A method for decoding a coding unit of a depth map, which is coded with a single depth sample value, comprising: receiving, by a processing system, a signal for reconstructing a current coding unit with a single depth value, the signal indicating which of least two predetermined coding patterns has been used in encoding the current coding unit; selecting, by the processing system, a coding pattern from the at least two predetermined coding patterns according to the received signal for reconstructing the current coding unit, wherein each of the at least two coding patterns comprises the positions of a first and a second boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) that has been reconstructed, wherein each coding pattern of the at least two predetermined coding patterns includes different first and second boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2), and a boundary neighboring sample is a boundary sample of a neighboring coding unit of the current coding unit; and decoding, by the processing system, the current coding unit, if at least one of the boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) indicated by the corresponding positions comprised in the selected coding pattern is available, according to a value of the at least one of the boundary neighboring samples indicated by the selected coding pattern, comprising: determining availability of at least the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) indicated by the selected coding pattern; if the first boundary neighboring sample is available (A n/2, A 0), selecting the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) to fill the current coding unit; if the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) is not available and the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) is available, selecting the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) to fill the current coding unit; and if none of the first and the second boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) are available, using a default value to the fill the current coding unit, wherein the first or second boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) may be unavailable if the current coding unit is a coding block on the first row or a first coding block of a frame partitioned into a plurality of coding blocks. receiving, by a processing system, a signal for reconstructing a current coding unit with a single depth value, the signal indicating which of least two predetermined coding patterns has been used in encoding the current coding unit; selecting, by the processing system, a coding pattern from the at least two predetermined coding patterns according to the received signal for reconstructing the current coding unit, wherein each of the at least two coding patterns comprises the positions of a first and a second boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) that has been reconstructed, wherein each coding pattern of the at least two predetermined coding patterns includes different first and second boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2), and a boundary neighboring sample is a boundary sample of a neighboring coding unit of the current coding unit; and decoding, by the processing system, the current coding unit, if at least one of the boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) indicated by the corresponding positions comprised in the selected coding pattern is available, according to a value of the at least one of the boundary neighboring samples indicated by the selected coding pattern, comprising: determining availability of at least the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) indicated by the selected coding pattern; if the first boundary neighboring sample is available (A n/2, A 0), selecting the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) to fill the current coding unit; if the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) is not available and the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) is available, selecting the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) to fill the current coding unit; and if none of the first and the second boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) are available, using a default value to the fill the current coding unit, wherein the first or second boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) may be unavailable if the current coding unit is a coding block on the first row or a first coding block of a frame partitioned into a plurality of coding blocks. determining availability of at least the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) indicated by the selected coding pattern; if the first boundary neighboring sample is available (A n/2, A 0), selecting the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) to fill the current coding unit; if the first boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, A 0) is not available and the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) is available, selecting the second boundary neighboring sample (B 0, B n/2) to fill the current coding unit; and if none of the first and the second boundary neighboring samples (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) are available, using a default value to the fill the current coding unit, wherein the first or second boundary neighboring sample (A n/2, B 0, A 0, B n/2) may be unavailable if the current coding unit is a coding block on the first row or a first coding block of a frame partitioned into a plurality of coding blocks.