Coded signal separating and merging apparatus, method and computer program product

A differential coded signal generating apparatus for inputting a first coded moving picture sequence signal and a second coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a differential coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal being generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising:

• first coded signal inputting means for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• second coded signal inputting means for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients;
• and
• differential coded signal generating means for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said first coded signal inputting means and said second coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded signal inputting means to generate said differential coded moving picture sequence signal,
• whereby said differential coded signal generating means is operative to generate said differential coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said first coefficient information obtained from said series of said first picture information of said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coefficient information obtained from said series of said second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal.

A coded signal merging apparatus for inputting a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct a first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising:

• second coded signal inputting means for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• differential coded signal inputting means for inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said differential coded moving picture sequence including differential coefficient information between said first coefficient information and said second coefficient information, each of said original moving picture sequence signal, said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal is in the form of a hierarchical structure including one or more sequence layers each having a plurality of screens sharing common information, one or more picture layers each having a plurality of slices sharing common information with respect to one of said screens, one or more slice layers each having a plurality of macroblocks with respect to one of said slices, one or more macroblock layers each having a plurality of blocks with respect to one of said macroblocks, and one or more block layers each having block information with respect to one of said blocks;
• and
• first coded signal merging means for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded signal inputting means and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal from said differential coded signal inputting means to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal,
• whereby said first coded signal merging means is operative to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said second coefficient information obtained from said series of second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coefficient information obtained from said differential coded signal inputting means.

A coded signal separating and merging apparatus comprising:

• coded signal separating means for transcoding a first coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• and
• coded signal merging means for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal,
• said coded signal separating means including:
• an inputting unit for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• a coded signal converting unit for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said inputting unit, and converting said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted through said inputting unit to generate said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• a differential coded signal generating unit for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal from said coded signal converting unit to generate said differential coded moving picture sequence signal;
• a second coded signal outputting unit for outputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated by said coded signal converting unit;
• and
• a differential coded signal outputting unit for outputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal generated by said differential coded signal generating unit;
• said coded signal merging means including:
• a second coded signal inputting unit for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• a differential coded signal inputting unit for inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• a first coded signal merging unit for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded signal inputting unit and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal from said differential coded signal inputting unit to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal;
• and
• a first coded signal outputting unit for outputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal reconstructed by said first coded signal merging unit.

A coded signal separating method of transcoding a first coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (b) converting said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (a) to generate said second coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients, each of said original moving picture sequence signal, said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coded moving picture sequence signal is in the form of a hierarchical structure including one or more sequence layers each having a plurality of screens sharing common information, one or more picture layers each having a plurality of slices sharing common information with respect to one of said screens, one or more slice layers each having a plurality of macroblocks with respect to one of said slices, one or more macroblock layers each having a plurality of blocks with respect to one of said macroblocks, and one or more block layers each having block information with respect to one of said blocks;
• and
• (c) generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal in response to said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (b),
• whereby said step (c) has the step of generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said first coefficient information obtained from said series of said first picture information of said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coefficient information obtained from said series of said second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal.

A differential coded signal generating method of inputting a first coded moving picture sequence signal and a second coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a differential coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal being generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising the steps of:

• (d) inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (e) inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients;
• and
• (f) generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal,
• whereby said step (f) has the step of generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said first coefficient information obtained from said series of first picture information of said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coefficient information obtained from said series of second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal.

A coded signal merging method of inputting a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct a first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising the steps of:

• (g) inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (h) inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said differential coded moving picture sequence including differential coefficient information between said first coefficient information and said second coefficient information, each of said original moving picture sequence signal, said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal is in the form of a hierarchical structure including one or more sequence layers each having a plurality of screens sharing common information, one or more picture layers each having a plurality of slices sharing common information with respect to one of said screens, one or more slice layers each having a plurality of macroblocks with respect to one of said slices, one or more macroblock layers each having a plurality of blocks with respect to one of said macroblocks, and one or more block layers each having block information with respect to one of said blocks;
• and
• (i) reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (g) and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (h),
• whereby said step (i) has the step of reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said second coefficient information obtained from said series of second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coefficient information obtained in said step (h).

A coded signal separating and merging method comprising the steps of:

• (j) transcoding a first coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• and
• (k) inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal,
• said step (j) further including the steps of:
• (j1) inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (j2) converting said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted through said step (j1) to generate said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• (j3) generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal from said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (j1) and said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated in said step (j2);
• (j4) outputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated in said step (j2);
• and
• (j5) outputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal generated in said step (j3);
• said step (k) including the steps of:
• (k1) inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (k2) inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (k3) reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (k1) and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal inputted in said step (k2);
• and
• (k4) outputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal reconstructed in said step (k3).

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for transcoding a first coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, said computer readable code comprising:

• (a) computer readable program code for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (b) computer readable program code for converting said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (a) to generate said second coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients, each of said original moving picture sequence signal, said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coded moving picture sequence signal is in the form of a hierarchical structure including one or more sequence layers each having a plurality of screens sharing common information, one or more picture layers each having a plurality of slices sharing common information with respect to one of said screens, one or more slice layers each having a plurality of macroblocks with respect to one of said slices, one or more macroblock layers each having a plurality of blocks with respect to one of said macroblocks, and one or more block layers each having block information with respect to one of said blocks;
• and
• (c) computer readable program code for generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal in response to said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (b),
• whereby said computer readable program code (c) has the computer readable program code for generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said first coefficient information obtained from said series of said first picture information of said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coefficient information obtained from said series of said second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for inputting a first coded moving picture sequence signal and a second coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a differential coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal being generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising:

• (d) computer readable program code for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (e) computer readable program code for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients;
• and
• (f) computer readable program code for generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal,
• whereby said computer readable program code (f) has the computer readable program code for generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said first coefficient information obtained from said series of first picture information of said first coded moving picture sequence signal, and said second coefficient information obtained from said series of second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for inputting a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct a first coded moving picture sequence signal, said differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal, comprising:

• (g) computer readable program code for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of transcoding said first coded moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of second picture information having second coefficient information, said second coefficient information including a matrix of second coefficients, said first coded moving picture sequence signal generated as a result of encoding original moving picture sequence signal and consisting of a series of first picture information having first coefficient information, said first coefficient information including a matrix of first coefficients;
• (h) computer readable program code for inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough, said differential coded moving picture sequence including differential coefficient information between said first coefficient information and said second coefficient information, each of said original moving picture sequence signal, said first coded moving picture sequence signal, said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal is in the form of a hierarchical structure including one or more sequence layers each having a plurality of screens sharing common information, one or more picture layers each having a plurality of slices sharing common information with respect to one of said screens, one or more slice layers each having a plurality of macroblocks with respect to one of said slices, one or more macroblock layers each having a plurality of blocks with respect to one of said macroblocks, and one or more block layers each having block information with respect to one of said blocks;
• and
• (i) computer readable program code for reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (g) and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (h),
• whereby said computer readable program code (i) has the computer readable program code for reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal on the basis of said second coefficient information obtained from said series of second picture information of said second coded moving picture sequence signal, and said differential coefficient information obtained by said computer readable program code (h).

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for separating and merging a coded signal comprising:

• (j) computer readable program code for transcoding a first coded moving picture sequence signal to generate a second coded moving picture sequence signal and a differential coded moving picture sequence signal being a difference between said first coded moving picture sequence signal and said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• and
• (k) computer readable program code for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal to reconstruct said first coded moving picture sequence signal,
• said computer readable program code (j) further including:
• (j1) computer readable program code for inputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (j2) computer readable program code for converting said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted through said computer readable program code (j1) to generate said second coded moving picture sequence signal;
• (j3) computer readable program code for generating said differential coded moving picture sequence signal from said first coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (j1) and said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated by said computer readable program code (j2);
• (j4) computer readable program code for outputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal generated by said computer readable program code (j2);
• and
• (j5) computer readable program code for outputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal generated by said computer readable program code (j3);
• said computer readable program code (k) including:
• (k1) computer readable program code for inputting said second coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (k2) computer readable program code for inputting said differential coded moving picture sequence signal therethrough;
• (k3) computer readable program code for reconstructing said first coded moving picture sequence signal from said second coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (k1) and said differential coded moving picture sequence signal inputted by said computer readable program code (k2);
• and
• (k4) computer readable program code for outputting said first coded moving picture sequence signal reconstructed by said computer readable program code (k3).