Method and system for encoding a video data signal, encoded video data signal, method and system for decoding a video data signal

Abstract

Video data signals are encoded such that the encoded video data signal include at least a primary and at least a secondary video data signal. The primary and secondary video data signals are jointly compressed. The primary video data signal is compressed in a self-contained manner, and the secondary video data signal is compressed using data from the primary video data signal. The jointly compressed video data signal is split into separate bitstreams, at least a primary bitstream including data for the primary video data signal and at least a secondary bitstream including data for the secondary video data signal, whereafter the primary and secondary bitstreams are multiplexed into a multiplexed signal, and the primary and secondary signals are provided with separate codes.

1 . A method for encoding a video signal including a first signal and a second signal, the method comprising:
 encoding, by an encoder, the video signal to form an encoded signal;   splitting, by a splitter, the encoded signal into separate bitstreams including a first bitstream including data for the first signal and a second bitstream including data for the second signal; and   assigning, by the multiplexer, a first code to the first bitstream to form a first coded bitstream, assigning a second code to the second bitstream to form a second coded bitstream, wherein the second code is different from the first code.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding step encodes the first signal in a self-contained manner without using information from the second signal and encodes the second signal using information from the first signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising outputting the first coded bitstream and the second coded bitstream to one of a three dimensional (3D) decoder system for providing a 3D view and a two dimensional (2D) decoder system for providing a 2D view. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first code is decidable by the 2D decoder system to allow the 2D decoder system to extract and decode the first coded bitstream and discard the second coded bitstream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding step encodes the first signal such that the first bitstream comprises data with a first set of frames having a first frequency, and encodes the second signal such that the second bitstream comprises data with a second set of frames having a second frequency, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding step compresses the first signal with a lower quantization factor than the second signal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising interleaving frames of the first signal with frames of the second signal to form the video signal. 
     
     
         8 . A system for encoding a video signal including a first signal and a second signal, the system comprising:
 an encoder configured to encode the video signal to form an encoded signal;   a splitter configured to split the encoded signal into separate bitstreams including a first bitstream including data for the first signal and a second bitstream including data for the second signal; and   a multiplexer configured to assign a first code to the first bitstream to form a first coded bitstream, and assign a second code to the second bitstream to form a second coded bitstream, wherein the second code is different from the first code.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the encoder is configured to encode the first signal in a self-contained manner without using information from the second signal and encode the second signal using information from the first signal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the multiplexer is configured to transmit the first coded bitstream and the second coded bitstream to one of an enhanced two-dimensional (2D) decoder system for providing a three-dimensional (3D) view and a non-enhanced 2D decoder system for providing a 2D view. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first code is decidable by the non-enhanced 2D decoder system to allow the non-enhanced 2D decoder system to extract and decode the first coded bitstream and discard the second coded bitstream. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the encoder is configured to encode the first signal such that the first bitstream comprises data with a first set of frames having a first frequency, and encode the second signal such that the second bitstream comprises data with a second set of frames having a second frequency, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the encoder is configured to compress the first signal with a lower quantization factor than the second signal. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a combiner configure to combine the first signal and the second signal to form a combined signal for encoding by the encoder. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising an interleaver configure to interleave frames of the first signal with frames of the second signal to form a combined signal for encoding by the encoder. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform the method of encoding of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A method for decoding, by a 2D decoder system, a video signal including a first coded bitstream and a second coded bitstream, the method comprising:
 receiving the first coded bitstream having a first code and receiving the second coded bitstream having a second code, the second code being different from the first code;   recognizing, by a demultiplexer, at least one of the first code and the second code and demultiplexing first coded bitstream and the second coded bitstream to form a first demultiplexed bitstream and a second demultiplexed bitstream;   merging the first demultiplexed bitstream and the second demultiplexed bitstream to form a merged signal; and   decompressing by a 2D decoder the merged signal to form a decompressed video signal.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first coded bitstream is self-contained, and wherein the decompressing step decompresses the first demultiplexed bitstream included in the merged signal without using information from second demultiplexed bitstream, and the decompresses second demultiplexed bitstream included in the merged signal using data from the first demultiplexed bitstream included in the merged signal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first code is decidable by the 2D decoder system to perform one of (i) the merging step and (ii) extract and decode the first coded bitstream and discard the second coded bitstream. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a splitter configured to split the merged signal to provide a left view and a right view. 
     
     
         21 . A system for decoding a video signal including a first coded bitstream and a second coded bitstream, the system comprising:
 a demultiplexer configured to:
 receive the first coded bitstream having a first code and receiving the second coded bitstream having a second code, the second code being different from the first code, 
 recognize at least one of the first code and the second code, and 
 demultiplex the first coded bitstream and the second coded bitstream to form a first demultiplexed bitstream and a second demultiplexed bitstream; 
   a merger configured to merge the first demultiplexed bitstream and the second demultiplexed bitstream to form a merged signal; and   a 2D decoder configured to decompress the merged signal to form a decompressed video signal.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first coded bitstream is self-contained such that predicted pictures associated with the first coded bitstream are temporally predicted only from pictures associated with the first coded bitstream, and predicted pictures associated with the second coded bitstream are temporally predicted from the second coded bitstream. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first code is decidable by the 2D decoder. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a splitter configured to split the merged signal to provide a left view and a right view. 
     
     
         25 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform the method of encoding of  claim 16 .