Quantization method and system for video MPEG applications and computer program product therefor
First Claim
1. A method of converting digital signals between a first and a second format, the method comprising:
- generating coefficients representative of said digital signals;
subjecting said coefficients to quantization;
generating a dither signal; and
adding said dither signal to said coefficients before said quantization to generate a quantized signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Digital signals are converted between a first and second format by a conversion process including generating coefficients representing the digital signals. The coefficients may be discrete cosine transform coefficient generated during encoding/transcoding of MPEG signals. The coefficients are subject to quantization by generating a dither signal that is added to the coefficients before quantization to generate a quantized signal. Preferably, each coefficient is first subject to a first quantization in the absence of any dither signal added to generate an undithered quantized coefficient. If the undithered quantized signal is equal to zero the undithered quantized coefficient is taken as the output quantized signal. If the undithered quantized coefficient is different from zero, the dither signal is added and the dithered coefficient thus obtained is subject to quantization to generate the output quantized signal.
66 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method of converting digital signals between a first and a second format, the method comprising:
-
generating coefficients representative of said digital signals;
subjecting said coefficients to quantization;
generating a dither signal; and
adding said dither signal to said coefficients before said quantization to generate a quantized signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
4. The method of claim further comprising:
-
subjecting each said coefficient to a first quantization step in the absence of any said dither signal being added to generate an undithered quantized coefficient; and
checking if said undithered quantized coefficient is equal to zero, such that when said undithered quantized coefficient is equal to zero, taking said undithered quantization coefficient as said quantized signal, and when said undithered quantized coefficient is different from zero, adding said dither signal to said coefficient and subjecting said dithered coefficient to a quantization step to generate said quantized signal.
-
-
17. A system for converting digital signals between a first and second format, the system being configured for generating coefficients representative of said digital signals comprising:
-
at least one quantizer for subjecting said coefficients to quantization;
a source of a dither signal; and
an adder for adding said dither signal to said coefficients before said quantization to generate a quantized signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A computer program product directly loadable in the internal memory of a digital computer and including software code portions for performing, when the product is run on a computer, a method of converting digital signals between a first and a second format, the method comprising:
-
generating coefficients representative of said digital signals;
subjecting said coefficients to quantization;
generating a dither signal; and
adding said dither signal to said coefficients before said quantization to generate a quantized signal.
-
Specification