# US 9,438,901 B2 · Image coding method and device for buffer management of decoder, and image decoding method and device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,901 B2 - Document ID: US9438901B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/287,685 - Filed: 2014-05-27 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-25 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Young-o Park; Chan-yul Kim; Kwang-pyo Choi; Jeong-hoon Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438901B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/152: by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer - H04N 19/44: Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Provided are methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding an image. The method of encoding includes: determining a maximum size of a buffer to decode each image frame by a decoder, a number of image frames to be reordered, and latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between an encoding order and a display order from among image frames that form an image sequence, based on an encoding order the image frames that form the image sequence, an encoding order of reference frames referred to by the image frames, a display order of the image frames, and a display order of the reference frames; and adding, to a mandatory sequence parameter set, a first syntax indicating the maximum size of the buffer, a second syntax indicating the number of image frames to be reordered, and a third syntax indicating the latency information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of encoding an image, the method comprising: determining reference frames respectively of image frames that form an image sequence by performing motion prediction and compensation, and encoding the image frames by using the determined reference frames; determining a maximum size of a buffer to decode the encoded image frames by a decoder and a number of image frames to be reordered, based on an encoding order of the image frames, an encoding order of the reference frames referred to by the image frames, a display order of the image frames, and a display order of the reference frames; determining latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between an encoding order and a display order, from among the image frames that form the image sequence, based on the number of image frames to be reordered; and adding, to a mandatory sequence parameter set that is a set of information related to encoding of the image sequence, a first syntax indicating the determined maximum size of the buffer, a second syntax indicating the determined number of image frames to be ordered, and a third syntax indicating the determined latency information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first syntax is a maximum decoded frame buffering syntax obtained based on the encoding order of the image frames and the encoding order of the reference frames referred to by the image frames. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second syntax is a num_reorder frames syntax obtained based on a maximum number of image frames that are encoded first based on the encoding order of the image frames from among the image frames that form the image sequence, and then are displayed after a post-encoded image frame based on the display order. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the third syntax is a max_latency_increase syntax obtained by using a difference value between the second syntax and a MaxLatencyFrames syntax indicating a maximum value of a difference between the encoding order and the display order of the image frames that form the image sequence. ### Claim 5 An apparatus for encoding an image, the apparatus comprising: an encoder configured to determine reference frames respectively of image frames that form an image sequence by performing motion prediction and compensation, and to encode the image frames by using the determined reference frames; and an outputter configured to determine a maximum size of a buffer to decode the image frames by a decoder and a number of image frames to be reordered, based on an encoding order of the image frames, an encoding order of the reference frames referred to by the image frames, a display order of the image frames, and a display order of the reference frames, to determine latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between an encoding order and a display order, from among the image frames that form the image sequence, based on the number of image frames to be reordered, and to generate a bitstream by adding, to a mandatory sequence parameter set that is a set of information related to encoding of the image sequence, a first syntax indicating the determined maximum size of the buffer, a second syntax indicating the determined number of image frames to be ordered, and a third syntax indicating the determined latency information. ### Claim 6 A method of decoding an image, the method comprising: obtaining, from a bitstream, a first syntax indicating a maximum size of a buffer to decode each of image frames that form an image sequence, a second syntax indicating a number of image frames displayed after a post-decoded image frame and to be reordered, and a third syntax indicating latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between a decoding order and a display order from among the image frames that form the image sequence; setting, based on the first syntax, the maximum size of the buffer to decode the image sequence by the decoder; obtaining encoded data, in which the image frames are encoded, from the bitstream, and obtaining decoded image frames by decoding the obtained encoded data; storing the decoded image frames in the buffer of the decoder; and determining, based on the second syntax and the third syntax, whether to output an image frame stored in the buffer of the decoder, wherein the first syntax, the second syntax, and the third syntax are included in a mandatory sequence parameter set that is a set of information related to encoding of the image sequence. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the buffer is a decoded picture buffer that stores a decoded image frame for storing of a reference frame, switching of a display order of an image frame, and outputting of an image frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first syntax is a max_dec_frame_buffering syntax obtained based on the decoding order of the image frames, and a decoding order of reference frames referred to by the image frames. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second syntax is a num_reorder_frames syntax obtained based on a maximum number of image frames that are decoded first based on the decoding order of the image frames that form the image sequence, and then are displayed after a post-decoded image frame based on the display order. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the third syntax is a max_latency_increase syntax obtained by using a difference value between the second syntax and a MaxLatencyFrames syntax indicating a maximum value of a difference between the decoding order and the display order of the image frames that form the image sequence. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for decoding an image, the apparatus comprising: an image data and encoding information extractor configured to obtain, from a bitstream, a first syntax indicating a maximum size of a buffer to decode each of image frames that form an image sequence, a second syntax indicating a number of image frames displayed after a post-decoded image frame and to be reordered, a third syntax indicating latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between a decoding order and a display order from among the image frames that form the image sequence, and encoded data in which the image frames are encoded; a decoder configured to obtain decoded image frames by decoding the obtained encoded data; and a buffer configured to store the decoded image frames, wherein the buffer sets the maximum size of the buffer to decode the image sequence by using the first syntax, and determines whether to output a stored image frame by using the second syntax and the third syntax, and wherein the first syntax, the second syntax, and the third syntax are included in a mandatory sequence parameter set that is a set of information related to encoding of the image sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the buffer is a decoded picture buffer that stores a decoded image frame for storing of a reference frame, switching of a display order of an image frame, and outputting of an image frame. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first syntax is a max_dec_frame_buffering syntax obtained based on the decoding order of the image frames, and a decoding order of reference frames referred to by the image frames. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second syntax is a num_reorder_frames syntax obtained based on a maximum number of image frames that are decoded first based on the decoding order from among the image frames that form the image sequence, and then are displayed after a post-decoded image frame based on the display order. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third syntax is a max_latency_increase syntax obtained by using a difference value between the second syntax and a MaxLatencyFrames syntax indicating a maximum value of a difference between the decoding order and the display order of the image frames that form the image sequence.