Inter-view prediction

Abstract

At least one disclosed method and apparatus relate to inter-view prediction with different resolution reference picture. A particular method includes accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture (614), the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution. The method further includes determining a particular view level based on the particular view (614), determining the particular resolution based on the particular view level (606), and decoding the portion based on the particular resolution (630).

1 . A method, comprising:
 accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution ( 614 );   determining a particular view level based on the particular view ( 614 );   determining the particular resolution based on the particular view level ( 606 ); and   decoding the portion based on the particular resolution ( 630 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the particular resolution comprises determining the particular resolution based on a position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, the position indicated by the particular view level ( 630 ). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the scalability hierarchy provides scalability at least by allowing that pictures from a given position in the scalability hierarchy may be used as a reference for pictures from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy and not for pictures from a more important position in the scalability hierarchy, and   resolution for a picture from a given position in the scalability hierarchy is at least as good as resolution for a picture from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy ( 630 ).   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the particular resolution comprises:
 accessing an indicator that indicates a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view ( 606 ); and   determining the particular resolution based on the view level position in the scalability hierarchy ( 630 ).   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the encoded picture and the indicator are accessed from data formatted according to a particular video coding standard ( 606 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accessing multiple encoded pictures, the multiple encoded pictures being from the particular view and being encoded at the particular resolution; and   decoding the multiple encoded pictures based on the particular resolution ( 606 ).   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the multiple encoded pictures belong to one or more of a group of pictures, a scene, or a movie ( 600 ). 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a decoder ( 400 ) for accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution, said decoder further for determining a particular view level based on the particular view, determining the particular resolution based on the particular view level, and decoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said decoder ( 400 ) determines the particular resolution based on a position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, the position indicated by the particular view level. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the scalability hierarchy provides scalability at least by allowing that pictures from a given position in the scalability hierarchy may be used as a reference for pictures from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy and not for pictures from a more important position in the scalability hierarchy, and   resolution for a picture from a given position in the scalability hierarchy is at least as good as resolution for a picture from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said decoder ( 400 ) determines the particular resolution by accessing an indicator that indicates a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, and determining the particular resolution based on the view level position in the scalability hierarchy. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the encoded picture and the indicator are accessed from data formatted according to a particular video coding standard. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said decoder ( 400 ) accesses multiple encoded pictures, the multiple encoded pictures being from the particular view and being encoded at the particular resolution, and decodes the multiple encoded pictures based on the particular resolution. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the multiple encoded pictures belong to one or more of a group of pictures, a scene, or a movie. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 determining a particular view level based on a particular view for at least a portion of a picture, the particular view being from multiple views ( 506 );   determining a particular resolution for the portion based on the particular view level ( 506 ); and   encoding the portion based on the particular resolution ( 506 ).   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the determining of the particular resolution comprises determining the particular resolution based on a position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, the position indicated by the particular view level ( 506 ). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the scalability hierarchy provides scalability at least by allowing that pictures from a given position in the scalability hierarchy may be used as a reference for pictures from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy and not for pictures from a more important position in the scalability hierarchy, and   resolution for a picture from a given position in the scalability hierarchy is at least as good as resolution for a picture from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy ( 520 ).   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the determining of the particular resolution comprises:
 determining an indicator that indicates a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view ( 508 ); and   determining the particular resolution based on the view level position in the scalability hierarchy ( 508 ).   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the portion and the indicator are encoded according to a particular video coding standard ( 500 ). 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an encoder ( 300 ) for determining a particular view level based on a particular view from multiple views for at least a portion of a picture, determining a particular resolution for the portion based on the particular view level, and encoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said encoder ( 300 ) determines the particular resolution based on a position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, the position indicated by the particular view level. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the scalability hierarchy provides scalability at least by allowing that pictures from a given position in the scalability hierarchy may be used as a reference for pictures from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy and not for pictures from a more important position in the scalability hierarchy, and   resolution for a picture from a given position in the scalability hierarchy is at least as good as resolution for a picture from a less important position in the scalability hierarchy.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said encoder ( 300 ) determines the particular resolution by determining an indicator that indicates a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view, and determining the particular resolution based on the view level position in the scalability hierarchy. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said encoder ( 300 ) encodes the portion and the indicator according to a particular video coding standard. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution;   means for determining a particular view level based on the particular view;   means for determining the particular resolution based on the particular view; and   means for decoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for determining a particular view level based on a particular view for at least a portion of a picture, the particular view being from multiple views;   means for determining a particular resolution for the portion based on the particular view level; and   means for encoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         27 . A computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:
 program code for determining a particular view for at least a portion of a picture, the particular view being from multiple views;   program code for determining a particular resolution for the portion based on the particular view; and   program code for encoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         28 . A computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:
 program code for accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution;   program code for determining a particular view level based on the particular view;   program code for determining the particular resolution based on the particular view; and   program code for decoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         29 . A video signal structure for video encoding, comprising:
 an encoded representation of at least a portion of a picture, the picture being from a particular view of multiple views; and   information indicating a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view.   
     
     
         30 . A computer readable medium having a video signal structure comprising:
 an encoded representation of at least a portion of a picture, the picture being from a particular view of multiple views; and   information indicating a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view.   
     
     
         31 . A video signal formatted to include:
 an encoded representation of at least a portion of a picture, the picture being from a particular view of multiple views; and   information indicating a view level position in a scalability hierarchy for the particular view.   
     
     
         32 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a program signal having a plurality of bitstreams representing encoded pictures;   selecting a bitstream, from the plurality of bitstreams, for decoding;   accessing from the selected bitstream at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution ( 614 ,  910 );   determining a particular view level based on the particular view ( 614 ,  910 );   determining the particular resolution based on the particular view level ( 606 ,  910 ); and   decoding the portion based on the particular resolution ( 630 ,  910 ).   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 receiving user input indicating whether to display the particular view ( 970 ,  980 );   determining whether to provide the decoded portion for display based on the received user input ( 950 ); and   providing the decoded portion for display, if the received user input indicates that the decoded portion is to be displayed ( 950 ,  990 ).   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 receiving user input selecting the particular view for display;   determining to decode the portion based on the received user input; and   providing the decoded portion for display.   
     
     
         35 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a receiver ( 905 ) adapted to receive a program signal having a plurality of bitstreams representing encoded pictures, and to select a bitstream for decoding from the plurality of bitstreams; and   a decoder ( 400 ,  910 ) for:
 accessing from the selected bitstream at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution, 
 determining a particular view level based on the particular view, 
 determining the particular resolution based on the particular view level, and 
 decoding the portion based on the particular resolution. 
   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 an interface ( 960 ) to receive user input indicating whether to display the particular view; and   means ( 950 ) for determining whether to provide the decoded portion for display based on the received user input, and for providing the decoded portion for display if the received user input indicates that the decoded portion is to be displayed.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 an interface to receive user input indicating whether to display the particular view; and   means for determining, based on user input received at the interface, whether to decode the portion.   
     
     
         38 . An apparatus, comprising a processor configured to perform at least the following:
 accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the encoded picture being from a particular view of multiple views, and the portion being encoded at a particular resolution;   determining a particular view level based on the particular view;   determining the particular resolution based on the particular view; and   decoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         39 . An apparatus, comprising a processor configured to perform at least the following:
 determining a particular view level based on a particular view for at least a portion of a picture, the particular view being from multiple views;   determining a particular resolution for the portion based on the particular view level; and   encoding the portion based on the particular resolution.   
     
     
         40 . A method, comprising:
 accessing at least a portion of a picture, the picture being from a particular view of multiple views in a multi-view encoding system;   identifying the particular view;   determining a resolution at which the portion is to be encoded, the resolution corresponding to the particular view; and   encoding the portion at the resolution.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the method is performed at an encoder, and the encoder is configured to associate each view of the multiple views with a corresponding resolution of multiple resolutions. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein a picture from a first view is used as an inter-view reference for a different picture from a second view only if the first view corresponds to a resolution that is at least as high as that of the second view. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising forming a bitstream that includes the encoding of the picture and an identifier of the particular view. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the bitstream further includes an identifier of the resolution separate from the identifier of the particular view. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the bitstream does not include an identifier for the resolution of the encoded picture that is separate from the identifier of the particular view. 
     
     
         46 . A method, comprising:
 accessing at least a portion of an encoded picture, the picture being from a particular view of multiple views in a multi-view encoding system;   identifying the particular view;   identifying a particular resolution at which the portion is encoded, the particular resolution corresponding to the particular view; and   decoding the portion at the particular resolution.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising receiving a bitstream that includes the encoded picture and an identifier of the particular view. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein identifying the particular resolution for the encoded picture comprises identifying the particular resolution using the identifier of the particular view. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein:
 the bitstream includes an identifier of the particular resolution that is separate from the identifier of the particular view, and   identifying the particular resolution comprises identifying the particular resolution from the separate identifier of the particular resolution.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising verifying, prior to decoding, that the particular view corresponds to the particular resolution. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein verifying comprises accessing information from data that associates each view of the multiple views with a corresponding resolution of multiple resolutions. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising verifying, prior to decoding, that an inter-view reference picture used as a reference picture for the portion has a resolution at least as high as the particular resolution. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein verifying comprises accessing information from data that associates each view of the multiple views with a corresponding resolution of multiple resolutions.