Hierarchical coding scheme of video signal with scalability and compatibility

A video coding scheme that enables hierarchical video signal processing in MPEG II is proposed in this paper. Dividing each input picture into hierarchical layers, a proposed prediction is applied into each layer. The proposed coding scheme is to be characterized on the following points: (1) Non-interlaced pictures for each layer picture, even for the highest resolution layer. (2) Hierarchical motion estimation to provide precise motion vectors in less process time, to each layer of pictures. (3) Hierarchical prediction and layer pictures to provide various size of video signal for display, and to be compatible with MPEG I. (4) Up-sampling and down-sampling processes without phase distortion between neighbor layers. Other functions are almost the same as MPEG I. As the experimental result, the quality of decoded pictures highly depends on the quality of non-interlaced pictures that are provided from the pre-process.