Layer id signaling using extension mechanism

Abstract

A signaling of the layer ID is described which each of the packets of a multi-layered video signal is associated with. In particular, an efficient way of signaling this layer association is achieved, with nevertheless maintaining the backward compatibility with codecs according to which a certain value of the base layer-ID field is restricted to be non-extendable such as base layer-ID value 0 in the base layer-ID field. Instead of circumventing this restriction specifically with respect to this non-extendable base layer-ID value, the layer-ID of portions of the multi-layer data stream is signaled in an extendable manner by sub-dividing the base layer-ID field into a first sub-field and a second sub-field: whenever the first sub-field of the base layer-ID field fulfills a predetermined criterion, an extension layer-ID field is provided, and if the first sub-field of the base layer-ID field does not fulfill the predetermined criterion, the extension layer-ID field is omitted.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A device configured to process a data stream representing video data, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a multi-layered data stream that represents a video coded into a plurality of layers; and   a processor, which when executes instructions, is configured to:
 read a layer-ID field from the multi-layered data stream associated with a first layer of the multi-layered data stream, 
 check as to whether the layer-ID of the first layer is less than or greater than a predetermined value, 
 responsive to a determination that the layer-ID of the first layer is greater than the predetermined value, discard packets associated with the first layer in the data stream, and 
 responsive to a determination that the layer-ID of the first layer is less than the predetermined value,
 extract packets associated with the first layer from the data stream, and 
 extract an indication from the data stream, indicating whether inter-layer prediction of the first layer from a reference layer of the first layer is enabled; and 
 
   reconstruct at least a portion of the first layer of the video using at least one frame of the reference layer.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  1 , the processor is configured to reconstruct the first layer using the inter-layer prediction such that the first layer is predicted at least from the reference layer, using depth information, alpha blending information, color component information, spatial resolution refinement, and/or SNR resolution refinement. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer-ID is a network abstraction layer-ID. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is greater than zero. 
     
     
         6 . A method for decoding a data stream representing video data, the method comprising:
 receiving a multi-layered data stream that represents a video coded into a plurality of layers;   reading a layer-ID field from the multi-layered data stream associated with a first layer of the multi-layered data stream;   checking as to whether the layer-ID of the first layer is less than or greater than a predetermined value;   responsive to a determination that the layer-ID of the first layer is greater than the predetermined value, discarding packets associated with the first layer in the data stream;   responsive to a determination that the layer-ID of the first layer is less than the predetermined value,
 extracting packets associated with the first layer from the data stream, and 
 extracting an indication from the data stream, indicating whether inter-layer prediction of the first layer from a reference layer of the first layer is enabled; and 
   reconstructing at least a portion of the first layer of the video using at least one frame of the reference layer.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the layer-ID is a network abstraction layer-ID. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined value is greater than zero. 
     
     
         9 . An encoder configured to encode a video into a multi-layered data stream, the encoder comprising:
 a processor, which when executes instructions, is configured to:
 encode at least a portion of the video into a plurality of layers, wherein the multi-layered data stream includes a layer-ID field associated with a first layer of the multi-layered data stream, wherein the multi-layered data stream includes a plurality of packets, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of layers, 
 wherein the multi-layered data stream includes an indication indicating whether inter-layer prediction of the first layer from a reference layer of the first layer is enabled. 
   
     
     
         10 . The encoder according to  claim 9 , wherein the layer-ID field is a network abstraction layer-ID. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory digital storage medium having a multi-layered data stream stored thereon, which has encoded thereinto a video by encoding at least a portion of the video into a plurality of layers, wherein the multi-layered data stream includes a layer-ID field associated with a first layer of the multi-layered data stream, wherein the multi-layered data stream includes a plurality of packets, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of layers, wherein the multi-layered data stream includes an indication indicating whether inter-layer prediction of the first layer from a reference layer of the first layer is enabled. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory digital storage medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the layer-ID field is a network abstraction layer-ID.