# US 2013/0156099 A1 · Image decoding method, image coding method, image decoding apparatus, image coding apparatus, program, and integrated circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156099 A1 - Document ID: US20130156099A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,702 - Filed: 2011-09-29 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-30 - Assignees: Panasonic Corporation - Inventors: Hisao Sasai; Takahiro Nishi; Youji Shibahara; Chong Soon Lim; Viktor Wahadaniah; Xuan Jing; Sue Mon Thet Naing - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156099A1 ## CPC - H04N 19/124: Quantisation - H04N 19/119: Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks - H04N 19/12: Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264 - H04N 19/147: according to rate distortion criteria (rate-distortion as a criterion for motion estimation H04N19/567) - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/42: characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation (H04N19/635 takes precedence) - H04N 19/44: Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder - H04N 19/46: Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process (H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence) - H04N 19/61: in combination with predictive coding - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image decoding method which can improve both image quality and coding efficiency is an image decoding method for decoding a coded stream which includes a plurality of processing units and a header for the processing units, the coded stream being generated by coding a moving picture, the processing units including at least one processing unit layered to be split into a plurality of smaller processing units, the image decoding method including specifying a hierarchical layer having a processing unit in which a parameter necessary for decoding is stored, by parsing hierarchy depth information stored in the header, and decoding the processing unit using the parameter stored in the processing unit located at the specified hierarchical layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image decoding method for decoding a coded stream which includes a plurality of processing units and a header for the processing units, the coded stream being generated by coding a moving picture, the processing units including at least one processing unit layered to be split into a plurality of smaller processing units, the image decoding method comprising: specifying a hierarchical layer having a processing unit in which a parameter necessary for decoding is stored, by parsing hierarchy depth information stored in the header; and decoding the processing unit using the parameter stored in the processing unit located at the specified hierarchical layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image decoding method according to claim 1, wherein the coded stream is generated by coding which includes orthogonal transform and quantization, the processing unit is layered to be smaller in a direction from a higher level to a lower level, a coding unit exists as a largest processing unit at a highest hierarchical layer, and a transform unit exists as a processing unit smaller than the coding unit at a lower hierarchical layer that is deeper than the highest hierarchical layer, the parameter is a quantization parameter applied to the transform unit, the hierarchy depth information indicates a lower hierarchical layer that is deeper than the highest hierarchical layer, and (i) a hierarchical layer indicated by the hierarchy depth information or (ii) a hierarchical layer which is higher than the hierarchical layer and is other than the highest hierarchical layer is specified, when specifying a hierarchical layer having a processing unit in which the quantization parameter is stored. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image decoding method according to claim 1, wherein the header is a picture header for a picture including the processing units, and the hierarchy depth information is stored in the picture header. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image decoding method according to claim 2, wherein when the processing unit is decoded, the quantization parameter located, within the processing unit, after a transform coefficient generated by the orthogonal transform and quantization is used. ### Claim 5 An image coding method for generating, by coding a moving picture, a coded stream which includes a plurality of processing units and a header for the processing units, the processing units including at least one processing unit layered to be split into a plurality of smaller processing units, the image coding method comprising: coding the moving picture; writing, into the header, hierarchy depth information for specifying a hierarchical layer having a processing unit in which a parameter necessary for decoding is stored; and writing the parameter into the processing unit located at the hierarchical layer specified by the hierarchy depth information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image coding method according to claim 5, wherein orthogonal transform and quantization are performed on the moving picture when the moving picture is coded, the processing unit is layered to be smaller in a direction from a higher level to a lower level, a coding unit exists as a largest processing unit at a highest hierarchical layer, and a transform unit exists as a processing unit smaller than the coding unit at a lower hierarchical layer that is deeper than the highest hierarchical layer, the parameter is a quantization parameter applied to the transform unit, the hierarchy depth information indicates a hierarchical layer that is lower than the highest hierarchical layer, and the parameter is written into a processing unit at (i) a hierarchical layer indicated by the hierarchy depth information or (ii) a hierarchical layer which is higher than the hierarchical layer and is other than the highest hierarchical layer, when the quantization parameter is written. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image coding method according to claim 5, wherein the header is a picture header for a picture including the processing units, and the hierarchy depth information is written into the picture header when the hierarchy depth information is written. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image coding method according to claim 6, wherein, when the quantization parameter is written, the quantization parameter is written within the processing unit, after a transform coefficient generated by the orthogonal transform and quantization. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image decoding apparatus which decodes a coded stream using the image decoding method according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) An image coding apparatus which codes a moving picture using the image coding method according to claim 5. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing a computer to decode a coded stream using the image decoding method according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing a computer to code a moving picture using the image coding method according to claim 5. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An integrated circuit which decodes a coded stream using the image decoding method according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) An integrated circuit which codes a moving picture using the image coding method according to claim 5.