Methods and apparatus for unified significance map coding

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a video encoder for encoding transform coefficients for at least a portion of a picture, the transform coefficients obtained using a plurality of transforms

a decision generator for determining a common rule for creating context sharing maps wherein for each transform coefficient position, a context is mapped according to the common rule for all transforms, regardless of size, and a context sharing map is defined as a map indicative of a probability model for one or more bins of a binary sequence created by uniquely mapping a given non-binary valued syntax element shared among different transform coefficient positions;

a bitstream generator for providing bitstream syntax indicative of said determined common rule;

a map generator to create the context sharing maps for the transformed portion of the picture based on said determined common rule,

wherein one or more context sharing maps are generated for the transform coefficients based on the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, the one or more context sharing maps for providing at least one context that is shared among at least some of the transform coefficients obtained from at least two different ones of the plurality of transforms.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transform coefficients are two-dimensional transform coefficients, and the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture specifies mapping the two-dimensional transform coefficients into a one-dimensional array according to a scanning order, and assigning first N coefficients from among the transform coefficients to separate contexts.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein remaining coefficients from among the transform coefficients are assigned to a single context.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the scanning order is a zig-zag scanning order.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transform coefficients are encoded into a resultant bitstream, multiple rules are used as candidates for the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, and the determined common rule is indicated in the resultant bitstream.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture comprises at least two determined common rules that vary based on video sequences to which the transform coefficients correspond, picture resolutions, and quantization parameters.

7. In a video encoder, a method, comprising:

encoding transform coefficients for at least a portion of a picture, the transform coefficients obtained using a plurality of transforms

determining a common rule for creating context sharing maps wherein for each transform coefficient position, a context is mapped according to the common rule for all transforms, regardless of size, and a context sharing map is defined as a map indicative of a probability model for one or more bins of a binary sequence created by uniquely mapping a given non-binary valued syntax element shared among different transform coefficient positions;

providing bitstream syntax indicative of said determined common rule;

creating the context sharing maps for the transformed portion of the picture based on said determined common rule,

wherein one or more context sharing maps are generated for the transform coefficients based on the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, the one or more context sharing maps for providing at least one context that is shared among at least some of the transform coefficients obtained from at least two different ones of the plurality of transforms.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transform coefficients are two-dimensional transform coefficients, and the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture specifies mapping the two-dimensional transform coefficients into a one-dimensional array according to a scanning order, and assigning first N coefficients from among the transform coefficients to separate contexts.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein remaining coefficients from among the transform coefficients are assigned to a single context.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scanning order is a zig-zag scanning order.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transform coefficients are encoded into a resultant bitstream, multiple rules are used as candidates for the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, and the determined common rule is indicated in the resultant bitstream.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture comprises at least two determined common rules that vary based on video sequences to which the transform coefficients correspond, picture resolutions, and quantization parameters.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a video decoder for decoding transform coefficients for at least a portion of a picture, the transform coefficients obtained using a plurality of transforms,

a decision generator for determining a common rule for creating context sharing maps wherein for each transform coefficient position, a context is mapped according to the common rule for all transforms, regardless of size, and a context sharing map is defined as a map indicative of a probability model for one or more bins of a binary sequence created by uniquely mapping a given non-binary valued syntax element shared among different transform coefficient positions;

a bitstream parser for finding bitstream syntax indicative of said determined common rule;

a map generator to create the context sharing maps for the transformed portion of the picture based on said determined common rule,

wherein one or more context sharing maps are generated for the transform coefficients based on the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, the one or more context sharing maps for providing at least one context that is shared among at least some of the transform coefficients obtained from at least two different ones of the plurality of transforms.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transform coefficients are two-dimensional transform coefficients, and the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture specifies mapping the two-dimensional transform coefficients into a one-dimensional array according to a scanning order, and assigning first N coefficients from among the transform coefficients to separate contexts.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein remaining coefficients from among the transform coefficients are assigned to a single context.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the scanning order is a zig-zag scanning order.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transform coefficients are decoded from a bitstream, multiple rules are used as candidates for the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, and the determined common rule is determined from the bitstream.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture comprises at least two determined common rules that vary based on video sequences to which the transform coefficients correspond, picture resolutions, and quantization parameters.

19. In a video decoder, a method, comprising:

decoding transform coefficients for at least a portion of a picture, the transform coefficients obtained using a plurality of transforms,

determining a common rule for creating context sharing maps wherein for each transform coefficient position, a context is mapped according to the common rule for all transforms, regardless of size, and a context sharing map is defined as a map indicative of a probability model for one or more bins of a binary sequence created by uniquely mapping a given non-binary valued syntax element shared among different transform coefficient positions;

finding bitstream syntax indicative of said determined common rule;

creating the context sharing maps for the transformed portion of the picture based on said determined common rule,

wherein one or more context sharing maps are generated for the transform coefficients based on the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, the one or more context sharing maps for providing at least one context that is shared among at least some of the transform coefficients obtained from at least two different ones of the plurality of transforms.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transform coefficients are two-dimensional transform coefficients, and the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture specifies mapping the two-dimensional transform coefficients into a one-dimensional array according to a scanning order, and assigning first N coefficients from among the transform coefficients to separate contexts.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein remaining coefficients from among the transform coefficients are assigned to a single context.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the scanning order is a zig-zag scanning order.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transform coefficients are decoded from a bitstream, multiple rules are used as candidates for the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture, and the determined common rule is determined from the bitstream.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the determined common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture comprises at least two determined common rules that vary based on video sequences to which the transform coefficients correspond, picture resolutions, and quantization parameters.

25. A non-transitory computer readable storage media having video signal data encoded thereupon, comprising:

transform coefficients encoded for at least a portion of a picture, the transform coefficients obtained using a plurality of transforms;

bitstream syntax indicative of a common rule for creating context sharing maps wherein for each transform coefficient position, a context is mapped according to the common rule for all transforms, regardless of size, and a context sharing map is defined as a map indicative of a probability model for one or more bins of a binary sequence created by uniquely mapping a given non-binary value syntax element shared among different transform coefficient positions,

wherein one or more context sharing maps are generated for the transform coefficients based on the common rule used for the transformed portion of the picture by a video decoder, the one or more context sharing maps for providing at least one context that is shared among at least some of the transform coefficients obtained from at least two different ones of the plurality of transforms.