Parsing friendly and error resilient merge flag coding in video coding

1. A method for decoding an encoded bit stream for a picture in a video decoder, the method comprising:

decoding a merge flag for a non skip mode inter-predicted prediction unit (PU) from the encoded bit stream;

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for the non skip mode inter-predicted PU for a first value of the merge flag;

adding a zero motion vector merging candidate to the merging candidate list comprising determining a content of the zero motion vector merging candidate based on a prediction type of a slice containing the non skip mode inter-predicted PU wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice ; and

reconstructing the non skip mode inter-predicted PU based on the merging candidate list.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice containing the non skip mode inter-predicted PU is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are set to one.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate is added to the merging candidate list when the merging candidate list is empty.

4. A method for encoding a video stream in a video encoder to generate an encoded bit stream, the method comprising:

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for a prediction unit (PU);

adding a zero motion vector merging candidate to the merging candidate list, wherein content of the zero motion vector merging candidate is determined based on a prediction type of a slice containing the PU; and

encoding a merge flag for the PU in the encoded bit stream, wherein the merge flag is set to a first value indicating merge mode if merge mode is used for inter-prediction of the PU and the merge flag is set to a second value indicating no merge mode if merge mode is not used for inter-prediction of the PU,

wherein a merge flag is always encoded in the encoded bit stream for each inter-predicted PU that is not encoded using skip mode.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising encoding in the encoded bit stream a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are set to one.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate is added to the merging candidate list when the merging candidate list is empty.

8. A method for decoding an encoded video bit stream in a video decoder, the method comprising:

decoding a merge flag for a inter-predicted prediction unit (PU) from the encoded bit stream;

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for the inter-predicted PU;

adding a zero motion vector merging candidate to the merging candidate list, wherein content of the zero motion vector merging candidate is determined based on a prediction type of a slice containing the inter-predicted PU; and

reconstructing the inter-predicted PU based on a value of the merge flag.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a merge flag is always encoded in the encoded bit stream for each inter-predicted PU that is not encoded using skip mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising decoding from the encoded bit stream a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are decoded each with a value of one.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate is added to the merging candidate list when the merging candidate list is empty.

13. A method for decoding an encoded bit stream for a picture, the method comprising:

decoding a merge flag for a inter-predicted prediction unit (PU) not encoded using skip mode from the encoded bit stream;

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for the inter-predicted PU for a first value of the merge flag;

adding a zero motion vector merging candidate to the merging candidate list comprising determining a content of the zero motion vector merging candidate based on a prediction type of a slice containing the inter-predicted PU wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice ;

reconstructing the inter-predicted PU based on the merging candidate list;

reconstructing the picture using the reconstructed inter-predicted PU; and

displaying the picture on a display.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising decoding from the encoded bit stream a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice containing the non skip mode inter-predicted PU is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are decoded as being set to one.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate is added to the merging candidate list when the merging candidate list is empty.

16. A method of processing a picture in video, comprising:

dividing the picture into a plurality of prediction units (PU);

encoding a merge flag into an encoded video bit stream for each of the plurality of prediction units not encoded using a skip mode wherein the merge flag is set to a first value indicating merge mode if merge mode is used to encode code motion parameters and the merge flag is set to a second value indicating no merge mode if merge mode is not used to encode code motion parameters;

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for the each of the plurality of prediction units not encoded using the skip mode and for which the merge flag is set to the first value; and

adding a zero motion vector merging list candidate to at least one of the merging candidate lists wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising encoding in the encoded bit stream a prediction direction indicator comprising a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are set to one.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising capturing the picture using a charge coupled device camera or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the picture using a transceiver.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the picture using a Bluetooth interface.

21. A method of processing a picture in video, comprising:

dividing the picture into a plurality of prediction units (PU);

encoding a merge flag into an encoded video bit stream for each of the plurality of prediction units not encoded using a skip mode wherein the merge flag is set to a first value indicating merge mode if merge mode is used to encode code motion parameters and the merge flag is set to a second value indicating no merge mode if merge mode is not used to encode code motion parameters;

constructing a merge mode motion data vector (merging candidate) list for the each of the plurality of prediction units not encoded using the skip mode and for which the merge flag is set to the first value;

adding a zero motion vector merging list candidate to at least one of the merging candidate lists wherein the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting a motion vector with a value of zero if the slice is a forward predicted slice, and the zero motion vector merging candidate comprises setting two motion vectors with values of zero if the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice; and

storing the encoded video bit stream in a video buffer.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising encoding in the encoded bit stream a a first prediction list utilization flag and a second prediction list utilization flag, and when the slice is a bi-directionally predicted slice, both the first prediction list utilization flag and the second prediction list utilization flag are set to one.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising capturing the picture using a charge coupled device camera or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving the picture using a RF transceiver.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving the picture using a Bluetooth interface.