METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VIDEO CODING AND DECODING

• US 20150304665A1
• Filed: 12/26/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: HANNUKSELA, Miska Matias, UGUR, Kemal
• Granted Patent: US 10,123,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/187 the unit being a scalable video layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/463 by compressing encoding parameters before transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards

Abstract

There are disclosed various methods, apparatuses and computer program products for video encoding and decoding. In some embodiments, to indicate a composition of pictures of different time instants, some usability information may be embedded to the video bitstream indicating the intended display behavior when more than one layer is used and associated display behavior using this information. More specifically, the embedded information may indicate how the layers need to be composed in the video bitstream. The information may indicate if the intended display behaviour is to combine (overlay) base layer and enhancement layer decoded pictures. The information may indicate that the base and enhancement layer decoded pictures are allowed to be overlaid. In addition or alternatively, the information may indicate that the enhancement layer picture should not be combined with base layer picture during display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an intended displaying behavior of at least two scalability layers of a bitstream, the at least two scalability layers comprising pictures;

encoding, into at least one of the bitstream, the container file, and a description of the bitstream an indication, which indicates the intended displaying behavior, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers of decoding the bitstream; and

performing at least one of the following;

encoding pictures into a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers, and encapsulating the bitstream into a container file.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

encoding, into the bitstream, another indication, which indicates that the at least two scalability layers are output layers of an output layer set.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a media presentation description of adaptive streaming comprises the description of the bitstream.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication indicates that intended displaying behavior is at least one of the following:

to combine pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

to overlay pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

to display the pictures of the at least two scalability layers separately;

to allow the intended displaying behavior to be selected of a subset of the above.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein pictures are associated with access units, and in the absence of a picture at an output layer within an access unit the indication indicates that intended displaying behavior is at least one of the following:

to display the one or more pictures of output layers that are present in the access unit;

to combine pictures at output layers that are present in an access unit and at least one of the following;

another picture of the output layer that is not present in the access unit;

an interpolated picture that is obtained by interpolating other pictures in the output layer,

a synthesized picture that is obtained by depth-image-based rendering.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the another picture of the output layer that is not present in the access unit is one of the previous picture in output order, the closest picture in picture order count, or an indicated picture.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing for the indication regarding the intended displaying behavior information to which layers of the at least two scalability layers the indication is applicable.

8. A method comprising:

decoding pictures from a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers and pictures being associated with access units;

decoding from at least one of the bitstream, a container file encapsulating the bitstream, and a description of the bitstream an indication, which indicates an intended displaying behavior, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers; and

displaying the at least two scalability layers according to the indication.

9. The method according to claim 8 comprising:

decoding, from the bitstream, another indication, which indicates that the at least two scalability layers are output layers of an output layer set.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a media presentation description of adaptive streaming comprises the description of the bitstream.

11. The method according to claim 8 comprising, in response to the indication, at least one of the following:

displaying pictures of the at least two scalability layers separately;

combining pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

overlaying pictures of the at least two scalability layers.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein pictures are associated with access units, and, in the absence of a picture at the output layer within an access unit, and in response to the indication, the method comprises at least one of the following:

displaying one or more pictures of output layers that are present in the access unit;

combining pictures at output layers that are present in an access unit and at least one of the following;

another picture of the output layer that is not present in the access unit;

an interpolated picture that is obtained by interpolating other pictures in the output layer;

a synthesized picture that is obtained by depth-image-based rendering.

13. The method according to claim 8 comprising:

determining on the basis of the indication that intended displaying behavior is overlaying pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

wherein the method further comprises one of the following;

decoding a picture of the first output layer; and

displaying the decoded picture of the first output layer;

decoding a picture of the second output layer; and

displaying the decoded picture of the second output layer.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with code thereon, which when executed by said at least one processor, causes an apparatus to perform at least the following:

determine an intended displaying behavior of at least two scalability layers of a bitstream, the at least two scalability layers comprising pictures;

encode, into at least one of the bitstream, the container file, and a description of the bitstream, an indication, which indicates the intended displaying behaviour, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers of decoding the bitstream; and

perform at least one of the following;

encode pictures into a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers and encapsulate the bitstream into a container file.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with code thereon, which when executed by said at least one processor, causes an apparatus to perform at least the following:

decode pictures from a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers and pictures being associated with access units, wherein one of the at least two layers is an output layer and another of the at least two layers is an alternative layer;

decode from at least one of the bitstream, a container file encapsulating the bitstream, and a description of the bitstream an indication, which indicates an intended displaying behaviour, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers in an output layer set; and

output a picture of the output layer, a picture of the alternative layer, or a combined picture.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, said at least one memory stored with code thereon, which when executed by said at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform at least the following:

decode, from the bitstream, another indication, which indicates that the at least two scalability layers are output layers of an output layer set.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein a media presentation description of adaptive streaming comprises the description of the bitstream.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, said at least one memory stored with code thereon, which when executed by said at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform, in response to the indication, at least the following:

display pictures of the at least two scalability layers separately;

combine pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

overlay pictures of the at least two scalability layers;

19. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, cause an apparatus or a system to:

determine an intended displaying behavior of at least two scalability layers of a bitstream, the at least two scalability layers comprising pictures;

encode, into at least one of the bitstream, the container file, and a description of the bitstream, an indication, which indicates the intended displaying behaviour, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers in an output layer set of decoding the bitstream; and

perform at least one of the following;

encode pictures into a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers and encapsulate the bitstream into a container file.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with code thereon, which when executed by said at least one processor, causes an apparatus or the system to perform at least the following:

decode pictures from a bitstream, the bitstream comprising at least two scalability layers and pictures being associated with access units, wherein one of the at least two layers is an output layer and another of the at least two layers is an alternative layer;

decode from at least one of the bitstream, a container file encapsulating the bitstream, and a description of the bitstream an indication, which indicates an intended displaying behaviour, when the at least two scalability layers are output layers in an output layer set; and

output a picture of the output layer, a picture of the alternative layer, or a combined picture.