EP0558016B1
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Method and apparatus for encoding an image signal using a multi-stage quantizing number determiner
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1993-02-25
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Granted: 1999-09-15
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Expires: 2013-02-25
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Takaaki Yamakda
- 👤 Naofumi Yanagihara
- 👤 Hiroshi Okada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 14:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/91; H04N5/92; H04N5/926; H04N5/9261; H04N5/9264; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/102; H04N19/124; H04N19/126; H04N19/134; H04N19/146; H04N19/149; H04N19/15; H04N19/169; H04N19/17; H04N19/176; H04N19/60; H04N19/85; H04N19/88; H04N19/13; H04N19/90; H04N19/91
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A method for encoding an input image signal, comprising the steps of: segmenting said image signal into a plurality of image blocks, orthogonally transforming said image blocks to produce corresponding blocks of
orthogonally transformed image
data representing said image signal, selecting one of a first plurality of quantizing numbers (Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 ) which is estimated to produce a
first amount of encoded data for an encoding set of blocks of orthogonally transformed
image data as a selected quantizing number, quantizing each block of orthogonally transformed image data in said encoding set using an
optimum quantizing number to produce respective quantized blocks, and encoding said quantized blocks using a variable length code characterized by the step of
determining one of a second plurality of quantizing numbers having values defined as a
function of the value of said selected quantizing number which is estimated to produce a
second amount of encoded data for said encoding set as said optimum quantizing number,
wherein said optimum quantizing number corresponds to the greatest amount of encoded
data within a predetermined threshold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of orthogonally transforming comprises performing a discrete cosine
transformation on said image blocks to produce said blocks of orthogonally transformed
image data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of selecting includes estimating from said first plurality of quantizing
numbers
(Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 )
the quantizing number corresponding to the greatest estimated amount of encoded
data that is less than the predetermined threshold or if all estimated amounts exceed the
predetermined threshold the largest quantizing number, corresponding to the smallest
amount of encoded data as the selected quantizing number.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
36 words
The method of anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein the values of said first plurality of quantizing numbers (Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 ) are separated from each
other by predetermined intervals.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
33 words
The method of anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the values of said second plurality of quantizing numbers are separated from each
other and from said selected quantizing number by predetermined intervals.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
34 words
The method of anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein said first plurality comprises m quantizing numbers, said second plurality
comprises n quantizing numbers, and said optimum quantizing number has one of
P=(m+n+m·n) values.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 6, wherein m=(1 +P) ½ -1.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
64 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said step of quantizing includes dividing said
orthogonally
transformed image data by said
optimum quantizing number to produce a remainder, rounding said remainder when said
orthogonally transformed image data represents lower frequencies of said image signal, and discarding
said remainder when said orthogonally transformed image data represents higher frequencies of said
image signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
102 words
The method of anyone of claims 1 to 8, said method further comprises the steps of: estimating respective amounts of encoded data resulting from quantizing said blocks in said
encoding set with each of the quantizing numbers in said first plurality of quantizing
numbers (Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 ) and encoding the quantized blocks using a variable length code, and estimating
respective amounts of encoded data resulting from quantizing said blocks in said encoding
set with each of the quantizing numbers in said second plurality of quantizing numbers and
encoding the quantized blocks using a variable length code.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said first series has m values separated by predetermined intervals approximately
of value i; and said second series includes said selected quantizing number and has n
values separated by predetermined intervals approximately of value j =(i-1)/n.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
234 words
A method for encoding an input image signal, comprising the steps of: segmenting said image signal into a plurality of image blocks, orthogonally transforming said image blocks to produce corresponding blocks of orthogonally transformed image
data representing said image signal, selecting one of a first plurality of sets of quantizing numbers which is estimated to
produce a first amount of encoded data for an encoding set of blocks of orthogonally
transformed image data as a selected set of quantizing numbers, quantizing each block of orthogonally transformed image data in said encoding set using an
optimum set of quantizing numbers to produce respective quantized blocks, and encoding said quantized blocks using a variable length code characterized by the step of
determining one of a second plurality of sets of quantizing numbers having values defined
as a function of the value of said selected set of quantizing numbers which is estimated to
produce a second amount of encoded data for said encoding set as said optimum set of
quantizing numbers, wherein said optimum set of quantizing numbers correspond to the
greatest amount of encoded data within a predetermined threshold, and wherein each of said first and second pluralities of sets of quantizing numbers include a
plurality of sets of quantizing numbers, with a set of quantizing numbers having larger
values for quantizing transformed image data in said blocks of orthogonally transformed
image data representing higher frequencies.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said first plurality of sets comprises m
sets of
quantizing numbers, said second plurality
of sets comprises n
sets of
quantizing numbers, and said optimum set of quantizing numbers has
one of P=(m+n+m·n) values.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 12, wherein m=(1 +P) 1/2 -1.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
191 words
An apparatus for encoding an image signal, comprising: means (4) for segmenting said image signal into a plurality of image blocks, means (7) for orthogonally transforming said image blocks into blocks of orthogonally
transformed image data, means (53-3, 53-7, 53-11, 54) for selecting one of a first plurality of quantizing numbers (Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 )
estimated to produce a first amount of encoded data for an encoding set of blocks of
orthogonally transformed image data as a selected quantizing number, means (58) for quantizing each block of orthogonally transformed image data in said
encoding set using an optimum quantizing number to produce respective quantized blocks,
and means (8) for encoding said quantized blocks using a variable length code, characterized
by means (56k, 56k+1, 56k+2, 55) for determining one of a second plurality of
quantizing numbers having values defined as a function of the value of said selected
quantizing number which is estimated to produce a second amount of encoded data for said
encoding set as said optimum quantizing number, wherein said optimum quantizing number corresponds to the greatest amount of encoded
data within a predetermined theshold.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means (7) for orthogonally transforming includes means for performing a
discrete cosine transformation on said image blocks to produce said blocks of orthogonally
transformed image data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
153 words
The apparatus of claim 14 or 15, wherein said means (53-3, 53-7, 53-11, 54) for selecting includes means (53-3, 53-7,
53-11) for estimating amounts of encoded data respectively produced by quantizing said
encoding set using each of said first plurality of quantizing numbers (Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 ), and means (54) for
choosing from said first plurality of quantizing numbers the quantizing number expected to
produce the greatest estimated amount of encoded data that is less than a predetermined
threshold; and wherein said means (56k, 56k+1, 56k+2, 55) for determining includes means (56k,
56k+1, 56k+2) for estimating amounts of encoded data respectively produced by
quantizing said encoding set using each of said second plurality of quantizing numbers, and means (55) for choosing from said second plurality of quantizing numbers the
quantizing number expected to produce the greatest estimated amount of encoded data that
is less than said predetermined threshold.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 14 to 16, wherein the values of said first plurality of quantizing numbers
(Q 3 , Q 7 , Q 11 )
are separated from each
other by predetermined intervals.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 14 to 17, wherein the values of said second plurality of quantizing numbers are separated from each
other and from said selected quantizing number by predetermined intervals.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 14 to 18, wherein said first plurality comprises m quantizing numbers, said second plurality
comprises n quantizing numbers, and said optimum quantizing number has one of P=(m+n+m·n) values.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
9 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein m=(1+P) ½ -1.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 14 to 20, wherein said means (58) for quantizing includes means (103) for dividing said orthogonally transformed
image data by said optimum quantizing number to produce a remainder, means (106) for
rounding said remainder when said orthogonally transformed image data represents lower frequencies of
said image signal, and means (107) for discarding said remainder when said orthogonally transformed
image data represents higher frequencies of said image signal.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
243 words
An apparatus for encoding an image signal, comprising: means (4) for segmenting said image signal into a plurality of image blocks, means (7) for orthogonally transforming said image blocks into blocks of orthogonally
transformed image data, means (53-3, 53-7, 53-11, 54) for selecting one of a first plurality of sets of quantizing
numbers estimated to produce a first amount of encoded data for an encoding set of
blocks of orthogonally transformed image data as a selected set of quantizing numbers, means (58) for quantizing each block of orthogonally transformed image data in said
encoding set using an optimum set of quantizing numbers to produce respective quantized
blocks, and means (8) for encoding said quantized blocks using a variable length code, characterized
by means (56k, 56k+1, 56k+2, 55) for determining one of a second plurality of sets of
quantizing numbers having values defined as a function of the value of said selected set of
quantizing numbers which is estimated to produce a second amount of encoded data for
said encoding set as said optimum set of quantizing numbers, wherein said optimum set of quantizing numbers corresponds to the greatest amount of
encoded data within a predetermined threshold, and wherein each of said first and second pluralities of sets of quantizing numbers include a
plurality of sets of quantizing numbers, with a set of quantizing numbers having larger
values for quantizing transformed image data in said blocks of orthogonally transformed
image data representing higher frequencies.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first plurality of sets comprises m sets of quantizing numbers, said second plurality
of sets comprises n sets of quantizing numbers, and said optimum set of quantizing numbers has one of P=(m+n+m·n) values.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 23, wherein m=(1 +P) ½ -1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0481768A2
Cited
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