Apparatus and method for decoding a plurality of encoded video signals

Claim 1

An apparatus for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals each video signal included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectrionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of an I, P and B coded video picture, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said apparatus comprising: means responsive to said encoded video signals to produce error-corrected encoded video signals; decoding means for decoding said error-corrected encoded video signals and for using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; means for detecting errors in said encoded video signals, for determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and for inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting means for substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected video signals for an encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 2

An apparatus for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals each video signal included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectrionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of an I, P and B coded video picture, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said apparatus comprising: means responsive to said encoded video signals to produce error-corrected encoded video signals; decoding means for decoding said error-corrected encoded video signals and for using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; means for detecting errors in said encoded video signals, for determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and for inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting means for substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected video signals for an encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 8

A method for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals each video signal included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of an I, P and B coded video picture, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said method comprising the steps of: responding to said encoded video signals to produce error-corrected encoded video signals; decoding said error-corrected encoded video signals and using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; detecting errors in said encoded video signals, determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected video signals for an encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 9

A method for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals each video signal included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of an I, P and B coded video picture, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said method comprising the steps of: responding to said encoded video signals to produce error-corrected encoded video signals; decoding said error-corrected encoded video signals and using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; detecting errors in said encoded video signals, determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected video signals for an encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 15

An apparatus for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals recorded on a recording medium, each of said video signals included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of a plurality of I, P and B coded video pictures, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said apparatus comprising: means for reproducing said encoded video signals from said recording medium, each reproduced encoded video signal representing one of said I, P and B coded video pictures and arranged in a coding sequence representing a corresponding sequence of coded video pictures; means responsive to the reproduced encoded video signals to produce error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals; decoding means for decoding said error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals and for using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; means for detecting errors in said reproduced encoded video signals, for determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and for inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting means for substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected reproduced video signals for a reproduced encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 16

An apparatus for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals recorded on a recording medium, each of said video signals included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of a plurality of I, P and B coded video pictures, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said apparatus comprising: means for reproducing said encoded video signals from said recording medium, each reproduced encoded video signal representing one of said I, P and B coded video pictures and arranged in a coding sequence representing a corresponding sequence of coded video pictures; means responsive to the reproduced encoded video signals to produce error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals; decoding means for decoding said error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals and for using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; means for detecting errors in said reproduced encoded video signals, for determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and for inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting means for substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected reproduced video signals for a reproduced encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 23

A method for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals recorded on a recording medium, each of said encoded video signals included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of a plurality of I, P and B coded video pictures, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said method comprising the steps of: reproducing said encoded video signals from said recording medium so as to produce a plurality of reproduced encoded video signals each representing one of said I, P and B coded video pictures and arranged in a coding sequence representing a corresponding sequence of coded video pictures; responding to said reproduced encoded video signals to produce error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals; decoding said error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals and using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; detecting errors in said reproduced encoded video signals, determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected reproduced video signals for a reproduced encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.

Claim 24

A method for decoding a sequence of encoded video signals recorded on a recording medium, each of said encoded video signals included in the sequence being encoded by intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) or bidirectionally-predictive coding (B) and each respectively representing one of a plurality of I, P and B coded video pictures, with successive I coded signals being separated by plural B coded signals having at least one P coded signal interspersed between the B coded signals, and with B coded signals being encoded from P coded signals and selectively from I coded signals, and with P coded signals being selectively encoded from preceding I coded and P coded signals, said method comprising the steps of: reproducing said encoded video signals from said recording medium so as to produce a plurality of reproduced encoded video signals each representing one of said I, P and B coded video pictures and arranged in a coding sequence representing a corresponding sequence of coded video pictures; responding to said reproduced encoded video signals to produce error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals; decoding said error-corrected reproduced encoded video signals and using a decoded video signal as a reference for decoding error-corrected encoded video signals representing subsequent P and B coded video pictures; detecting errors in said reproduced encoded video signals, determining if the detected errors are non-correctable and inhibiting the decoding of an encoded video signal having a non-correctable error; and substituting for display one of the decoded error-corrected reproduced video signals for a reproduced encoded video signal having at least one detected error determined to be non-correctable, such that if a B coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said B coded signal is replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display, and if a P coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said P coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom are selectively replaced by a preceding decoded error-corrected P coded signal or by a preceding decoded error-corrected I coded signal for display, and if an I coded signal is detected as having a non-correctable error, said I coded signal and those P coded and B coded signals encoded therefrom, are replaced by a decoded error-corrected P coded signal for display.