Skip macroblock coding

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of processing plural video images in a video image sequence, the method comprising:

• selecting a coding mode from a group of plural available coding modes;
• and
• processing a bit plane according to the selected coding mode, wherein the bit plane includes binary information signifying whether macroblocks in a predicted video image are skipped or not skipped, and wherein a macroblock in the predicted video image is skipped if the motion for the macroblock is equal to the predicted motion of the macroblock and the macroblock has no residual error.

In a computer system, a method of processing plural video images of a video sequence, the plural video images including one or more predicted video images, wherein each of the one or more predicted video images includes plural macroblocks, the method comprising:

• processing one or more skipped macroblocks among the plural macroblocks of at least one of the one or more predicted video images, wherein each of the at least one of the one or more predicted video images is predicted from no more than one reference video image, wherein each of the one or more skipped macroblocks uses predicted motion for the skipped macroblock based upon motion of one or more other macroblocks, and wherein each of the one or more skipped macroblocks lacks residual information.

In a computer system, a method of processing plural video images of a video sequence, the plural video images including plural predicted macroblocks, wherein each of the plural predicted macroblocks is predicted from no more than one reference video image, the method comprising:

• processing one or more skipped macroblocks among the plural predicted macroblocks, wherein each of the one or more skipped macroblocks uses predicted motion for the skipped macroblock based upon motion of one or more other predicted macroblocks, and wherein each of the one or more skipped macroblocks lacks residual information.

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of processing one or more images in a video image sequence, wherein a bitstream syntax for the video image sequence includes plural hierarchical layers, the plural hierarchical layers including at least a sequence layer, a picture layer, and a macroblock layer, the method comprising:

• processing a bit plane at a layer higher than the macroblock layer in the bitstream syntax for the video image sequence, wherein the bit plane includes binary information for plural macroblocks in an image in the video image sequence, wherein each of the plural macroblocks includes plural blocks, wherein each of the plural blocks includes plural pixels, and wherein the binary information includes one bit for each of the plural macroblocks in the image.

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of processing one or more images in a video image sequence, wherein a bitstream syntax for the video image sequence includes plural hierarchical layers, the plural hierarchical layers including at least a picture layer and a macroblock layer, the method comprising:

• processing skipped macroblock information at a layer higher than the macroblock layer in the bitstream syntax for the video image sequence, wherein the skipped macroblock information is for plural macroblocks in an image in the video image sequence, wherein each of the plural macroblocks includes plural blocks, wherein each of the plural blocks includes plural pixels.

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of processing plural images in a video image sequence, wherein skipped macroblock information is associated with the plural images, the method comprising:

• selecting a coding mode from a group of plural available coding modes, wherein at least two of the plural available coding modes involve reduction of bitrate associated with the skipped macroblock information;
• and
• processing the skipped macroblock information according to the selected coding mode.

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of compressing a bit plane comprising binary symbols in a matrix arranged in rows or columns, the method comprising:

• for each row in the bit plane where each binary symbol in the row is equal to a first value, or for each column in the bit plane where each binary symbol in the column is equal to a first value, encoding the row or column with a single bit in an encoded bit stream;
• and
• for each row in the bit plane where at least one binary symbol in the row is not equal to the first value, or for each column in the bit plane where at least one binary symbol in the column is not equal to the first value, encoding the row or column with one bit per binary symbol in the row or column.

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method of processing one or more video images, the method comprising:

• processing a bit plane according to a coding mode, wherein the bit plane includes binary information for plural units of a video image, wherein the binary information represents characteristics of the plural units of the video image, wherein each of the plural units includes plural pixels, wherein the binary information includes one bit for each of the plural units of the video image, and wherein an invert flag indicates whether to invert the bit plane as part of the processing.