Macroblock level adaptive frame/field coding for digital video content

Abstract

A method and system of encoding and decoding digital video content. The digital video content comprises a stream of pictures which can each be intra, predicted, or bi-predicted pictures. Each of the pictures comprises macroblocks that can be further divided into smaller blocks. The method entails encoding and decoding each of the smaller blocks in each picture in said stream of pictures in either frame mode or in field mode.

1 - 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A method of encoding a picture in an image sequence, comprising: 
 dividing said picture into a plurality of smaller portions; and    selectively encoding at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than one macroblock or smaller than one macroblock.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 dividing each of said smaller portions into a plurality of smaller blocks comprising at least one of 16 by 16 pixels, 8×16 pixels, 16×8 pixels, 8 by 8 pixels, 4 by 8 pixels, 8×4 pixels, and 4 by 4 pixels, when said smaller portion is encoded in said frame mode.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 dividing each of said smaller portions into a plurality of smaller blocks comprising at least one of 16 by 16 pixels, 8 by 16 pixels, 16 by 8 pixels, 8 by 8 pixels, 4×8 pixels, 8 by 4 pixels, and 4×4 pixels, when said smaller portion is encoded in said field mode.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of smaller portions is a group of macroblocks, where said group has more than two macroblocks.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a size of each of said plurality of smaller portions is selectively determined.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 inserting at least one flag in a bitstream containing said encoded picture, wherein said at least one flag indicates whether a frame coding mode or a field coding mode is applied to a pair of macroblocks or a group of at least four macroblocks.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 decoding said at least one of said plurality of smaller portions to form at least one reconstructed block; and    applying loop filtering on said at least one reconstructed block.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 decoding said at least one of said plurality of smaller portions to form a reconstructed frame; and    padding said reconstructed frame along a boundary of said reconstructed frame for at least one of said small portions that are boundary blocks.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 converting at least one two-dimensions transform coefficient produced from said encoding step into a one-dimensional series of coefficients, wherein said conversion employs a zigzag scan or a non-zigzag scan.    
   
   
       17 . A method of decoding an encoded picture having a plurality of smaller 
 portions from a bitstream, comprising:    decoding at least one of a plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode to produce a plurality of reconstructed blocks, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than once macroblock or smaller than one macroblock; and    using said plurality of reconstructed blocks to construct a reconstructed picture.    
   
   
       18 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method of encoding a picture in an image sequence, comprising of: 
 dividing a picture into a plurality of smaller portions; and    selectively encoding at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than one macroblock or smaller than one macroblock.    
   
   
       19 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method of decoding an encoded picture having a plurality of smaller portions from a bitstream, comprising of; 
 decoding at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode to produce a plurality of reconstructed blocks, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than one macroblock or smaller than one macroblock; and    using said plurality of reconstructed blocks to construct a reconstructed picture.    
   
   
       20 . An apparatus for encoding a picture in an image sequence, comprising: 
 means for dividing said picture into a plurality of smaller portions; and    means for selectively encoding at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than one macroblock or smaller that one macroblock.    
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for decoding an encoded picture having a plurality of smaller portions from a bitstream, comprising: 
 means for decoding at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in frame coding mode and at least one of said plurality of smaller portions in field coding mode to produce a plurality of reconstructed blocks, wherein each of said smaller portions has a size that is larger than one macroblock or smaller that one macroblock; and    means for using said plurality of reconstructed blocks to construct a reconstructed picture.