SCALABLE VIDEO ENCODING AND DECODING METHOD USING SWITCHING PICTURES AND APPARATUS THEREOF

• US 20110150084A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Hong, Jin-Woo, Kim, Jae-Gon, Choi, Hae-Chul, Jia, Jie, Kim, Hae-Kwang
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream

Abstract

A conventional new video coding technology can provide a bitstream switching picture by encoding the bitstream switching picture into an I picture. However, an encoding efficiency is greatly reduced. As such, the new video coding technology does not provide an efficient bitstream switching function. Also, other advantages provided by a switching picture technology such as a random access, error durability, and a bitstream splicing are not provided. Provided is an apparatus for encoding a video bitstream including a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream by encoding an enhancement layer picture of the enhancement layer bitstream, which is reproduced immediately after a base layer picture of the base layer bitstream is reproduced, into a non-switching pictures by interlayer prediction using a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture or by motion prediction using another reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture, and into a switching picture, which is decoded into the same image as the non-switching picture, by an interlayer prediction using the non-switching picture and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture, while the base layer picture is being reproduced.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method for encoding a video bitstream including a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream, wherein an enhancement layer picture of the enhancement layer bitstream is encoded into switching picture and non-switching picture, wherein, during reproduction of the base layer picture of the base layer bitstream, the enhancement layer picture is able to be reproduced consecutively after one of the reproduced base layer pictures.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the non-switching picture is encoded by prediction using an original image and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture and a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture, and the switching picture is encoded by interlayer prediction using a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the switching and non-switching pictures represent the same decoded image.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the reference image used for the prediction when the switching picture is encoded is different from the reference image used for the prediction when the non-switching picture is encoded.

35. A method of encoding a non-switching picture in which a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream are encoded for interlayer reproduction conversion of an original image to be encoded, wherein the non-switching picture is encoded by prediction using an original image and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture and a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture.

36. The method of claim 35, comprising (a) encoding the non-switching picture by prediction using a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded basic layer picture or a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein operation (a) comprises:

generating prediction information and a prediction image by using the original image, and the reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded basic layer picture or a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture;

generating a bitstream by compressing a residual image which corresponds to the difference between the original image and the prediction image; and

combining and outputting a bitstream generated by the image conversion unit and the prediction information.

38. A method of encoding a switching picture, in which a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream are generated for interlayer reproduction conversion of an original image to be encoded by using the base layer bitstream and the enhancement layer bitstream which comprises a non-switching picture, wherein a switching picture, which represents the same decoded image as the non-switching picture, is encoded by interlayer prediction using the non-switching picture and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture.

39. The method of claim 38, comprising (b) encoding the switching picture which represents the same decoded image as the non-switching picture in accordance with the interlayer prediction using the base layer picture.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein operation (b) comprises:

generating prediction information and a prediction image by interlayer prediction using the non-switching picture, and the reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture;

compressing a residual image which corresponds to the difference between the non-switching picture and the prediction information; and

combining and outputting image information generated by the image conversion unit and the prediction information.

41. A method of encoding a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream for interlayer reproduction conversion of an original image to be encoded, the method comprising encoding the non-switching picture by prediction using an original image and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture and a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the encoding of the non-switching picture comprises (a) encoding the non-switching picture by prediction using a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded basic layer picture or a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein operation (a) comprises:

generating prediction information and a prediction image by using the original image, and the reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded basic layer picture or a pre-encoded enhancement layer picture;

generating a bitstream by compressing a residual image which corresponds to the difference between the original image and the prediction image; and

combining and outputting a bitstream generated by the image conversion unit and the prediction information.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising encoding a switching picture, which represents the same decoded image as the non-switching picture, by interlayer prediction using the non-switching picture and a reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the encoding of the switching picture comprises (b) encoding the switching picture which represents the same decoded image as the non-switching picture in accordance with the interlayer prediction using the base layer picture.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein operation (b) comprises:

generating prediction information and a prediction image by an interlayer prediction using the non-switching picture, and the reference image generated by decoding a pre-encoded base layer picture;

compressing a residual image which corresponds to the difference between the non-switching picture and the prediction information; and

combining and outputting image information generated by the image conversion unit and the prediction information.

47. A method of decoding a non-switching picture by decoding a bitstream comprising switching pictures for interlayer reproduction conversion between a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream, wherein, if an enhancement layer picture is to be reproduced while a base layer picture of a base layer bitstream is being reproduced, a non-switching picture comprised in an enhancement layer bitstream is decoded by using prediction information used when the non-switching picture was encoded.

48. A method of decoding a switching picture by decoding a bitstream comprising switching pictures for interlayer reproduction conversion between a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream, wherein, if an enhancement layer picture is to be reproduced while a base layer picture of a base layer bitstream is being reproduced, a switching picture comprised in an enhancement layer bitstream is decoded by using prediction information used when the switching picture was encoded.

49. A method of decoding a non-switching picture by decoding a bitstream comprising switching pictures for interlayer reproduction conversion between a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream, the method comprising decoding an enhancement layer picture by using a non-switching picture included in the enhancement layer bitstream, if an enhancement layer picture is to be reproduced while a base layer picture of the base layer bitstream is being reproduced.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising decoding an enhancement layer picture by using a switching picture comprised in the bitstream, if the enhancement layer picture is to be reproduced while a base layer picture of the base layer bitstream is being reproduced.

51-61. -61. (canceled)