# US 12,010,304 B2 · Video encoding/decoding method and apparatus utilizing merge candidate indices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,304 B2 - Document ID: US12010304B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/418,629 - Filed: 2019-12-27 - Published: 2022-03-03 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-27 - Assignees: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Bae Keun Lee; Dong San Jun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010304B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/119: Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks - H04N 19/105: Selection of the reference unit for prediction within a chosen coding or prediction mode, e.g. adaptive choice of position and number of pixels used for prediction - H04N 19/109: among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes - H04N 19/11: among a plurality of spatial predictive coding modes - H04N 19/132: Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking - H04N 19/137: Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference - H04N 19/157: Assigned coding mode, i.e. the coding mode being predefined or preselected to be further used for selection of another element or parameter - H04N 19/159: Prediction type, e.g. intra-frame, inter-frame or bidirectional frame prediction - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/182: the unit being a pixel - H04N 19/186: the unit being a colour or a chrominance component - H04N 19/436: using parallelised computational arrangements - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N 19/96: Tree coding, e.g. quad-tree coding - H04N 19/103: Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode - H04N 19/122: Selection of transform size, e.g. 8x8 or 2x4x8 DCT; Selection of sub-band transforms of varying structure or type - H04N 19/51: Motion estimation or motion compensation - H04N 19/513: Processing of motion vectors - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A video signal encoding/decoding method and apparatus according to the present invention divide a current block into two prediction units, construct a list of merge candidates for the current block, derive motion information of the current block using a merge candidate index and the list of merge candidates of the current block, and perform inter-prediction of the current block using the derived motion information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A video signal decoding method, comprising: configuring a merge candidate list of a current block, the merge candidate list including a plurality of merge candidates; deriving motion information of the current block based on a merge candidate index and the merge candidate list of the current block; and performing inter prediction of the current block based on the derived motion information, wherein the current block is divided into a plurality of partitions including a first partition and a second partition, wherein the merge candidate index includes a first merge candidate index for the first partitions and a second merge candidate index for the second partition, wherein the first merge candidate index and the second merge candidate index are signaled from a bitstream, respectively, wherein the motion information of the current block includes first motion information for the first partition and second motion information for the second partition, wherein the first motion information for the first partition is derived based on a merge candidate with an index equal to the first merge candidate index among the plurality of merge candidates, wherein based on the second merge candidate index being less than the first merge candidate index, the second motion information for the second partition is derived based on a merge candidate with an index equal to the second merge candidate index among the plurality of merge candidates, and wherein based on the second merge candidate index being greater than or equal to the first merge candidate index, the second motion information for the second partition is derived based on a merge candidate with an index resulting from adding 1 to the second merge candidate index among the plurality of merge candidates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current block is divided based on information on a predetermined partitioning line, and wherein the information includes information on at least one of a start point, an end point, an angle, or a direction of the partitioning line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current block is divided based on a size of the current block being greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold size, and wherein a size of the current block is represented as a width, a height, a ratio of the width and the height, or a multiplication of the width and the height of the current block. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the merge candidates include at least one of a spatial merge candidate, a temporal merge candidate, or motion information stored in a buffer with a predetermined size, and; wherein the motion information stored in the buffer is representative of motion information of a block which is decoded before the current block. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: decoding number information indicating a maximum number of the merge candidates, wherein the maximum number of the merge candidates is set based on the decoded number information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the two partitions belonging to the current block share the merge candidate list. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion information has one of motion information of an L0 direction or motion information of an L1 direction according to a value of the first merge candidate index, and wherein the second motion information has one of motion information of the L0 direction or motion information of the L1 direction according to a value of the second merge candidate index or a value of the index resulting from adding 1 to the second merge candidate index. ### Claim 8 A video signal encoding method, comprising: configuring a merge candidate list of a current block, the merge candidate list including a plurality of merge candidates; deriving motion information of the current block by using the merge candidate list of the current block; and encoding a merge candidate index indicating the motion information of the current block, wherein the current block is divided into a plurality of partitions including a first partition and a second partition, wherein the motion information of the current block includes first motion information for the first partition and second motion information for the second partition, wherein the merge candidate index includes a first merge candidate index for the first partitions and a second merge candidate index for the second partition, wherein an index of a first merge candidate having the first motion information among the plurality of merge candidates is encoded as the first merge candidate index for the first partition, wherein based on an index of a second merge candidate having the second motion information among the plurality of merge candidates being less than the index of the first merge candidate, the index of the second merge candidate is encoded as the second merge candidate index for the second partition, and wherein based on the index of the second merge candidate being greater than the index of the first merge candidate, an index resulting from subtracting 1 from the index of the second merge candidate is encoded as the second merge candidate index for the second partition. ### Claim 9 A method of transmitting a bitstream, comprising: configuring a merge candidate list of a current block, the merge candidate list including a plurality of merge candidates; deriving motion information of the current block based on the merge candidate list of the current block; encoding a merge candidate index indicating the motion information of the current block to generate the bitstream; and transmitting the bitstream, wherein the current block is divided into a plurality of partitions including a first partition and a second partition, wherein the motion information of the current block includes first motion information for the first partition and second motion information for the second partition, wherein the merge candidate index includes a first merge candidate index for the first partitions and a second merge candidate index for the second partition, wherein an index of a first merge candidate having the first motion information among the plurality of merge candidates is encoded as the first merge candidate index for the first partition, wherein based on an index of a second merge candidate having the second motion information among the plurality of merge candidates being less than the index of the first merge candidate, the index of the second merge candidate is encoded as the second merge candidate index for the second partition, and wherein based on the index of the second merge candidate being greater than the index of the first merge candidate, an index resulting from subtracting 1 from the index of the second merge candidate is encoded as the second merge candidate index for the second partition.