Layered coding and decoding of image data

A method comprising:

• decoding a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of an encoded source image, wherein the base layer and the source image have a first aspect ratio;
• and
• decoding an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the encoded source image, wherein the second layer has a second aspect ratio, and wherein the second aspect ratio differs from the first aspect ratio.

A method comprising:

• transmitting a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of an image, wherein the base layer and the image have a first aspect ratio;
• and
• transmitting an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the image, wherein the enhancement layer has a second aspect ratio, and wherein the second aspect ratio differs from the first aspect ratio.

An apparatus comprising;

• a base layer generator to generate a base layer having a first aspect ratio, wherein the base layer represents a low-resolution portion of an image, and wherein the image also has the first aspect ratio;
• and
• an enhancement layer generator coupled to the base layer generator to generate an enhancement layer having a second aspect ratio, wherein the enhancement layer represents a high-resolution portion of the image, and wherein the first aspect ratio differs from the second aspect ratio.

An apparatus comprising:

• a base layer decoder to decode a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of an image, wherein the base layer and the image have a first aspect ratio;
• and
• an enhancement layer decoder coupled to the base layer decoder to decode an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the image, wherein the enhancement layer has a second aspect ratio that differs from the first aspect ratio.

One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program comprising the following steps:

• generating a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of a source image, wherein the layer and the source image have a first aspect ratio;
• and
• generating an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the source image, wherein the enhancement layer has a second aspect ratio, and wherein the second aspect ratio is different from the first aspect ratio.

One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program comprising the following steps:

• decoding a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of an encoded source image, wherein the base layer and the source image have a first aspect ratio;
• and
• decoding an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the encoded source image, wherein the enhancement layer has a second aspect ratio, and wherein the first aspect ratio is different from the second aspect ratio.

A method of encoding a source image having a first aspect ratio, the method comprising:

• generating a base layer representing a low-resolution portion of the source image, wherein the base layer has the first aspect ratio;
• and
• generating an enhancement layer representing a high-resolution portion of the source image, wherein the enhancement layer has second aspect ratio, wherein the second aspect ratio differs from the first aspect ratio, and wherein both the base layer and the enhancement layer are used to generate a high-resolution image.