based on a novel constant
distortion model

4. Signal Detection & Processing Div., EE Dept., Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, P. R.
China (May 1999 ~ Jun 2000)
   Research Assistant [Advisor: Prof. Xiuming Shan]
* M.S. thesis work on automatic radar target recognition, including: 
- Developed an effective correlation coefficients based radar target recognition
scheme
- Developed a novel radial-basis function neural network based radar target
recognition scheme


5. Multimedia Center,Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, P. R. China (Oct  1998 ~ Apr
1999)
   Research Assistant [Advisor: Dr. Yong Ren]
* Overall hardware and embedded DSP software testing and debugging of an H.261
video conferencing system using ADSP and SHARC, including: design and development
of both hardware circuit and embedded DSP software, overall system testing and
debugging, etc.

6. Techwell Inc., Beijing, P. R. China (Oct 1997 ~ Oct 1998)
   Part-time Product Development Engineer
* Developed subscriber and relay interface units of a PABX system, including:
circuit board design, programmable chip design, overall system testing and
debugging, etc.

7. Singal Dectection & Processing Div., EE Dept. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, P. R.
China (Dec 1997 ~ May 1998)
Research Assistant [Advisor: Prof. Xiuming Shan]
* B.S. thesis work on speech recognition of mandarin digits
* B.S. thesis work on development of a 2.4kbps speech compression system using
AMBE-1000

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
* ECE Dept., Univ. of California, Santa Barbara (Jan 2001 ~ Jun 2002)
  Teaching Assistant on “Circuit, Devices & Systems”
* EE Dept., Tsinghua Univ., Beijing, P. R. China (Sept. 1997 ~ June 1998)
  Teaching Assistant on “Signals and Systems”

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
* Member of IEEE
* Reviewer for international journals and conferences, including:
- IEEE Transactions on Circuit Systems and Video Technology
- EURASIP Signal Processing: Image Communication
- SPIE Journal of Electronic Imaging
- Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation
- Journal of Communications and Networks
- IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing
(2006)
- IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (2006)
- IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (2007, 08, 09)
- IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (2006, 07)
- IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (2006)
- IEEE Packet Video Workshop (2007)
- IEEE 3DTV Conference (2009)
- IEEE Data Compression Conference (2009)
- IEEE International Conference on Communications (2009)

PUBLICATIONS
1. “Advances in Recursive Per-Pixel End-to-End Distortion Estimation for Robust
Video Coding in H.264/AVC”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, July 2007, IEEE Transactions
on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology.
2. “Subjective Quality Measurement of Decoded Video in the Presence of Packet
Losses”, Tao Liu, Yao Wang, Jill Boyce, Hua Yang, Zhenyu Wu, to be published in
April 2009, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing.
3. “Effective Flicker Removal from Periodic Intra Frames and Accurate Flicker
Measurement”, Hua Yang, Jill Boyce, Alan Stein, IEEE ICIP 2008.
4. “Complexity Scalable Hybrid End-to-End Distortion Estimation for
Conversational Video Streaming”, Hua Yang, Xiaohui Wei, Jill M. Boyce, IEEE ICIP
2007.
5. “Mismatch Impact on Per-Pixel End-to-End Distortion Estimation and Coding
Mode Selection”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICME 2007.
6. “Subjective Quality Evaluation of Decoded Video in the Presence of Packet
Losses”, Tao Liu, Yao Wang, Jill M. Boyce, Zhenyu Wu, Hua Yang, IEEE ICASSP
2007.
7. “Hybrid End-to-End Distortion Estimation and Its Application in Error
Resilient Video Coding”, Xiaohui Wei, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, IEEE ICASSP 2007.
8. “Concealment-Aware Motion Estimation and Mode Selection for Error Resilient
Video Coding”, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, IEEE ICIP 2006.
9. “Generalized Source-Channel Prediction for Error Resilient Video Coding”, Hua
Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICASSP 2006.
10. “Advances in Recursive Per-Pixel Estimation of End-to-End Distortion for
Application in H.264”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICIP 2005 (Rated Top 10%).
11. “Rate-Distortion Optimized Motion Estimation for Error Resilient Video
Coding”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICASSP 2005 (Rated Top in its Category, and
selected as Finalist of Student Paper Award Contest (4%)).
12. “Encoder and Decoder Optimization for Source-Channel Prediction in Error
Resilient Video Transmission”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICIP 2004.
13. “Rate-Distortion Optimized Slicing, Packetization and Coding for Error
Resilient Video Transmission”, Enrico Masala, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, and Juan
Carlos De Martin, IEEE Data Compression Conference 2004.
14. “A Novel Source-Channel Constant Distortion Model and Its Application in
Error Resilient Frame-level Bit Allocation”, Hua Yang, Ligang Lu, IEEE ICASSP
2004.
15. “Recursive End-to-end Distortion Estimation with Model-based
Cross-correlation Approximation”, Hua Yang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICIP 2003.
16. “Source-Channel Prediction in Error Resilient Video Coding”, Hua Yang,
Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICME 2003.
17. “Drift Management and Adaptive Bit Rate Allocation in Scalable Video
Coding”, Hua Yang, Rui Zhang, Kenneth Rose, IEEE ICIP 2002.
18. “Optimal End-to-end Distortion Estimation for Drift Management in Scalable
Video Coding”, Hua Yang, Rui Zhang, Kenneth Rose, Packet Video Workshop 2002.
19. “Studies on Aircraft Target Recognition Using Correlation Coefficients as
Feature vectors”, Hua Yang, Yong Ren, Ying Li, et al. Journal of Tsinghua
University, vol.41, no.7, 2001.
20. “One aircraft target recognition method based on Radial-Basis-Function
Neural Networks”, Hua Yang, Yong Ren, Ying Li, et al. Journal of Tsinghua
University, vol.41, no.7, 2001.
21. “One Aircraft Target Recognition Method Using Correlation Coefficients as
Features”, Hua Yang, Yong Ren, Xiuming Shan, et al. Journal of Tsinghua
University, no.11, 2000.

PATENTS
1. “Method and Apparatus for Low Complexity Error Resilient Motion Estimation
and Coding Mode Selection”, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, International patent
application WO070844755A2.
2. “Method and Apparatus for Analytical and Empirical Hybrid Encoding Distortion
Model”, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, International patent application WO08027250A2.
3. “Method and Apparatus for rho-Domain Frame-Level Bit Allocation for Effective
Rate Control and Enhanced Video Coding”, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, US patent
pending.
4. “Hybrid End-to-End Distortion Estimation for Complexity Scalable Error
Resilient Video Coding”, Hua Yang, Xiaohui Wei, Jill M. Boyce, US patent
pending.
5. “Methods and Apparatus for Predictive Frame Selection Supporting Enhanced
Efficiency and Subjective Quality”, Hua Yang, Adarsh Golikeri, Alan Stein, US
patent pending.
6. “Quality Metric”, Hua Yang, Tao Liu, Alan Stein, US patent pending.
7. “De-Flickering Video Sequences”, Hua Yang, Jill M. Boyce, Gad M. Berger, US
patent pending.
8. “Measuring Flicker”, Hua Yang, Alan Stein, Gad M. Berger, US patent pending.
9. “Effective I-Frame De-Flicker for GOP-Parallel Multi-Thread Video Encoding”,
Hua Yang, US patent pending.
10. “HRD Conformance for Multiple Thread Encoder”, Hua Yang, US patent pending.
11. “Light Change Coding”, Valldosera Ferran, Hua Yang, US patent pending.