Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
A method for processing digital picture signals comprising the steps of: dividing a picture signal into a succession of data sets containing data corresponding to different portions of a still picture; comparing a selected data set from said succession to an area in a previous portion of said still picture defined by a plurality of previous data sets in said succession to try to locate a set of data in said area that is similar to said selected data set; generating an error signal indicative of the difference between said selected data set and a set of data located during said picture area comparing step; compressing said error signal; appending an offset vector to said compressed error signal to identify the portion of said area in which the set of data located during said picture area comparing step resides; compressing said selected data set; and comparing the amount of data in said compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the amount of data in said compressed selected data set to determine which provides the least amount of data for communication to a data receiver.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
185 words
A method for processing digital picture signals comprising the steps of: dividing a picture signal into a succession of data sets containing data corresponding to different portions of a still picture; comparing a selected data set from said succession to an area in a previous portion of said still picture defined by a plurality of previous data sets in said succession to try to locate a set of data in said area that is similar to said selected data set; generating an error signal indicative of the difference between said selected data set and a set of data located during said picture area comparing step; compressing said error signal; appending an offset vector to said compressed error signal to identify the portion of said area in which the set of data located during said picture area comparing step resides; compressing said selected data set; and comparing the amount of data in said compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the amount of data in said compressed selected data set to determine which provides the least amount of data for communication to a data receiver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the set of data located during said picture area comparing step comprises the best match between said selected data set and the data contained in said picture area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising the further step of: compressing said offset vector prior to appending it to said error signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method in accordance with claim 3 comprising the further step of: encoding the signal that provides the least amount of data for communication to identify it as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed selected data set.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising the further step of: encoding the signal that provides the least amount of data for communication to identify it as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed selected data set.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
109 words
A method in accordance with claim 5 comprising the further steps of: receiving the communicated data at a receiver decompressing the received data; identifying the received data as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed selected data set; and, in the event the received data is a compressed error signal and offset vector: obtaining the offset vector from the received data; applying said offset vector to recover, from previously received data, a set of data equivalent to that from which the error signal was derived; and adding the recovered set of data to the received error signal to recreate a selected data set at the receiver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the second comparing step compares the number of bits in the compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the number of bits in the compressed selected data set to determine which has the fewest number of bits and therefore the least amount of data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
200 words
Apparatus for processing digital picture signals comprising: means for dividing a picture signal into data sets containing data corresponding to different portions of a still picture; means coupled to receive the data sets for comparing a current data set of said still picture to an area in a previously received portion of said still picture defined by a plurality of previously received data sets to try to locate a set of data in said area that is similar to said current data set; means for generating an error signal indicative of the difference between said current data set and a set located by said picture area comparing means; first means for compressing said error signal; second means for compressing said current data set; means for appending an offset vector to said compressed error signal to identify the portion of said area in which the set located by said picture area comparing means resides; and means coupled to said first and second compressing means for comparing the amount of data in said compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the amount of data in said compressed current data set to determine which provides the least amount of data for communication.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
200 words
Apparatus for processing digital picture signals comprising: means for dividing a picture signal into data sets containing data corresponding to different portions of a still picture; means coupled to receive the data sets for comparing a current data set of said still picture to an area in a previously received portion of said still picture defined by a plurality of previously received data sets to try to locate a set of data in said area that is similar to said current data set; means for generating an error signal indicative of the difference between said current data set and a set located by said picture area comparing means; first means for compressing said error signal; second means for compressing said current data set; means for appending an offset vector to said compressed error signal to identify the portion of said area in which the set located by said picture area comparing means resides; and means coupled to said first and second compressing means for comparing the amount of data in said compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the amount of data in said compressed current data set to determine which provides the least amount of data for communication.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said picture area comparing means locate the best match between said current data set and the data contained in said area.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 comprising: means for compressing said offset vector prior to appending it to said error signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 comprising: means for encoding the signal that provides the least amount of data for communication to identify it as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed current data set.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said means for comparing the amount of data in said compressed error signal and appended offset vector to the amount of data in said compressed current data set counts the number of bits in each to determine which has the fewest bits and therefore the least amount of data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 comprising: means for encoding the signal that provides the least amount of data for communication to identify it as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed current data set.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
114 words
A data receiver for recovering data communicated from the apparatus of claim 13 comprising: means for identifying received data as a compressed error signal and offset vector or a compressed current data set; means responsive to said identifying means for decompressing the received data; means responsive to said identifying means for obtaining the appended offset vector from data identified as a compressed error signal; means for applying said offset vector to the decompressed received data to recover a set of data corresponding to that from which an identified error signal was derived; and means for adding the recovered set of data to said error signal to recreate a current data set at the receiver.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
161 words
A data receiver, for recovering digital still picture data from a compressed error signal indicative of the difference between a current data set representing an area of a still picture and an area of a previously received portion of said still picture, comprising: means for identifying received data corresponding to said still picture as a compressed error signal or a compressed current data set; means responsive to said identifying means for decompressing the received data; means responsive to said identifying means for obtaining an offset vector that is appended to data identified as a compressed error signal; means for applying said offset vector to data representing said previously received portion of said still picture to recover a set of said data corresponding to that from which an identified error signal was derived; and means for adding the recovered set of data to said error signal to recreate a current data set representing said area of said still picture at the receiver.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
161 words
A data receiver, for recovering digital still picture data from a compressed error signal indicative of the difference between a current data set representing an area of a still picture and an area of a previously received portion of said still picture, comprising: means for identifying received data corresponding to said still picture as a compressed error signal or a compressed current data set; means responsive to said identifying means for decompressing the received data; means responsive to said identifying means for obtaining an offset vector that is appended to data identified as a compressed error signal; means for applying said offset vector to data representing said previously received portion of said still picture to recover a set of said data corresponding to that from which an identified error signal was derived; and means for adding the recovered set of data to said error signal to recreate a current data set representing said area of said still picture at the receiver.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
A data receiver in accordance with claim 15 further comprising: means coupled to said offset vector obtaining means for decompressing said offset vector for use by said applying means.