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EP0542474A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Adaptive coding and decoding of frames and fields of video signals

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1992-11-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-11-05
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Abstract

Abstract Improved compression of digital signals relating to high resolution video images is accomplished by an adaptive and selective coding of digital signals relating to frames and fields of the video images. Digital video input signals are analyzed and a coding type signal is produced in response to this analysis. This coding type signal may be used to adaptively control the operation of one or more types of circuitry which are used to compress digital video signals so that less bits, and slower bit rates, may be used to transmit high resolution video images without undue loss of quality. For example, the coding type signal may be used to improve motion compensated estimation techniques, quantization of transform coefficients, scanning of video data, and variable word length encoding of the data. The improved compression of digital video signals is useful for video conferencing applications and high definition television, among other things.

Inventors

  • 👤 Atul Puri
  • 👤 Rangarajan Aravind

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 14:50
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/50; H04N19/503; H04N19/51; H04N19/577; H04N19/10; H04N19/102; H04N19/103; H04N19/105; H04N19/112; H04N19/124; H04N19/129; H04N19/134; H04N19/136; H04N19/137; H04N19/139; H04N19/157; H04N19/159; H04N19/16; H04N19/169; H04N19/17; H04N19/172; H04N19/176; H04N19/187; H04N19/44; H04N19/60; H04N19/61; H04N19/13; H04N19/146; H04N19/90; H04N19/91

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 114 words
An apparatus for encoding digital video signals, comprising: a means for receiving a digital video input signal comprising a succession of digital representations related to picture elements making up at least one frame of a video image, the frame comprising a plurality of interlaced fields; a means for coding groups of digital representations related to frames of picture elements; a means for coding groups of digital representations related to interlaced fields in the frames; and a means responsive to the digital video input signal for producing a field frame coding type signal which directs a selected one of the frame coding means or the field coding means to code the digital video input signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 18 words
The encoding apparatus of claim 1, in which the fields comprise alternating horizontal scan lines of the frames.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 177 words
An apparatus for encoding digital video signals, comprising: a means for receiving a digital video input signal comprising a succession of digital signals representing picture elements which make up at least one frame of a video image, the frame comprising a plurality of interlaced fields; a means for producing a signal relating to an estimate of the digital video input signal; a means responsive to the digital video input signal and the estimate of the digital video input signal for producing an error signal; a circuit means responsive to the error signal for determining frequency coefficients of the error signal; a means for quantizing the frequency coefficients; a means for scanning the quantized frequency coefficients in predetermined order for producing a succession of frequency coefficient signals in the predetermined order; a variable word length encoder responsive to the succession of the frequency coefficient signals for producing a compressed video signal bit stream; and a means responsive to the digital video input signal for producing a coding type signal for controlling compresion of the digital video input signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
The apparatus of claim 3, in which the means for producing a coding type signal controls the quantizing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The apparatus of claim 3, in which the means for producing a coding type signal controls the predetermined order of scanning produced by the scanning means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 45 words
The apparatus of claim 4, in which the estimate of the digital input video signal is produced in response to motion vectors determined by a motion estimating means responsive to the digital video input signal and at least one representation of another video input signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
The apparatus of claim 3, in which the means for producing a coding type signal controls the means for producing a signal relating to an estimate of the digital video input signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The apparatus of claim 3, in which the estimate of the digital input video signal is a motion compensated estimate of the digital input video signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 17 words
The apparatus of claim 8, in which there are at least two modes of performing motion compensation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, in which there is a frame motion compensation mode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, in which there is a field motion compensation mode.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 127 words
An apparatus for encoding digital video signals, comprising: a means for receiving digital video input signals representing frames of picture elements, the frames comprising fields of non-contiguous picture elements; a means for producing motion compensated estimates of the digital video input signals; a means for producing motion vectors in response to signals representing frames of picture elements; a means for producing motion vectors in response to signals representing fields of picture elements; a means for selecting one of the motion vectors produced in response to signals representing frames of picture elements and the motion vectors produced in response to signals representing field of picture elements for input to the estimate producing means; the estimate producing means producing estimates based upon the selection produced by the selection means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 48 words
An apparatus for decoding a compressed digital video signal, comprising: a means for receiving a compressed digital video bit stream; and a means responsive to a coding type signal for selectively decoding frames of the compressed digital video bit stream and fields of the compressed video bit stream.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 13, in which the decoding means comprises: an adaptive inverse scanning means responsive to the coding type signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 82 words
The apparatus of claim 13, in which the decoding means comprises: a means responsive to a motion compensation type signal and selectively responsive to a frame motion vectors and field motion vectors for producing an adaptive motion compensated estimate of a decoded video signal; a means responsive to the compressed digital video bit stream for producing a decoded estimate error signal; and a means responsive to the adaptive motion compensated estimate and the estimate error signal for producing a decoded video signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
The apparatus of claim 13, in which the decoding means comprises: a means responsive to the coding type signal for adaptively dequantizing the compressed digital video bit stream.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 69 words
The apparatus of claim 13, in which the decoding means comprises: a means for receiving a compressed digital video signal comprising at least one DC coefficient representation related to the video signal; a means for producing an estimated DC coefficient in response to the coding type signal; and a means for producing a decoded DC coefficient signal in response to the DC coefficient representation and the estimated DC coefficient.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 77 words
An apparatus for encoding digital video signals, comprising: a means responsive to digital input video signals comprising a succession of digital representations of picture elements making up at least one video picture frame having a plurality of fields; a means for producing a compressed code relating to the input video signals; and an adaptive frame/field coding selector responsive to the digital input video signal for producing a coding type signal which controls the production of compressed code.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 29 words
The apparatus of claim 18, in which the coding selector comprises: a means for adaptively quantizing the digital input video signals in response to a the coding type signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 55 words
The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: a means selectively responsive to frame motion vectors and field motion vectors for producing an adaptive motion compensated estimate of the digital input video signal; and a means for coding a signal related to the difference between the digital input video signal and the adaptive motion compensated estimate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: a means for adaptively scanning stored values related to the representations in response to the coding type signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 67 words
The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: a means for converting a plurality of the digital representation into a DC coefficient and a plurality of AC coefficients; a means for adaptively producing a predicted DC coefficient in response to the coding type signal; and a means responsive to the DC coefficient produced by the converting means and to the predicted DC coefficient for encoding the DC coefficient.

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