# US 12,113,976 B2 · Image encoding device and method and image decoding device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,976 B2 - Document ID: US12113976B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/204,010 - Filed: 2023-05-31 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-21 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kazushi Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113976B2 ## 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 19/174: the region being a slice, e.g. a line of blocks or a group of blocks - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/187: the unit being a scalable video layer - H04N 19/30: using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability (H04N19/63 takes precedence) - H04N 19/46: Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process (H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence) - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to an image encoding device and method and an image decoding device and method, which are capable of suppressing an increase in encoding or decoding workload. A current layer of image data including a plurality of layers is encoded and/or decoded with reference to encoding-related information of some areas, of another layer encoded for each of a plurality of certain areas obtained by dividing a picture, according to control of control information used to control the certain area in which the encoding-related information of the other layer is referred to regarding the current layer of the image data. The present disclosure can be applied to image processing devices such as an image encoding device for performing scalable coding on image data and an image decoding device for decoding an encoded data obtained by performing scalable coding on image data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image encoding device for encoding image data including a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, the image encoding device comprising: circuitry configured to: generate control information designating, for a tile of an enhancement layer, a permitted reference area in the base layer, wherein each of the base layer, the at least one enhancement layer, and the permitted reference area comprise one or more tiles, wherein for each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer a picture of the image data is divided into the tiles which are independently decodable; encode the tile of the enhancement layer with reference to encoding-related information of the permitted reference area in the base layer according to the control information; generate information indicating that a tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to a tile division of the base layer such that a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer is same as a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the base layer; generate control information determination information serving as information used to restrict transmission of tile division information including the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on the information indicating that the tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to the tile division of the base layer; generate the control information to not include the tile division information which includes the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on the control information determination information; and transmit encoded data of the image data and the control information which does not include the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the control information designates the tile of the permitted reference area using an identification number allocated in a raster scan order. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the control information designates the tile of the permitted reference area using information indicating a position of the tile in a picture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to transmit information indicating whether or not to control a tile in which the encoding-related information is referred to. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the encoding-related information includes information used for generation of a prediction image used in encoding of the image data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image encoding device according to claim 5, wherein the information used for the generation of the prediction image includes information used for texture prediction of the image data and information used for syntax prediction of the image data, and the control information includes information used to independently control a tile in which the information used for the texture prediction is referred to and a tile in which the information used for the syntax prediction is referred to. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the control information designates a tile in which reference to the encoding-related information of the base layer is permitted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the control information designates a tile in which reference to the encoding-related information of the base layer is prohibited. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image encoding device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: generate the control information for each certain tile of a plurality of certain tiles obtained by dividing the picture of the enhancement layer of the image data; and encode the enhancement layer of the image data with reference to encoding-related information of some tiles of the base layer for each of the tiles according to control of the control information of each tile. ### Claim 10 An image encoding method for encoding image data including a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, the method comprising: generating control information designating, for a tile of an enhancement layer, a permitted reference area in the base layer, wherein each of the base layer, the at least one enhancement layer, and the permitted reference area comprise one or more tiles, wherein for each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer a picture of the image data is divided into the tiles which are independently decodable; encoding the tile of the enhancement layer with reference to encoding-related information of the permitted reference area in the base layer according to the control information; generating information indicating that a tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to a tile division of the base layer such that a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer is same as a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the base layer; generating control information determination information serving as information used to restrict transmission of tile division information including the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on the information indicating that the tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to the tile division of the base layer; generating the control information to not include the tile division information which includes the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on the control information determination information; and transmitting encoded data of the image data and the control information which does not include the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer. ### Claim 11 An image decoding device comprising: circuitry configured to: receive encoded data of a tile of an enhancement layer of image data, the image data including a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, wherein each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer comprises one or more tiles, wherein for each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer a picture of the image data is divided into the tiles which are independently decodable; receive control information designating, for the tile of the enhancement layer, a permitted reference area in the base layer, wherein reference to encoding-related information for the permitted reference area for decoding of the encoded data of the tile of the enhancement layer is permitted, wherein the permitted reference area identifies a set of tiles, wherein the control information is generated to not include tile division information which includes a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on control information determination information serving as information used to restrict transmission of the tile division information including the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on information indicating that a tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to a tile division of the base layer such that a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer is same as a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the base layer; and decode the encoded data with reference to the permitted reference area according to control of the control information which does not include the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image decoding device according to claim 11, wherein the control information designates the set of tiles using an identification number allocated in a raster scan order, information indicating positions of the tile in vertical and horizontal directions in a picture, or information indicating a data position of the tile in the encoded data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image decoding device according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive information indicating whether it is possible to detect the tile division of the enhancement layer with reference to the tile division of the base layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image decoding device according to claim 11, wherein the control information designates a tile in which the encoding-related information of the base layer is referred to. ### Claim 15 An image decoding method comprising: receiving encoded data of a tile of an enhancement layer of image data, the image data including a base layer and at least one enhancement layer, wherein each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer comprises one or more tiles, wherein for each of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer a picture of the image data is divided into the tiles which are independently decodable; receiving control information designating, for the tile of the enhancement layer, a permitted reference area in the base layer, wherein reference to encoding-related information for the permitted reference area for decoding of the encoded data of the tile of the enhancement layer is permitted, wherein the permitted reference area identifies a set of tiles, wherein the control information is generated to not include tile division information which includes a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on control information determination information serving as information used to restrict transmission of the tile division information including the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer based on information indicating that a tile division of the enhancement layer is similar to a tile division of the base layer such that a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the enhancement layer is same as a number of tile columns and a number of tile rows of the base layer; and decoding the encoded data with reference to the permitted reference area according to control of the control information which does not include the number of tile columns and the number of tile rows of the enhancement layer.