Data transmission apparatus for transmitting code data

• US 5,481,554 A
• Filed: 08/31/1993
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsujiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elmore, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/113,801
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 371/53, 371/37.1, 371/31, 371/44, 371/43
• US Class Current: 714/807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/98 Adaptive-dynamic-range coding [ADRC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9264 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/945 for signals recorded by pulse code modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/54 the signals being synchronous H04N21/23602, H04N21/23614, H04N21/2365, H04N21/2368, H04N21/4341, H04N21/4342, H04N21/4347, H04N21/4348 take precedence

Abstract

An ADRC encoder generates an ADRC block of 4×4 pixels, together with DR, MIN and quantized pixel data (DT) for each block. A macro block formatting circuit generates DR, MIN and DT code data for four ADRC blocks. An adding circuit generates sum data (DRΣ=DR1+DR2+DR3+DR4 and MINΣ=MIN1+MIN2+MIN3+MIN4) of this hierarchical important data in the macro block. The sum data and the important data form which the sum data is formed are distributed and recorded in plural channels. If one of the important data has an error and the remaining important data and the sum data have no error, the important data with the error can be completely corrected. Reproduced pixel data is converted into 3×3 block format and an ADRC encoding circuit generates encoded data DTx representing a center pixel and DT data which represents the 8 pixels that surround the center pixel. A timing aligning circuit generates class information formed of the 8 pixel data, the class information being supplied to a memory as a read address for reading out existing-range data and predicted data DTx that had been stored therein during a learning operation. An error is detected by comparing the existing-range data to the encoded data Dtx; and when an error is detected, the predicted data DTx is selected.

Claims

1. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes important data which exhibits hierarchically high importance for subsequent decoding, said transmission apparatus comprising:

sum data generating means for summing the plural important data of plural blocks to form sum data;

means for transmitting said sum data in at least one channel different from the channels used to transmit said plural important data; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural important data is restorable from said sum data as received and said plural important data as received.

2. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes important data which exhibits hierarchically high importance for subsequent decoding and wherein said block code data is transmitted in a number of channels, said transmission apparatus comprising:

sum data generating means for summing a number of the plurality of said important data of plural blocks, said number being less than the number of said channels;

means for transmitting said sum data in at least one channel other than those channels used for transmission of the important data from which said sum data is summed; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural important data is restorable from said sum data as received and said plural important data as received.

3. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes important data which exhibits hierarchically high importance for subsequent decoding, said transmission apparatus comprising:

weighted average generating means for generating weighted average data representing a weighted average of the plural important data of plural blocks;

means for transmitting said weighted average data in at least one channel different from the channels used to transmit said plural important data; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural important data is restorable from said weighted average data as received and said plural important data as received.

4. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes important data which exhibits hierarchically high importance for subsequent decoding, said transmission apparatus comprising:

sum data generating means for generating sum data for a unit of plural important data by summing said plural important data in that unit and at least one important data in another unit;

means for transmitting said sum data in at least one channel different from the channels used to transmit said plural important data; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural important data is restorable from said sum data as received and said plural important data as received.

5. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes important data which exhibits a hierarchically high importance for subsequent decoding, said transmission apparatus comprising:

sum data generating means for generating sum data for a unit of plural important data by summing said plural important data in that unit and at least a predetermined one important data in another unit, wherein said predetermined important data in said other unit changes on a regular basis;

means for transmitting said sum data in at least one channel different from the channels used to transmit said plural important data; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural important data is restorable from said sum data as received and said plural important data as received.

6. A data recovery apparatus for recovering data encoded by block encoding in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space has been encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block encoded data includes plural data representing pixels, and wherein sum data representing a summation of said plural data is received over a channel different from the channels over which said plural data are received;

said apparatus comprising;

means for detecting when one of said plural data as received has an error and for recovering a corrected one of the erroneous data from said sum data and the remaining plural data having no error;

means for detecting when a plurality of said received data have errors and for forming interpolated data by interpolating the plural data having an error from those pixels which surround the plural pixels represented by erroneous data; and

means for correcting the errors of said plural received erroneous data as a function of said interpolated data and said sum data.

7. A data transmission apparatus for transmitting block code data in which a block of plural pixels proximate in space is encoded as a unit to compress the amount of data needed for transmission, wherein said block code data includes plural multi-bit data representing said pixels, said transmission apparatus comprising:

sum data generating means for adding the more significant bits of said plural data;

means for transmitting said sum data in at least one channel different from the channels used to transmit said plural data; and

wherein an erroneous one of said plural data is restorable from said sum data as received and said plural data as received.

8. Apparatus for detecting digital video signals having an error therein comprising:

means for timing aligning plural pixel data signals proximate to a pixel having said error, the time aligned pixel data signals constituting a digital signal corresponding to a class;

memory means for storing maximum and minimum data constituting existing-range data which has been provided in advance for each class by a learning operation;

reading means for reading out said existing-range data for a class corresponding to address data defined by an output of said timing aligning means; and

comparing means for comparing said read out existing-range data to pixel data of a pixel to be detected, whereby an error is detected as a function of whether the compared pixel data is within said read out existing range data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said memory means is further provided with stored representative data for each class, and wherein said pixel data is replaced by said stored representative data when an error is detected.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the digital video signals are encoded video signals, and said apparatus further comprises decoding means for decoding the encoded video signals and for supplying the decoded video signals to the means for timing aligning plural pixel data signals.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the encoded video signals are variable-length DCT coefficient data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, further including ADRC encoding means supplied with the pixel data in which an error is detected together with the plural pixel data proximate thereto, and for supplying said proximate plural pixel data to said timing aligning means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said representative data constitutes an average of actual data detected for each class during a learning operation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the existing-range data comprises DCT coefficient data and error allowance data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said representative data comprises DCT coefficient data.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising counter means for counting the number of pixels having detected errors in a predetermined period and wherein said error allowance data is variable as a function of an output of said counter means.