Patent ID: 8249111

Claim:
An encoder for encoding a video signal, the encoder being configured to process the video signal in order to obtain data packets, each data packet being of a data packet type of a predetermined set of data packet types, at least one of the data packet types being a removable data packet type; and arrange the data packets into a data stream so that the data stream comprises consecutive access units of consecutive data packets, so that, within each access unit, the data packets belonging to a respective access unit are arranged in accordance with a predetermined order among the data packet types, wherein, in accordance with the predetermined order among the data packet types, a second data packet type precedes a first data packet type, wherein the encoder is configured to perform the processing and arranging such that, even when a data packet of the removable data packet type is removed from the data stream, borders between successive access units are still detectable, by a detection, from the data stream by use of the predetermined order and all data packets remain associated with the respective access unit they originally belonged to before removal of any data packet of the removable data packet type, with the detection involving detecting an existence of a border between two successive access units each time a data packet of the first data packet type precedes a data packet of the second data packet type, the data packet types which are arranged according to the predetermined order comprise a sequence parameter set data packet type comprising sequence parameter sets which apply to a series of consecutive pictures of the video; and a picture parameter set data packet type comprising picture parameter sets which apply to one or more individual pictures of the video within a series of consecutive pictures of the video, a coded picture data packet type comprising syntax elements of slice header data and/or syntax elements concerning slice transform coefficients of one or more slices of a picture of the video, with, according to the predetermined order, data packets of the sequence parameter set data packet type and data packets of the picture parameter set data packet type preceding a last data packet of the coded picture data packet type within one access unit to which same belong, and a resulting access unit size of the consecutive access units does not result in a buffer overflow at a decoder's side provided that a minimum amount of buffer space is available and buffered data packets are discarded from the buffer space at the decoder's side access unit-wise.