Patent ID: 11910029
Assignee: GE VIDEO COMPRESSION, LLC
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 7:
8. A method for encoding comprising:
spatially sub-dividing an array of information samples, representing a spatially sampled information signal, into blocks of different sizes by:
dividing the array of information samples into a regular arrangement of tree root blocks of zero-order hierarchy level size, and
sub-dividing, by recursive quadtree partitioning, the tree root blocks according to quadtree-partitioning information contained in the data stream into which the array of information samples is coded, and indicating, for each tree root block, as to:
whether the respective tree root block is to be partitioned, wherein if the respective tree root block is indicated to be partitioned, the respective tree root block is partitioned into four blocks of a first hierarchy level, and
whether the partitioning is recursively repeated for the blocks of the first hierarchy level in order to obtain blocks of higher-order hierarchy levels, with the recursive repetition being stopped when no partitioning is to be performed according to the quadtree-partitioning information, or a maximum hierarchy level is reached; and

encoding the array of information samples into the data stream using the blocks of different sizes into which the array of information samples is spatially subdivided, by traversing the blocks of different sizes in a scan order according to which the tree root block are scanned in a zigzag scan order with, for each tree root block being partitioned, treating the blocks of different sizes therein in depth-first traversal order before stepping further to a next tree root block in the zigzag scan order,
wherein the encoding the array of information samples of the data stream further comprises:
inserting syntax elements associated with the blocks of different sizes, in the scan order into the data stream,

wherein the quadtree-subdivision information is formed by a sequence of flags associated with nodes of the recursive quadtree partitioning in the depth-first traversal order, and the sequence of flags of the quadtree-partitioning information are inserted into the data stream using the depth-first traversal order and a context for encoding a respective flag of the sequence of flags is chosen using flags:
preceding the respective flag in accordance with the depth-first traversal order and
being associated with areas lying on top and/or left of an area to which the respective flag belongs.