Patent ID: 7760806
Filing Date: 2010-07-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for encoding a video signal representing at least one video frame, with the at least one video frame being composed of picture samples, the picture samples belonging either to a first or a second field being captured at different time instants, the video frame being spatially divided up into macroblock pair regions, each macroblock pair region being associated with a top and a bottom macroblock, the method comprising the following steps being performed by an encoder: deciding, for each macroblock pair region, as to whether the respective macroblock pair region is of a frame coded or a field coded distribution type; assigning, for each macroblock pair region, each of the pixel samples in the respective macroblock pair region to a respective one of the top and bottom macroblocks of the respective macroblock pair region, in accordance with the distribution type of the respective macroblock pair region; pre-coding the video signal into a pre-coded video signal, to obtain, for each macroblock, a syntax element for the respective macroblock, being a type indicator specifying a macroblock prediction mode and a partitioning of the respective macroblock used for prediction; determining, for the syntax element of a current macroblock associated with a current macroblock pair region of the macroblock pair regions, if the current macroblock pair region is of the frame coded distribution type, a neighboring macroblock to the top of the current macroblock at least based upon as to whether the current macroblock pair region is of a frame or field coded distribution type such that if the current macroblock pair region is of the field coded distribution type and the current macroblock is the top macroblock of the current macroblock pair region, the neighboring macroblock to the top of the current macroblock is determined to be if the current macroblock pair region is of the field coded distribution type and the current macroblock is the bottom macroblock of the current macroblock pair region, the neighboring macroblock to the top of the current macroblock is determined to be the bottom macroblock of the macroblock pair region to the top of the current macroblock pair region; assigning one of at least two context models to the syntax element of the current macroblock based on a type indicator of the neighboring macroblock to the left of the current macroblock and the neighboring macroblock to the top of the current macroblock, wherein each context model is associated with a different probability estimation; and arithmetically encoding the syntax element of the current macroblock into a coded bit stream based on the probability estimation with which the assigned context model is associated.