H.264/AVC based approach to scalable video compression

1. A scalable video compression method for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames, the method comprising:

partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields, the base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprising temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence, wherein each given field of the base layer sequence comprises one of the top and bottom fields of a corresponding partitioned frame of the input frame sequence, and a temporally corresponding field of the enhancement layer sequence comprises the other of the top and bottom fields of the corresponding partitioned frame of the input frame sequence;

encoding the base layer sequence to form a base layer bitstream;

encoding the enhancement layer sequence to form an enhancement layer bitstream, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence; and

outputting the base layer bitstream and the enhancement layer bitstream.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base layer bitstream contains sufficient information to be decoded into a picture sequence independently of the enhancement layer sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of encoding the base layer sequence comprises the step of encoding the base layer sequence into H.264/AVC format, and the step of encoding of the enhancement layer sequence comprises the step of encoding the enhancement layer sequence into H.264/AVC format.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input frame sequence comprises a 1080P @ 60 Hz sequence, and each of the base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence comprises a 1080I @ 60 Hz sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded as a P-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded as a P-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded as a P-picture using a non-temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded as a B-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded as a B-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

11. An apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally alternating sequential frames, the apparatus comprising:

a base layer encoder to encode a base layer sequence of fields comprising temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the input frame sequence; and

an enhancement layer encoder to encode an enhancement layer sequence of fields comprising temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the input frame sequence, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence, each given field of the base layer sequence comprising one of the top and bottom fields of a corresponding frame of the input frame sequence, and a temporally corresponding field of the enhancement layer sequence comprising the other of the top and bottom fields of the corresponding frame of the input frame sequence.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a partitioner responsive to the input frame sequence to generate the base layer sequence of fields and the enhancement layer sequence of fields.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the base layer sequence contains sufficient information to be decoded into a picture sequence independently of the enhancement layer sequence.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the base layer encoder uses H.264/AVC format, and the enhancement layer encoder uses H.264/AVC format.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the input frame sequence comprises a 1080P @ 60 Hz sequence, and each of the base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence comprises a 1080I @ 60 Hz sequence.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the enhancement layer encoder encodes at least one of the fields of the enhancement layer sequence as a P-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the enhancement layer encoder encodes each of the fields of the enhancement layer sequence as a P-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the enhancement layer encoder encodes at least one of the fields of the enhancement layer sequence as a P-picture using a non-temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the enhancement layer encoder encodes at least one of the fields of the enhancement layer sequence as a B-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the enhancement layer encoder encodes each of the fields of the enhancement layer sequence as a B-picture using the temporally corresponding field of the base layer sequence as a reference.