Patent ID: RE44939

Claim:
A system for decoding of scalable digital video, the system comprising: an input configured to receive a scalable digital video bitstream comprising slices of a quality or spatial enhancement target layer and at least one additional layer in accordance with the SVC JD8 specification , the digital video bitstream containing control data (including prediction control data) associated with slices and control (including prediction), texture, or motion data associated with macroblocks or macroblock partitions; a decoder coupled to the input, wherein the decoder is configured to decode the control data associated with a slice of the target layer and the at least one additional layer, and control, texture, or motion data associated with individual macroblock or macroblock partitions of the target layer and the at least one additional layer; a predictor coupled to the decoder, wherein the decoder is configured to generate prediction references for the control, texture, or motion data of a plurality of macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the target layer as signaled prediction control data associated with a slice of the target layer or the at least one additional layer, or from prediction control data associated with individual macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the target layer or the at least one additional layer; and a combiner coupled to the predictor, wherein the combiner is configured to combine the generated prediction references with the corresponding decoded control, texture, or motion data associated with the plurality of macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the target layer to produce portions of a decoded picture corresponding to the plurality of macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the target layer, wherein the prediction control data associated with the slices of the target layer or the at least one additional layer include an adaptive_residual_prediction_flag parameter and, if the adaptive_residual_prediction_flag parameter is not set, a default_residual_prediction_flag parameter and the prediction control data associated with individual macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the target layer or the at least one additional layer include a residual_prediction_flag parameter, and wherein the decoder is configured not to decode the residual_prediction_flag parameter in macroblock or macroblock partitions of a slice for which the adaptive_residual_prediction_flag parameter is not set but decode instead the default_residual_prediction_flag of the slice, and wherein the predictor is further configured to use the value of default_residual_prediction_flag as the value for the residual_prediction_flag parameter for all macroblocks or macroblock partitions of the slice.