Image decoding method, image coding method, image decoding apparatus, image coding apparatus, and image coding and decoding apparatus

1. An image decoding method comprising:

receiving a plurality of slices of an image, wherein the plurality of slices includes one or more normal slices and one or more dependent slices, wherein a normal slice has a slice header that includes information useable for decoding any subsequent dependent slice, and the image including one or more rows of largest coding units (LCUs);

decoding a first normal slice in a first row of LCUs;

when the first normal slice in the first row of LCUs starts at a position other than a beginning of the first row of LCUs;

decoding all subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice, wherein the subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice are entirely included within the first row of LCUs; and

decoding a second normal slice, wherein the second normal slice is at the beginning of a second row of LCUs immediately following the first row of LCUs, and further wherein the second normal slice is different from the first normal slice.

2. The image decoding method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

decoding, from a slice header of each of the plurality of slices, information indicating whether each of the plurality of slices is either a normal slice or a dependent slice.

3. The image decoding method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

decoding an indicator from the slice header indicating that parallel processing of each row of LCUs is enabled, and that a starting location of each of the plurality of slices is restricted.

4. The image decoding method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

when decoding a dependent slice that starts at the beginning of the second row of LCUs, initializing arithmetic decoding of the second row of LCUs using a context obtained after arithmetic decoding of one of coding units located in a second LCU in the first row of LCUs, regardless of type and location of slices in the first row of LCUs.

5. The image decoding method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

decoding the first row of LCUs and the second row of LCUs in parallel using wavefront parallel processing.

6. The image decoding method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

decoding of the second LCUs row without referring to type or location of a slice in the first row of LCUs.

7. An image decoding apparatus comprising:

receiving circuitry configured to receive a plurality of slices of an image, wherein the plurality of slices includes one or more normal slices and one or more dependent slices, wherein a normal slice has a slice header that includes information useable for decoding any subsequent dependent slice, and the image including one or more rows of largest coding units (LCUs);

decoding circuitry configured to:

decode a first normal slice in a first row of LCUs;

when the first normal slice in the first row of LCUs starts at a position other than a beginning of the first row of LCUs:

decoding all subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice, wherein the subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice are entirely included within the first row of LCUs, and

decode a second normal slice, wherein the second normal slice is at the beginning of a second row of LCUs immediately following the first row of LCUs, and further wherein the second normal slice is different from the first normal slice.

8. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the decoding circuitry is configured to:

decode, from a slice header of each of the plurality of slices, information indicating whether each of the plurality of slices is either a normal slice or a dependent slice.

9. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the decoding circuitry is configured to:

decode an indicator from the slice header indicating that parallel processing of each row of LCUs is enabled, and that a starting location of each of the plurality of slices is restricted.

10. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when decoding a dependent slice that starts at the beginning of the second row of LCUs, the decoding circuitry is configured to:

initialize arithmetic decoding of the second row of LCUs using a context obtained after arithmetic decoding of one of coding units located in a second LCU in the first row of LCUs, regardless of type and location of slices in the first row of LCUs.

11. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 7 , the decoding circuitry is configured to:

decode the first row of LCUs and the second LCUs row in parallel using wavefront parallel processing.

12. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the decoding circuitry is configured to:

decode the second LCUs row without referring to type or location of a slice in the first row of LCUs.

13. At least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of slices of an image, wherein the plurality of slices includes one or more normal slices and one or more dependent slices, wherein a normal slice has a slice header that includes information useable for decoding any subsequent dependent slice, and the image including one or more rows of largest coding units (LCUs);

decoding a first normal slice in a first row of LCUs;

when the first normal slice in the first row of LCUs starts at a position other than a beginning of the first row of LCUs:

decoding all subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice, wherein the subsequent dependent slices which use information included in the slice header of the first normal slice are entirely included within the first row of LCUs, and

decoding a second normal slice, wherein the second normal slice is at the beginning of a second LCUs row immediately following the first row of LCUs, and further wherein the second normal slice is different from the first normal slice.

14. The medium of claim 13 , further encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform:

decoding, from a slice header of each of the plurality of slices, information indicating whether each of the plurality of slices is either a normal slice or a dependent slice.

15. The medium of claim 13 , further encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform:

decoding an indicator from the plurality of slices indicating that parallel processing of each row of LCUs is enabled, and that a starting location of each of the plurality of slices is restricted.

16. The medium of claim 13 , further encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform:

when decoding a dependent slice that starts at the beginning of the second row of LCU, initializing arithmetic decoding of the second row of LCUs using a context obtained after arithmetic decoding of one of coding units located in a second LCU in the first row of LCUs, regardless of type and location of slices in the first row of LCUs.

17. The medium of claim 13 , further encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform:

decoding the first row of LCUs and the second row of LCUs in parallel using wavefront parallel processing.

18. The medium of claim 17 , further encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform:

decoding of the second row of LCUs without referring to type or location of a slice in the first row of LCUs.