Patent ID: 8781240

Claim:
One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computing device programmed thereby to perform a method, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are selected from the group consisting of non-volatile memory, magnetic storage media, DVD and CD-ROM, the method comprising: receiving encoded data in a bitstream for multiple video frames of a video sequence, wherein the bitstream includes binary information for multiple macroblocks, and wherein the binary information represents whether the bitstream includes coefficient data for prediction residuals for the multiple macroblocks; and decoding the encoded data for the multiple video frames of the video sequence, including: determining a mode for signaling of the binary information from among multiple available modes for signaling of the binary information, wherein: if the determined mode is a first mode of the multiple available modes, the binary information is signaled at macroblock layer of bitstream syntax as a binary value per given macroblock of the multiple macroblocks, the binary value for the given macroblock indicating whether the bitstream includes coefficient data for residuals for the given macroblock; and if the determined mode is a second mode of the multiple available modes, the binary information is signaled at a layer higher than the macroblock layer of the bitstream syntax for the multiple macroblocks collectively, the binary information indicating whether the bitstream includes coefficient data for residuals for the multiple macroblocks; and processing the binary information for the multiple macroblocks.