Abstract: A further coding efficiency increase may be achieved if for a current block of a picture, for which the bit stream signals one of supported partitioning patterns, a reversal of the partitioning by block merging is avoided. In particular, if the signaled one of the supported partitioning patterns specifies a subdivision of the block into two or more further blocks, a removal of certain coding parameter candidates for all further blocks, except a first further block of the further blocks in a coding order, is performed. Particularly, those coding parameter candidates are removed from the set of coding parameter candidates for the respective further block, the coding parameters of which are the same as coding parameters associated with any of the further blocks which, when being merged with the respective further block, would result in one of the supported partitioning pattern. This avoids redundancy between partitioning coding and merging coding.

Abstract: Concepts are described which enable improved suitability of a respective codec for parallel processing at encoder and/or decoder.

Abstract: A video encoder for encoding pictures of a video into a data stream, the picture being partitioned into an array of coding blocks, is configured to process coding blocks in a first line of the array of coding blocks by a first thread. Coding blocks in a second line of the array are processed by a second thread while processing the coding blocks of the first line of the array is still in progress, wherein processing a coding block in the second line of the array involves that reference coding blocks in the first line have been processed. Upon a specific event, processing coding blocks in the second line of the array by the second thread is interrupted and coding blocks of a third line of the array by the second thread are processed.

Abstract: A video decoder is configured to decode a plurality of video frames which are subdivided into a set of one or more slices. The decoder evaluates slice type information indicating whether a slice is encoded using an independent coding mode having no prediction of video content of a current frame on the basis of a video content of a previous frame, or using a single-predictive mode having a prediction of a block of pixels on the basis of one block of pixels of a previous frame, or using a bi-predictive mode having a prediction of a block of pixels on the basis of two or more blocks of pixels of one or more previous frames, to select a mode of operation for decoding a slice. The video decoder includes an arithmetic decoder for providing a decoded binary sequence on the basis of an encoded representation of the binary sequence.

Abstract: An apparatus for block-wise decoding a picture from a data stream and/or encoding a picture into a data stream, the apparatus supporting at least one intra-prediction mode according to which the intra-prediction signal for a block of a predetermined size of the picture is determined by applying a first template of samples which neighbours the current block onto a neural network. The apparatus may be configured, for a current block differing from the predetermined size, to: resample a second template of samples neighboring the current block, so as to conform with the first template so as to obtain a resampled template; apply the resampled template of samples onto the neural network so as to obtain a preliminary intra-prediction signal; and resample the preliminary intra-prediction signal so as to conform with the current block so as to obtain the intra-prediction signal for the current block.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus configured to partition a picture into leaf blocks using recursive multi-tree partitioning, block-based encode the picture into a data stream using the partitioning of the picture into the leaf blocks, wherein the apparatus is configured to, in partitioning the picture into the leaf blocks, for a predetermined block which extends beyond a boundary of the picture, reduce an available set of split modes depending on a position at which the boundary of the picture crosses the predetermined block in order to obtain a reduced set of one or more split modes, wherein the apparatus is configured to signal a selected split mode in the data stream.

Abstract: Coding schemes for coding a spatially sampled information signal using sub-division and coding schemes for coding a sub-division or a multitree structure are described, wherein representative embodiments relate to picture and/or video coding applications.

Abstract: A coding efficiency increase is achieved by using a common signalization within the bitstream with regard to activation of merging and activation of the skip mode. One possible state of one or more syntax elements within the bitstream may signalize for a current sample set of a picture that the sample set is to be merged and has no prediction residual encoded and inserted into the bitstream. A common flag may signalize whether the coding parameters associated with a current sample set are to be set according to a merge candidate or to be retrieved from the bitstream, and whether the current sample set of the picture is to be reconstructed based on a prediction signal depending on the coding parameters associated with the current sample set, without any residual data, or to be reconstructed by refining the prediction signal depending on the coding parameters associated with the current sample set by means of residual data within the bitstream.

Abstract: A higher coding efficiency for coding a significance map indicating positions of significant transform coefficients within a transform coefficient block is achieved by the scan order by which the sequentially extracted syntax elements indicating, for associated positions within the transform coefficient block, as to whether at the respective position a significant or insignificant transform coefficient is situated, are sequentially associated to the positions of the transform coefficient block, among the positions of the transform coefficient block depends on the positions of the significant transform coefficients indicated by previously associated syntax elements. Alternatively, the first-type elements may be context-adaptively entropy decoded using contexts which are individually selected for each of the syntax elements dependent on a number of significant transform coefficients in a neighborhood of the respective syntax element, indicated as being significant by any of the preceding syntax elements.

Abstract: A raw byte sequence payload describing a picture in slices, WPP substreams or tiles and coded using context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding is subdivided into tranches with continuing the context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding probability adaptation across tranche boundaries. Thereby, tranche boundaries additionally introduced within slices, WPP substreams or tiles do not lead to a reduction in the entropy coding efficiency of these entities. However, the tranches are smaller than the original slices, WPP substreams or tiles and accordingly they may be transmitted with a lower delay, than the un-chopped original entities. According to another aspect combinable with the first aspect, substream marker NAL units are used within a sequence of NAL units of a video bitstream to enable a transport demultiplexer to assign data of slices within NAL units to the corresponding substreams or tiles to be able to, in parallel, serve a multi-threaded decoder with the corresponding substreams or tiles.

Abstract: A favorable merging or grouping of simply connected regions into which the array of information samples is sub-divided, is coded with a reduced amount of data. To this end, a predetermined relative locational relationship is defined enabling an identifying, for a predetermined simply connected region, of simply connected regions within the plurality of simply connected regions which have the predetermined relative locational relationship to the predetermined simply connected region. Namely, if the number is zero, a merge indicator for the predetermined simply connected region may be absent within the data stream. In other embodiments, spatial sub-division is performed depending on a first subset of syntax elements, followed by combining spatially neighboring simply connected regions depending on a second subset of syntax elements, to obtain an intermediate sub-division.

Abstract: The coding efficiency of a multi-component picture or video coding concept is improved by reconstructing a third component signal relating to a third component of the multi-component video using inter-component prediction from both a reconstructed first component signal and a reconstructed second component signal.

Abstract: A better compromise between encoding complexity and achievable rate distortion ratio, and/or to achieve a better rate distortion ratio is achieved by using multitree sub-divisioning not only in order to subdivide a continuous area, namely the sample array, into leaf regions, but using the intermediate regions also to share coding parameters among the corresponding collocated leaf blocks. By this measure, coding procedures performed in tiles—leaf regions—locally, may be associated with coding parameters individually without having to, however, explicitly transmit the whole coding parameters for each leaf region separately. Rather, similarities may effectively exploited by using the multitree subdivision.

Abstract: A raw byte sequence payload describing a picture in slices, WPP substreams or tiles and coded using context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding is subdivided into tranches with continuing the context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding probability adaptation across tranche boundaries. Thereby, tranche boundaries additionally introduced within slices, WPP substreams or tiles do not lead to a reduction in the entropy coding efficiency of these entities. However, the tranches are smaller than the original slices, WPP substreams or tiles and accordingly they may be transmitted with a lower delay, than the un-chopped original entities. According to another aspect combinable with the first aspect, substream marker NAL units are used within a sequence of NAL units of a video bitstream to enable a transport demultiplexer to assign data of slices within NAL units to the corresponding substreams or tiles to be able to, in parallel, serve a multi-threaded decoder with the corresponding substreams or tiles.

Abstract: A better compromise between encoding complexity and achievable rate distortion ratio, and/or to achieve a better rate distortion ratio is achieved by using multitree sub-divisioning not only in order to subdivide a continuous area, namely the sample array, into leaf regions, but using the intermediate regions also to share coding parameters among the corresponding collocated leaf blocks. By this measure, coding procedures performed in tiles—leaf regions—locally, may be associated with coding parameters individually without having to, however, explicitly transmit the whole coding parameters for each leaf region separately. Rather, similarities may effectively exploited by using the multitree subdivision.

Abstract: A raw byte sequence payload describing a picture in slices, WPP substreams or tiles and coded using context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding is subdivided into tranches with continuing the context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding probability adaptation across tranche boundaries. Thereby, tranche boundaries additionally introduced within slices, WPP substreams or tiles do not lead to a reduction in the entropy coding efficiency of these entities. However, the tranches are smaller than the original slices, WPP substreams or tiles and accordingly they may be transmitted earlier, i.e. with lower delay, than the un-chopped original entities. According to another aspect combinable with the first aspect, substream marker NAL units are used within a sequence of NAL units of a video bitstream to enable a transport demultiplexer to assign data of slices within NAL units to the corresponding substreams or tiles so as to be able to, in parallel, serve a multi-threaded decoder with the corresponding substreams or tiles.

Abstract: A raw byte sequence payload describing a picture in slices, WPP substreams or tiles and coded using context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding is subdivided into tranches with continuing the context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding probability adaptation across tranche boundaries. Thereby, tranche boundaries additionally introduced within slices, WPP substreams or tiles do not lead to a reduction in the entropy coding efficiency of these entities. However, the tranches are smaller than the original slices, WPP substreams or tiles and accordingly they may be transmitted earlier, i.e. with lower delay, than the un-chopped original entities. According to another aspect combinable with the first aspect, substream marker NAL units are used within a sequence of NAL units of a video bitstream to enable a transport demultiplexer to assign data of slices within NAL units to the corresponding substreams or tiles so as to be able to, in parallel, serve a multi-threaded decoder with the corresponding substreams or tiles.

Abstract: The way of predicting a current block by assigning constant partition values to the partitions of a bi-partitioning of a block is quite effective, especially in case of coding sample arrays such as depth/disparity maps where the content of these sample arrays is mostly composed of plateaus or simple connected regions of similar value separated from each other by steep edges. The transmission of such constant partition values would, however, still need a considerable amount of side information which should be avoided. This side information rate may be further reduced if mean values of values of neighboring samples associated or adjoining the respective partitions are used as predictors for the constant partition values.

Abstract: Although wedgelet-based partitioning seems to represent a better tradeoff between side information rate on the one hand and achievable variety in partitioning possibilities on the other hand, compared to contour partitioning, the ability to alleviate the constraints of the partitioning to the extent that the partitions have to be wedgelet partitions, enables applying relatively uncomplex statistical analysis onto overlaid spatially sampled texture information in order to derive a good predictor for the bi-segmentation in a depth/disparity map. Thus, in accordance with a first aspect it is exactly the increase of the freedom which alleviates the signaling overhead provided that co-located texture information in form of a picture is present. Another aspect pertains the possibility to save side information rate involved with signaling a respective coding mode supporting irregular partitioning.

Abstract: Scalable video coding is rendered more efficient by deriving/selecting a subblock subdivision to be used for enhancement layer prediction, among a set of possible subblock subdivisions of an enhancement layer block by evaluating the spatial variation of the base layer coding parameters over the base layer signal. By this measure, less of the signalization overhead has to be spent on signaling this subblock subdivision within the enhancement layer data stream, if any. The subblock subdivision thus selected may be used in predictively coding/decoding the enhancement layer signal.