Patent ID: 8116380

Claim:
In a computing device that implements a video decoder, a method comprising: with the computing device that implements the video decoder, receiving and processing a first bitstream element in sequence layer in a bitstream for a video sequence; with the computing device that implements the video decoder, receiving and processing a second bitstream element in the sequence layer in the bitstream for the video sequence, wherein frame coding mode is variable between progressive, field-interlaced and frame-interlaced for individual frames within the video sequence, and where the first and second bitstream elements in the sequence layer indicate whether the bitstream includes (a) both the repeat-picture element and a field-order element per frame, (b) the repeat-picture element but not the field-order element per frame, or (c) neither the repeat-picture element nor the field-order element per frame; with the computing device that implements the video decoder, receiving and processing frame data in frame layer of the bitstream for frame in the video sequence, wherein the first bitstream element indicates whether the repeat-picture element is present or absent in the frame data in the frame layer of the bitstream, including: receiving and processing a frame coding mode element that indicates whether the frame coding mode for the frame is progressive, field-interlaced, or frame-interlaced; if the first bitstream element indicates the repeat-picture element is present in the frame data for the frame in the bitstream, then: if the second bitstream element has a first value, receiving the repeat-picture element for the frame but not the field-order element for the frame, wherein the repeat-picture element for the frame is a repeat-frame element; otherwise, the second bitstream element having a second value, receiving the repeat-picture element for the frame and the field-order element for the frame, wherein the repeat-picture element for the frame is a repeat-field element; otherwise, the first bitstream element indicating the repeat-picture element is absent from the frame data for the frame in the bitstream, skipping the receiving the repeat-picture element for the frame and the field-order element for the frame; and with the computing device that implements the video decoder, decoding the frame using the frame data.