Methods and systems for maintenance and use of coded block pattern information

• US 7,885,471 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Segall, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Duy M
• Application Number:
  US11/694,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20080008394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,410 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/233, 382/236, 382/238, 382245-247, 382/250, 382/251, 375/240.12, 375/240.14, 375/240.18, 375/240.23, 375/240.26, 341/50
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/122 Selection of transform size, e.g. 8x8 or 2x4x8 DCT; Selection of sub-band transforms of varying structure or type
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/157 Assigned coding mode, i.e. the coding mode being predefined or preselected to be further used for selection of another element or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• 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 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods for managing and combining layers in a multi-layer bitstream comprising encoded image coefficients and encoded block pattern (Cbp) information wherein the Cbp information identifies regions in said bitstream that comprise transform coefficients.

Claims

1. A method for automatically combining layers in a multi-layer bitstream using computer hardware having a processing device and operably connected to a transmission medium, said method comprising:

a) receiving with said processing device a bitstream comprising encoded image coefficients and encoded block pattern (Cbp) information wherein said Cbp information identifies regions in said bitstream that comprise transform coefficients;

b) decoding with said processing device said Cbp information;

c) parsing with said processing device said bitstream by using said Cbp information to identify bitstream regions comprising transform coefficients;

d) scaling with said processing device first-layer transform coefficients in said bitstream to match a characteristic of a second-layer in said bitstream;

e) adding with said processing device said scaled, first-layer transform coefficients to second-layer transform coefficients to form combined coefficients in a combined layer; and

f) calculating with said processing device combined Cbp information for said combined layer wherein said combined Cbp information identifies regions in said combined layer that comprise transform coefficients.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said calculating is performed only when coefficients in said second layer are predicted from said first layer.

3. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising inverse transforming said combined coefficients thereby creating spatial domain values.

4. A method as described in claim 2 further comprising selectively filtering regions of said spatial domain values based on said combined Cbp information.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said first layer and said second layer have different spatial resolutions.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said first layer and said second layer have different bit-depths.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said first layer is a base layer.

8. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said second layer is an enhancement layer.

9. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises testing said combined coefficients.

10. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises computing the binary-OR of said first layer and said second layer.

11. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises scanning coefficient lists to identify regions with residual information.

12. At least one device operably connected to a transmission medium transmitting data in a multi-layer bitstream, said at least one computing device capable of combining layers of said bitstream, said at least one computing device comprising:

a) a receiver for receiving a bitstream comprising encoded image coefficients and encoded block pattern (Cbp) information wherein said Cbp information identifies regions in said bitstream that comprise transform coefficients;

b) a decoder for decoding said Cbp information;

c) a parser for parsing said bitstream by using said Cbp information to identify bitstream regions comprising transform coefficients;

d) a scaler for scaling first-layer transform coefficients in said bitstream to match a characteristic of a second-layer in said bitstream;

e) an adder for adding said scaled, first-layer transform coefficients to second-layer transform coefficients to form combined coefficients in a combined layer; and

f) a calculator for calculating combined Cbp information for said combined layer wherein said combined Cbp information identifies regions in said combined layer that comprise transform coefficients.

13. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said calculating is performed only when coefficients in said second layer are predicted from said first layer.

14. The at least one device as described in claim 12 further comprising an inverse transformer for inverse transforming said combined coefficients thereby creating spatial domain values.

15. The at least one device as described in claim 12 further comprising a filter for selectively filtering regions of said spatial domain values based on said combined Cbp information.

16. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said first layer and said second layer have different spatial resolutions.

17. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said first layer and said second layer have different bit-depths.

18. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said first layer is a base layer.

19. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said second layer is an enhancement layer.

20. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises testing said combined coefficients.

21. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises computing the binary-OR of said first layer and said second layer.

22. The at least one device as described in claim 12 wherein said calculating combined Cbp information comprises scanning coefficient lists to identify regions with residual information.