TECHNIQUES FOR LAYERED VIDEO ENCODING AND DECODING

1 . A method for video decoding comprising:

decoding, with one or more decoding devices, information comprising a description of a layer hierarchy comprising, for each layer, a layer_id, a reference_layer_id, and a dependent_flag;

decoding for at least one access unit, a plurality of layer_not_present_flags, where each layer_not_present_flag is associated with at least one layer and

decoding Slice Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) units belonging to those layer(s) where the associated layer_not_present flag is not set.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein,

Inter-layer prediction between a first layer and a third layer is performed when a layer_not_present_flag associated with second layer is set and, in the layer hierarchy, the third layer depends on the second layer and the second layer depends on the first layer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer_not_present_flags are placed in at least one of a layer not present NAL unit, Access Unit Delimiter NAL unit, GOP header, Picture header, Slice header, or Parameter Set.

4 . A system for video communication comprising:

an encoding device;

a Media Aware Network Element (MANE) coupled to the encoding device; and

a decoding device coupled to the MANE;

wherein:

the encoding device is configured to create and send a first scalable bitstream comprising a layer hierarchy and, for at least one access unit, at least one layer_not_present_flag;

the MANE is configured to receive the first scalable bitstream from the encoder, and create and send a second scalable bitstream to the decoder;

and

the decoding device is configured to decode the second scalable bitstream.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the MANE is further configured to remove at least one layer in one access unit and indicate the removal by setting at least one associated layer_not_present_flag for that access unit.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the encoding device, for at least one access unit, is configured to:

not encode a second layer that, in accordance with the layer hierarchy, is a layer used for inter-layer prediction by a first layer, and

indicate the absence of the second layer by setting a layer_not_present_flag associated with the second layer.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the decoding device is configured to use a third layer for inter-layer prediction of the first layer.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of executable instructions to direct a processor to perform the methods in one of claim 1 - 3 .