Device and method for scalable coding of video information

1. An apparatus for decoding video information in a bitstream, comprising:

a memory configured to store video data associated with a video layer having a current picture; and

a processor in communication with the memory and configured to:

determine whether a length of a slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero;

based on a determination that the length of the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero, determine that a first syntax element indicative of one or more most significant bits (MSBs) of a picture order count (POC) value associated with the current picture is not present in the bitstream; and

based on the determination that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream, decode the current picture without receiving, in the bitstream, the first syntax element indicative of the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a third syntax element indicative of whether the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is present in the bitstream.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based at least in part on whether the current picture is a clean random access (CRA) picture or a broken link access (BLA) picture.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture;

process an indication that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be provided in the bitstream based on a determination that the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture; and

regardless of the indication that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream, determine that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on the determination that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to set a parameter to zero to indicate that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to decode the video layer based at least in part on a second syntax elements indicative of one or more MSBs of a POC value associated with another picture based on a determination that a length of another slice segment header extension associated with said another picture is not zero.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second syntax element is provided in said another slice segment header extension.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with said another picture are required to be present in the bitstream based on a determination that said another slice segment header extension is present in the bitstream; and

process the second syntax element in the bitstream based on a determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with said another picture are required to be present in the bitstream.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on a determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated are not required to be present in the bitstream.

12. A method of decoding video information in a bitstream, the method comprising:

determining whether a length of a slice segment header extension associated with a current picture in a video layer is zero; and

performing one of:

(i) based on a determination that the length of the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero, determining that a first syntax element indicative of one or more most significant bits (MSBs) of a picture order count (POC) value associated with the current picture is not present in the bitstream, and based on the determination that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream, decoding the current picture without receiving, in the bitstream, the first syntax element indicative of the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture, or

(ii) based on a determination that the length of the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is not zero, determining whether one or more MSBs of a POC value associated with the current picture are required to be present in the bitstream, and based on a determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture are required to be present in the bitstream, decoding the current picture at least in part by receiving, in the bitstream, the first syntax element indicative of the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining whether that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining whether that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a third syntax element indicative of whether the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is present in the bitstream.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining that the first syntax element associated with the current picture is not present in the bitstream based at least in part on whether the current picture is a clean random access (CRA) picture or a broken link access (BLA) picture.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining whether the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture;

determining that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream based on a determination that the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture; and

regardless of the determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream, determining that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on the determination that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising setting a parameter to zero to indicate that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising decoding the video layer based at least in part on a second syntax element indicative of one or more MSBs of a POC value associated with another picture based on a determination that a length of another slice segment header extension associated with said another picture is not zero.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second syntax element is provided in said another slice segment header extension.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising processing the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with said another picture in the bitstream based on a determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with said another picture are required to be present in the bitstream.

22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on a determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated are not required to be present in the bitstream.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

store video data associated with a video layer of a bitstream having a current picture;

determine whether a length of a slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero;

based on a determination that the length of the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero, determine that a first syntax element indicative of one or more most significant bits (MSBs) of a picture order count (POC) value associated with the current picture is not present in the bitstream; and

based on the determination that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream, decode the current picture without receiving, in the bitstream, the first syntax element indicative of the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the code further causes the apparatus to determine whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the code further causes the apparatus to determine whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a third syntax element indicative of whether the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is present in the bitstream.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the code further causes the apparatus to:

determine whether the current picture is a clean random access (CRA) picture or a broken link access (BLA) picture;

determine that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream based on a determination that the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture; and

regardless of the determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream, determine that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on the determination that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero.

27. A video coding device configured to decode video information in a bitstream, the video coding device comprising:

means for storing video data associated with a video layer having a current picture;

means for determining whether a length of a slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero;

means for determining that a first syntax element indicative of one or more most significant bits (MSBs) of a picture order count (POC) value associated with the current picture is not present in the bitstream based on a determination that the length of the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is zero; and

means for decoding the current picture without receiving, in the bitstream, the first syntax element indicative of the one or more MSBs of the POC value associated with the current picture based on the determination that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream.

28. The video coding device of claim 27 , further comprising means for determining whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a second syntax element indicative of the length of the slice segment header extension.

29. The video coding device of claim 27 , further comprising means for determining whether the length of the slice segment header extension is zero based on a third syntax element indicative of whether the slice segment header extension associated with the current picture is present in the bitstream.

30. The video coding device of claim 27 , further comprising:

means for determining whether the current picture is a clean random access (CRA) picture or a broken link access (BLA) picture;

means for determining that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream based on a determination that the current picture is a CRA picture or a BLA picture; and

means for determining, regardless of the determination that the one or more MSBs of the POC value are required to be present in the bitstream, that the first syntax element is not present in the bitstream based on the determination that the length of the slice segment header extension is zero.