Scalable video coding using inter-layer prediction contribution to enhancement layer prediction

A scalable video decoding method comprising:

• reconstructing a base layer signal from a coded data stream to obtain a reconstructed base layer signal;
• reconstructing an enhancement layer signal comprising:
• spatially or temporally predicting a current portion of an enhancement layer signal, based on an already reconstructed portion of the enhancement layer signal to obtain an enhancement layer internal prediction signal;
• obtaining an inter-layer prediction signal associated with the current portion of the enhancement layer signal based on the reconstructed base layer signal;
• extracting, from the coded data stream, weighting parameters for the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, wherein the weighting parameters are encoded into the data stream by an encoder, and at least one of the weighting parameters indicates whether the inter-layer prediction signal, the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, or both are used to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal for the current portion of the enhancement layer signal;
• responsive to the at least one of the weighting parameters, determining a weighted average of the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal to obtain the enhancement layer prediction signal by:
• filtering the inter-layer prediction signal with a first filter, and filtering the enhancement layer internal prediction signal with a second filter, wherein the first filter has a first transfer function and the second filter has a second transfer function, and
• applying the weighting parameters to the inter-layer prediction signal obtained after filtering with the first filter and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal obtained after filtering with the second filter, respectively, to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal;
• and
• predictively reconstructing the enhancement layer signal based on the enhancement layer prediction signal.

A scalable video encoder comprising:

• a first encoding unit configured encoding, using a processor, a base layer signal into a coded data stream in a manner allowing reconstructing a reconstructed base layer signal from the coded data stream;
• and
• a second coding unit configured for encoding, using a processor, an enhancement layer signal, the encoding the enhancement layer signal comprising:
• spatially or temporally predicting a current portion of an enhancement layer from an already encoded portion of the enhancement layer signal to obtain an enhancement layer internal prediction signal,
• obtaining an inter-layer prediction signal associated with the current portion of the enhancement layer signal based on the reconstructed base layer signal,
• inserting, into the coded data stream, weighting parameters for the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, wherein at least one of the weighting parameters indicates whether the inter-layer prediction signal, the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, or both are used to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal for the current portion of the enhancement layer signal,
• responsive to the at least one of the weighting parameters, determining a weighted average of the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal to obtain the enhancement layer prediction signal by:
• filtering the inter-layer prediction signal with a first filter, and filtering the enhancement layer internal prediction signal with a second filter, wherein the first filter has a first transfer function and the second filter has a second transfer function, and
• applying the weighting parameters to the inter-layer prediction signal obtained after filtering with the first filter and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal obtained after filtering with the second filter, respectively, to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal, and
• predictively encoding the enhancement layer signal based on the enhancement layer prediction signal.

A scalable video encoding method comprising:

• encoding a base layer signal into a coded data stream in a manner allowing reconstructing a reconstructed base layer signal from the coded data stream;
• encoding an enhancement layer signal comprising:
• spatially or temporally predicting a current portion of an enhancement layer, from an already encoded portion of the enhancement layer signal to obtain an enhancement layer internal prediction signal;
• obtaining an inter-layer prediction signal associated with the current portion of the enhancement layer signal based on the reconstructed base layer signal;
• inserting, into the coded data stream, weighting parameters for the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, wherein at least one of the weighting parameters indicates whether the inter-layer prediction signal, the enhancement layer internal prediction signal, or both are used to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal for the current portion of the enhancement layer signal;
• responsive to the at least one of the weighting parameters, determining a weighted average of the inter-layer prediction signal and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal to obtain the enhancement layer prediction signal by:
• filtering the inter-layer prediction signal with a first filter, and filtering the enhancement layer internal prediction signal with a second filter, wherein the first filter has a first transfer function and the second filter has a second transfer function, and
• applying the weighting parameters to the inter-layer prediction signal obtained after filtering with the first filter and the enhancement layer internal prediction signal obtained after filtering with the second filter, respectively, to obtain an enhancement layer prediction signal;
• and
• predictively encoding the enhancement layer signal using the enhancement layer prediction signal.