# US 2020/0288177 A1 · Encode/decode strategy for mitigating irregular decoding time > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0288177 A1 - Document ID: US20200288177A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/884,839 - Filed: 2020-05-27 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-27 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC - Inventors: Hung-Ju Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200288177A1 ## CPC - H04N 19/91: Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding - H04N 19/13: Adaptive entropy coding, e.g. adaptive variable length coding [AVLC] or context adaptive binary arithmetic coding [CABAC] - H04N 19/157: Assigned coding mode, i.e. the coding mode being predefined or preselected to be further used for selection of another element or parameter - H04N 19/172: the region being a picture, frame or field - H04N 19/189: characterised by the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type used for the adaptive coding - H04N 19/463: by compressing encoding parameters before transmission - H04N 19/50: using predictive coding (H04N19/61 takes precedence) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Aspects of the present disclosure include methods and systems for encoding and decoding digital pictures. Encoding may include determining a frame type of the digital picture, and encoding the digital picture with an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture. Decoding may include determining whether an encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information that specifies an encoding method used to encode the encoded digital picture; and decoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the identifying information when the encoded digital picture includes the encoding method identifying information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A digital picture encoding method, comprising: determining a frame type of a digital picture, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method; and encoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether the digital picture is an I-frame, an IDR frame, a P-frame, or a B-frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein encoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture with a table look-up method when the digital picture is an I-frame or an IDR-frame, and encoding the digital picture with an arithmetic method when the digital picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the table look-up method is Context-adaptive variable-length coding (CAVLC). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the arithmetic method is Context Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein encoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture using the table look-up method when it is determined it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using the table look-up method instead of the arithmetic method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a size of the digital picture when encoded when the picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a tradeoff between a size and a decoding time for the digital picture when encoded by the table look-up method compared to the arithmetic method. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting information identifying the entropy coding method in a header of the digital picture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting information identifying the entropy coding method in a header of the digital picture when the digital picture is an I-frame or IDR-frame, or a P-frame or B-frame immediately subsequent to an I-frame or IDR-frame. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: a processor; a memory; and processor executable instructions embodied in the memory, the instructions being configured to implement a digital picture encoding method upon execution by the processor, the method comprising: determining a frame type of the digital picture, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method; and encoding the digital picture with an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether the digital picture is an I-frame, an IDR frame, a P-frame, or a B-frame. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein encoding the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture with a table look-up method when the digital picture is an I-frame or an IDR-frame, and encoding the digital picture with an arithmetic method when the digital picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein encoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture using the table look-up method when it is determined it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using the table look-up method instead of the arithmetic method. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a size of the digital picture when encoded when the picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a tradeoff between a size and a decoding time for the digital picture when encoded by the table look-up method compared to the arithmetic method. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprising inserting information identifying the entropy coding method in a header of the digital picture. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions embodied therein, the instructions being configured to implement a digital picture encoding method upon execution by a processor, the method comprising: determining a frame type of the digital picture, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method; and encoding the digital picture with an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the frame type of the digital picture includes determining whether the digital picture is an I-frame, an IDR frame, a P-frame, or a B-frame. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein encoding the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture with a table look-up method when the digital picture is an I-frame or an IDR-frame, and encoding the digital picture with an arithmetic method when the digital picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein encoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the frame type of the digital picture includes encoding the digital picture using the table look-up method when it is determined it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using the table look-up method instead of the arithmetic method. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a size of the digital picture when encoded when the picture is a P-frame or a B-frame. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining whether it would be advantageous to encode the digital picture using a table look-up method instead of an arithmetic method includes determining a tradeoff between a size and a decoding time for the digital picture when encoded by the table look-up method compared to the arithmetic method. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprising inserting information identifying the entropy coding method in a header of the digital picture. ### Claim 25 A digital picture decoding method, comprising: determining whether an encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information that specifies an encoding method used to encode the encoded digital picture; and decoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the identifying information when the encoded digital picture includes the encoding method identifying information. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein determining whether the encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information specifying the encoding method used to encode the coded digital picture includes checking a header of the coded digital picture. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising decoding the encoded digital picture using a decoding method used to decode a previous digital picture immediately before the encoded digital picture when the header does not include decoding method identifying information. ### Claim 28 A system, comprising: a processor; a memory; and processor executable instructions embodied in the memory, the instructions being configured to implement a digital picture decoding method upon execution by the processor, the method comprising: determining whether an encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information that specifies an encoding method used to encode the encoded digital picture; and decoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the identifying information when the encoded digital picture includes the encoding method identifying information. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The system of claim 28, wherein the digital picture decoding method includes determining whether the encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information specifying the encoding method used to encode the coded digital picture includes by checking a header of the coded digital picture. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The system of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises: decoding the encoded digital picture using a decoding method used to decode a previous digital picture immediately before the encoded digital picture when the header does not include decoding method identifying information. ### Claim 31 A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions embodied therein, the instructions being configured to implement a digital picture decoding method upon execution by a processor, the method comprising: determining whether an encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information that specifies an encoding method used to encode the encoded digital picture; and decoding the digital picture using an entropy coding method in accordance with the identifying information when the encoded digital picture includes the encoding method identifying information. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the digital picture decoding method includes determining whether the encoded digital picture includes decoding method identifying information specifying the encoding method used to encode the coded digital picture includes by checking a header of the coded digital picture. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises: decoding the encoded digital picture using a decoding method used to decode a previous digital picture immediately before the encoded digital picture when the header does not include decoding method identifying information.