# US 2013/0156102 A1 · Method and appratus to prioritize video information during coding and decoding > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156102 A1 - Document ID: US20130156102A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/764,075 - Filed: 2013-02-11 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 1998-05-06 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Inventors: Barin Geoffry Haskell; Atul Puri; Robert Lewis Schmidt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156102A1 ## CPC - H04N 19/46: Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process (H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence) - H04N 19/20: using video object coding - H04N 19/50: using predictive coding (H04N19/61 takes 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 A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: assigning, via a processor, to a video object layer of a video object a video object layer priority code of at least 2 bits which specifies a priority of the video object layer, the video object layer priority code taking values between 1 and 7 inclusive; and encoding the video object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting an encoded video object in a bitstream, wherein the encoded video object is produced by the encoding of the video object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting a video object layer identifier code in the bitstream, wherein the video object layer identifier code indicates whether a priority has been specified for the video object layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the video object layer identifier code comprises an is_video_object_layer_identifier flag and the video object layer priority code comprises a video_object_layer_priority code. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein causal video object planes are assigned to a first video object layer and non-causal video object planes are assigned to a second video object layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein intra-coded video object planes and predictive coded video object planes are assigned to a first video object layer and bidirectionally-predictive coded video object planes are assigned to a second video object layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the video object layer priority code is a 3-bit code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein “1” represents a higher priority and “7” represents a lower priority. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, result in the processor performing operations comprising: assigning to a video object layer of a video object a video object layer priority code of at least 2 bits which specifies a priority of the video object layer, the video object layer priority code taking values between 1 and 7 inclusive; and encoding the video object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising: transmitting an encoded video object in a bitstream, wherein the encoded video object is produced by the encoding of the video object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising transmitting a video object layer identifier code in the bitstream, wherein the video object layer identifier code indicates whether a priority has been specified for the video object layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the video object layer identifier code comprises an is_video_object_layer_identifier flag and the video object layer priority code comprises a video_object_layer_priority code. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein causal video object planes are assigned to a first video object layer and non-causal video object planes are assigned to a second video object layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein intra-coded video object planes and predictive coded video object planes are assigned to a first video object layer and bidirectionally-predictive coded video object planes are assigned to a second video object layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the video object layer priority code is a 3-bit code. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein “1” represents a higher priority and “7” represents a lower priority. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, result in the computing device performing operations comprising: assigning, via a processor, to a video object layer of a video object a video object layer priority code of at least 2 bits which specifies a priority of the video object layer, the video object layer priority code taking values between 1 and 7 inclusive; and encoding the video object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising: transmitting an encoded video object in a bitstream, wherein the encoded video object is produced by the encoding of the video object. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising transmitting a video object layer identifier code in the bitstream, wherein the video object layer identifier code indicates whether a priority has been specified for the video object layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the video object layer identifier code comprises an is_video_object_layer_identifier flag and the video object layer priority code comprises a video_object_layer_priority code.