Tracking a reference picture on an electronic device

1. A method for tracking a reference picture on an electronic device, comprising:

receiving a bitstream;

decoding a portion of the bitstream to produce a decoded reference picture;

tracking the decoded reference picture in a decoded picture buffer (DPB) with reduced overhead referencing, wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises associating a picture order count (POC) cycle parameter with a decoded picture set that includes the decoded reference picture, and wherein the POC cycle parameter indicates which decoded picture set the decoded reference picture belongs to when already assigned POC values are reused; and

decoding a picture based on the decoded reference picture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises:

determining whether a wrap indicator is received; and

modifying the POC cycle parameter if a wrap indicator is received.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises:

determining whether a transition has occurred between picture sets; and

modifying the POC cycle parameter if the transition has occurred.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether a transition has occurred between picture sets comprises:

determining whether a first picture order count (POC) of a current picture being decoded is less than a second POC of a last decoded picture and whether the second POC minus the first POC is greater than a first threshold;

determining that a transition from an earlier picture set has occurred if the first POC is less than the second POC and if the second POC minus the first POC is greater than the first threshold;

determining whether the first POC is greater than the second POC and whether the first POC minus the second POC is greater than a second threshold;

determining that a transition from a later picture set has occurred if the first POC is greater than the second POC and if the first POC minus the second POC is greater than the second threshold; and

determining that no transition has occurred otherwise.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises a picture order count (POC), the POC cycle parameter and a temporal identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises a slot index that points to a location in the DPB.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises:

a function of a picture order count (POC) and the POC cycle parameter; and

a temporal identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an adaptive slice parameter set or adaptation parameter set (APS) includes at least one of the group consisting of a number of reference pictures, a picture order count, the POC cycle parameter, a temporal identifier picture order count parameter, a picture parameter set number of reference pictures, a picture parameter set picture order count, a picture parameter set picture order count cycle parameter and a picture parameter set temporal identifier picture order count parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a received slice header includes at least one of the group consisting of a number of reference pictures, a picture order count, the POC cycle parameter, a temporal identifier picture order count parameter, a picture parameter set number of reference pictures, a picture parameter set picture order count, a picture parameter set picture order count cycle parameter and a picture parameter set temporal identifier picture order count parameter separately from buffer description information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture is based on an information subindex and a picture order count parameter or a picture parameter set (PPS) picture order count parameter.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a subset of received pictures are referenced using delta referencing and a subset of received pictures are referenced using absolute referencing.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the POC cycle parameter is represented by one of the group consisting of a signed integer and an unsigned integer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein decoding the picture is based on one or more decoded reference pictures.

14. An electronic device configured for tracking a reference picture, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to:

receive a bitstream;

decode a portion of the bitstream to produce a decoded reference picture;

track the decoded reference picture in a decoded picture buffer (DPB) with reduced overhead referencing, wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises associating a picture order count (POC) cycle parameter with a decoded picture set that includes the decoded reference picture, and wherein the POC cycle parameter indicates which decoded picture set the decoded reference picture belongs to when already assigned POC values are reused; and

decode a picture based on the decoded reference picture.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises:

determining whether a wrap indicator is received; and

modifying the POC cycle parameter if a wrap indicator is received.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture comprises:

determining whether a transition has occurred between picture sets; and

modifying the POC cycle parameter if the transition has occurred.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein determining whether a transition has occurred between picture sets comprises:

determining whether a first picture order count (POC) of a current picture being decoded is less than a second POC of a last decoded picture and whether the second POC minus the first POC is greater than a first threshold;

determining that a transition from an earlier picture set has occurred if the first POC is less than the second POC and if the second POC minus the first POC is greater than the first threshold;

determining whether the first POC is greater than the second POC and whether the first POC minus the second POC is greater than a second threshold;

determining that a transition from a later picture set has occurred if the first POC is greater than the second POC and if the first POC minus the second POC is greater than the second threshold; and

determining that no transition has occurred otherwise.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises a picture order count (POC), the POC cycle parameter and a temporal identifier.

19. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises a slot index that points to a location in the DPB.

20. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a buffer description of the decoded reference picture comprises:

a function of a picture order count (POC) and the POC cycle parameter; and

a temporal identifier.

21. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein an adaptive slice parameter set or adaptation parameter set (APS) includes at least one of the group consisting of a number of reference pictures, a picture order count, the POC cycle parameter, a temporal identifier picture order count parameter, a picture parameter set number of reference pictures, a picture parameter set picture order count, a picture parameter set picture order count cycle parameter and a picture parameter set temporal identifier picture order count parameter.

22. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a received slice header includes at least one of the group consisting of a number of reference pictures, a picture order count, the POC cycle parameter, a temporal identifier picture order count parameter, a picture parameter set number of reference pictures, a picture parameter set picture order count, a picture parameter set picture order count cycle parameter and a picture parameter set temporal identifier picture order count parameter separately from buffer description information.

23. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein tracking the decoded reference picture is based on an information subindex and a picture order count parameter or a picture parameter set (PPS) picture order count parameter.

24. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein a subset of received pictures are referenced using delta referencing and a subset of received pictures are referenced using absolute referencing.

25. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the POC cycle parameter is represented by one of the group consisting of a signed integer and an unsigned integer.

26. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein decoding the picture is based on one or more decoded reference pictures.