Field start code for entry point frames with predicted first field

• US 7,852,919 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Crinon, Regis J., Srinivasan, Sridhar, Regunathan, Shankar, Holcomb, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri; Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Werner; David N
• Application Number:
  US10/989,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.13
• US Class Current: 375/240.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards

Abstract

A decoder receives a field start code for an entry point key frame. The field start code indicates a second coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame following a first coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame and indicates a point to begin decoding of the second coded interlaced video field. The first coded interlaced video field is a predicted field, and the second coded interlaced video field is an intra-coded field. The decoder decodes the second field without decoding the first field. The field start code can be followed by a field header. The decoder can receive a frame header for the entry point key frame. The frame header may comprise a syntax element indicating a frame coding mode for the entry point key frame and/or a syntax element indicating field types for the first and second coded interlaced video fields.

Claims

1. In a computing device that implements a video decoder, a method comprising:

for an entry point key frame, receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, a frame start code in a bit stream, wherein the frame start code has a first start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a frame and wherein the frame whose start is identified with the frame start code is the entry point key frame;

receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, a field start code in the bit stream, wherein the field start code has a second start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a field, wherein the first start code value is different than the second start code value, wherein the field whose start is identified with the field start code is a second coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame following a first coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame, the field start code indicating a point to begin decoding of the second coded interlaced video field, wherein the first coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is a predicted field, and wherein the second coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is an intra-coded field; and

with the computing device that implements the video decoder, decoding the second coded interlaced video field of the entry point key frame without decoding the first coded interlaced video field of the entry point key frame.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the entry point key frame is a P/I-frame.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the field start code is followed by a field header in the bit stream.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, an entry point start code and an entry point header in the bit stream prior to receiving the frame start code.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, with the computing device that implements the video decoder, decoding the entry point start code and the entry point header prior to decoding the second coded interlaced video field.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, a frame header for the entry point key frame in the bit stream before receiving the field start code for the second coded interlaced video field.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the frame header comprises a first frame-level syntax element indicating a frame coding mode for the entry point key frame.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the frame coding mode is field interlaced frame.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the frame header further comprises a second frame-level syntax element indicating field types for the first coded interlaced video field and the second coded interlaced video field.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the frame start code and the field start code have the same start code prefix but different start code suffixes.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the decoding starts at an entry point segment as a random access point, the method further comprising:

searching the bit stream for an entry point start code that marks the random access point;

searching the bit stream for the frame start code;

determining coding types for the first and second coded interlaced video fields; and

based at least in part upon the coding types for the first and second coded interlaced video fields, skipping field data for the first coded interlaced video field and searching for the field start code to indicate where field data for the second coded interlaced video field begins in the bit stream.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the video decoder uses a syntax element of a frame header that follows the frame start code to determine the coding types for the first and second coded interlaced video fields.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a syntax element of a frame header that follows the frame start code to determine a frame coding mode for the entry point key frame, wherein presence or absence of the field start code in the bit stream depends on the frame coding mode for the entry point key frame; and

based at least in part upon the frame coding mode, searching for the field start code in the bit stream.

14. In a computing device that implements a video encoder, a method comprising:

with the computing device that implements the video encoder, encoding first and second interlaced video fields of an entry point key frame;

with the computing device that implements the video encoder, for the entry point key frame, signaling a frame start code in a bit stream, wherein the frame start code has a first start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a frame, and wherein the frame whose start is identified with the frame start code is the entry point key frame; and

with the computing device that implements the video encoder, signaling a field start code in the bit stream after field data for the first interlaced video field in the entry point key frame and prior to field data for the second interlaced video field in the entry point key frame, wherein the field start code has a second start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a field, wherein the field whose start is identified with the field start code is the second interlaced video field, wherein the first start code value is different than the second start code value, the field start code indicating a point to begin decoding of the second interlaced video field, wherein the first interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is a predicted field, and wherein the second interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is an intra-coded

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the entry point key frame is a P/I-frame.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the field start code is followed by a field header in the bit stream.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising signaling an entry point start code in the bit stream prior to the first interlaced video field.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising, with the computing device that implements the video encoder, signaling an entry point header in the bit stream prior to the frame start code.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the entry point key frame includes a frame header comprising a syntax element indicating field types for the intra-coded field of the frame and the predicted field of the frame.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the syntax element is a fixed length code selected from a fixed length code table comprising codes for possible combinations of field types for fields in a field interlace coded frame.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the frame start code and the field start code have the same start code prefix but different start code suffixes.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein a syntax element of a frame header that follows the frame start code indicates a frame coding mode for the entry point key frame, and wherein presence or absence of the field start code in the bit stream depends on the frame coding mode for the entry point key frame.

23. In a computing device that implements a video decoder, a method comprising:

for an entry point key frame in an entry point segment, receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, a frame start code having a frame start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a frame, wherein the frame whose start is identified with the frame start code is the entry point key frame;

receiving, at the computing device that implements the video decoder, a field start code indicating a second coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame following a first coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame, wherein the field start code has a field start code value that uniquely identifies the start of a field, wherein the field whose start is identified with the field start code is the second coded interlaced video field, wherein the frame start code and the field start code have the same start code prefix but different start code suffixes, wherein the first coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is a non-intra-coded field having a reference field outside the entry point segment, and wherein the second coded interlaced video field in the entry point key frame is an intra-coded field; and

with the computing device that implements the video decoder, when decoding begins at the entry point key frame, decoding the second coded interlaced video field of the entry point key frame without decoding the first coded interlaced video field of the entry point key frame.