# US 12,010,331 B2 · Method and apparatus for image encoding, and method and apparatus for image decoding

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- Number: US 12,010,331 B2
- Document ID: US12010331B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/160,712
- Filed: 2023-01-27
- Published: 2023-07-20
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-10
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Minwoo Park; Minsoo Park; Kiho Choi; Narae Choi; Woongil Choi; Chanyul Kim; Seungsoo Jeong; Anish Tamse; Yinji Piao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010331B2

## CPC

- 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 19/186: the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
- H04N 19/119: Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks
- H04N 19/122: Selection of transform size, e.g. 8x8 or 2x4x8 DCT; Selection of sub-band transforms of varying structure or type
- H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
- H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Provided is an image decoding method including determining a plurality of coding units in a chroma image by hierarchically splitting the chroma image, based on a split shape mode of blocks in the chroma image of a current image, and decoding the current image, based on the plurality of coding units in the chroma image. In this regard, the determining of the plurality of coding units in the chroma image may include, when a size or an area of a chroma block from among a plurality of chroma blocks to be generated by splitting a current chroma block in the chroma image is equal to or smaller than a preset size or a preset area, not allowing splitting of the current chroma block based on a split shape mode of the current chroma block, and determining at least one coding unit included in the current chroma block.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image decoding method, comprising:
obtaining one or more luma coding units based on at least one of a split direction and a split type of a luma block;
decoding a luma image based on the obtained one or more luma coding units;
when an area of a chroma block is smaller than or equal to an area predetermined according to tri split type of the chroma block, determining not to allow splitting of the chroma block according to the tri split type and obtaining one or more chroma coding units according to a split type except for the tri split type; and
decoding a chroma image based on the obtained one or more chroma coding units according to the split type.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image decoding method of claim 1, wherein the area predetermined according to the tri split type is 32.

### Claim 3

An image decoding apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor configured to:
obtain one or more luma coding units based on at least one of a split direction and a split type of a luma block;
decode a luma image based on the obtained one or more luma coding units;
when an area of a chroma block is smaller than or equal to an area predetermined according to tri split type of the chroma block, determine not to allow splitting of the chroma block according to the tri split type and obtain one or more chroma coding units according to a split type except for the tri split type; and
decode a chroma image based on the obtained one or more chroma coding units according to the split type.

### Claim 4

An image encoding method, comprising:
determining one or more luma coding units based on at least one of a split direction and a split type of a luma block;
encoding a luma image based on the obtained one or more luma coding units;
when an area of a chroma block is smaller than or equal to an area predetermined according to tri split type of the chroma block, determining not to allow splitting of the chroma block according to the tri split type and determining one or more chroma coding units according to a split type except for the tri split type; and
encoding a chroma image based on the obtained one or more chroma coding units according to the split type.

### Claim 5

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a bitstream, the bitstream being encoded by an image encoding method comprising:
determining one or more luma coding units based on at least one of a split direction and a split type of a luma block;
encoding a luma image based on the obtained one or more luma coding units;
when an area of a chroma block is smaller than or equal to an area predetermined according to tri split type of the chroma block, determining not to allow splitting of the chroma block according to the tri split type and determining one or more chroma coding units according to a split type except for the tri split type; and
encoding a chroma image based on the obtained one or more chroma coding units according to the split type.