Encoding and decoding a point cloud using patches for in-between samples

1. A method comprising:

encoding at least one attribute of first 3D samples of a point cloud, wherein the at least one attribute of said first 3D samples is encoded as at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples; wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image,

encoding at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples is encoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples; and

encoding an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images,

wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encoding another information indicating how a separate image is compressed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein

3D coordinates of said first 3D samples are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a first geometry image,

3D coordinates of the in-between 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on a projection plane onto which the in-between 3D samples are projected and codewords encoded in an occupancy image wherein one bit of codewords indicates a location of an in-between 3D sample along the projection line, and

3D coordinates of said orthogonally projected 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on the projection plane onto which the orthogonally projected 3D samples are projected and as values of said pixels.

4. A method comprising:

decoding at least one attribute of first 3D samples of a point cloud, wherein the at least one attribute of said first 3D samples is decoded from at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples, wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are decoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image;

decoding at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples is decoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples; and

decoding an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images, wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one attribute of said 3D samples, the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, and said information are decoded from a video stream being hierarchically structured at a group of pictures level, frame level and patch level, and wherein said information is valid either at the group of pictures level, frame level, atlas level or patch level.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising decoding another information indicating how a separate image is compressed.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein

3D coordinates of said first 3D samples are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a first geometry image,

3D coordinates of the in-between 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on a projection plane onto which the in-between 3D samples are projected and codewords encoded in an occupancy image wherein one bit of codewords indicates a location of an in-between 3D sample along the projection line, and

3D coordinates of said orthogonally projected 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on the projection plane onto which the orthogonally projected 3D samples are projected and as values of said pixels.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein codewords are packed to form at least one second geometry patch of 2D samples is stored in an occupancy map.

9. An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:

encode at least one attribute of first 3D samples of a point cloud, wherein the at least one attribute of said first 3D samples is encoded as at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples, wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image;

encode at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples is encoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples; and

encode an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images,

wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to encode another information indicating how a separate image is compressed.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein

3D coordinates of said first 3D samples are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a first geometry image,

3D coordinates of the in-between 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on a projection plane onto which the in-between 3D samples are projected and codewords encoded in an occupancy image wherein one bit of codewords indicates a location of an in-between 3D sample along the projection line, and

3D coordinates of said orthogonally projected 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on the projection plane onto which the orthogonally projected 3D samples are projected and as values of said pixels.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein codewords are packed to form at least one second geometry patch of 2D samples is stored in an occupancy map.

13. An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:

decode at least one attribute of first 3D samples, wherein the at least one attribute of said first 3D samples is decoded from at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples, wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are decoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image;

decode at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples is decoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples; and

decode an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images,

wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one attribute of said 3D samples, the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, and said information are decoded from a video stream being hierarchically structured at a group of pictures level, frame level and patch level, and wherein said information is valid either at the group of pictures level, frame level, atlas level or patch level.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , further configured for decoding another information indicating how a separate image is compressed.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein

3D coordinates of said first 3D samples are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a first geometry image,

3D coordinates of the in-between 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on a projection plane onto which the in-between 3D samples are projected and codewords encoded in an occupancy image wherein one bit of codewords indicates a location of an in-between 3D sample along the projection line, and

3D coordinates of said orthogonally projected 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on the projection plane onto which the orthogonally projected 3D samples are projected and as values of said pixels.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein codewords are packed to form at least one second geometry patch of 2D samples is stored in an occupancy map.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising coded data representative of a point cloud, the coded data comprising:

at least one video data attribute of first 3D samples of the point cloud, wherein the at least one video data attribute of said first 3D samples is encoded as at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples, wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image;

at least one video data attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one video data attribute of in-between 3D samples is encoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples; and

an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images,

wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein

3D coordinates of said first 3D samples are encoded as pixel values of a patch of a first geometry image,

3D coordinates of the in-between 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on a projection plane onto which the in-between 3D samples are projected and codewords encoded in an occupancy image wherein one bit of codewords indicates a location of an in-between 3D sample along the projection line, and

3D coordinates of said orthogonally projected 3D samples are encoded as coordinates of pixels on the projection plane onto which the orthogonally projected 3D samples are projected and as values of said pixels.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for causing one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

decoding at least one attribute of first 3D samples of a point cloud, wherein the least one attribute of said first 3D samples is decoded from at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples, wherein said first 3D samples being 3D samples whose 3D coordinates are decoded as pixel values of a patch of a geometry image;

decoding at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples, in-between 3D samples being 3D samples of the point cloud located between two orthogonally projected 3D samples of the point cloud along a same projection line, wherein the at least one attribute of in-between 3D samples is decoded as at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples in an image; and

decoding an information indicating whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples and said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples are stored in separate images,

wherein the information comprises

a first flag that indicates whether said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a first image or if said at least one first attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with an other attribute patch of 2D samples in a second image, and

a second flag that indicates whether said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored in a third image or if said at least one second attribute patch of 2D samples is stored with the other attribute patch of 2D samples in said second image.