Image coding system with adaptive spatial frequency and quantization step and method thereof

• US 5,796,435 A
• Filed: 02/26/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nonomura, Itaru, Hashimoto, Shinichi, Yamada, Takahiro, Tanaka, Kazuaki, Kimura, Yuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/607,156
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 348/384, 348/390, 348/400-405, 348/407, 348/409-413, 348/415, 348/416, 348/420, 348/423, 348/699, 382/232, 382/236, 382/238, 382/248, 382/250, 382/251
• US Class Current: 375/240.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/126 Details of normalisation or weighting functions, e.g. normalisation matrices or variable uniform quantisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/192 the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type being iterative or recursive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

An image coding system and method thereof previously defines a plurality of combinations into a table. The table includes candidate values for quantizing steps and candidate values for upper limit values of space frequencies in correspondence with an image code size. The frequencies are coded into the pattern table on the basis of an error between the required code size, which is decided by the system performance, and required images. The generated code size is taken at the time of prediction coding between motion compensation frames. One combination of a quantizing step and upper limit values of space frequency are selected. The combination is coded from the candidate values depending on the image attribute and codes conforming to an international standard. The combinations are generated at a satisfactory coding efficiency. The coding efficiency is achieved by controlling the coding parameters depending on the image attribute and generated code size.

Claims

1. An image coding system in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means for calculating orthogonal transform coefficients of the inputted image, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

previously defined parameter information, arranged in a table, having a plurality of combinations of quantizing step values and upper limit values of image space frequencies in correspondence with an image code size;

means for deciding one combination from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said image coding means; and

quantizing means for quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the decided combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said decided combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said decided combination.

2. An image coding system according to claim 1, wherein said deciding means further decides a combination from said parameter information according to an output image and a required code size decided by restrictions of said image coding system.

3. An image coding system according to claim 2, wherein said parameter information is a parameter table having at least an axis of a difference between a required code size and the coded image code size.

4. An image coding system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing an orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

means for obtaining a quantization coefficient by said quantizing means on the basis of said orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for transforming said quantization coefficient to a variable length code; and

means for generating image code data by adding control information necessary for decoding said variable length code and said quantizing step value in said decided combination.

5. An image coding system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing an orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

wherein said deciding means further decides a combination from said parameter information according to an output image of an opposite terminal and a required code size decided by restrictions of the image coding system.

6. A TV conference system in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means for calculating orthogonal transform coefficients of the inputted image, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

previously defined parameter information, stored in a table, having a plurality of combinations of quantizing step values and upper limit values of image space frequencies in correspondence with an image code size;

means for executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing an orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

means for deciding one combination from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said orthogonal transform coefficient; and

quantizing means for quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the decided combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said decided combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said decided combination.

7. A TV conference device according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for decoding image code data transmitted from an opposite terminal;

means for obtaining a quantization coefficient by said quantizing means on the basis of said orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for transforming said quantization coefficient to a variable length code; and

means for generating image code data by adding control information necessary for decoding said variable length code and said quantizing step value in said decided combination.

8. A moving picture coding system in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means for calculating orthogonal transform coefficients of the inputted image, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

previously defined parameter information, stored in a table, having a plurality of combinations of quantizing step values and upper limit values of image space frequencies in correspondence with an image code size;

means for executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing an orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

means for deciding a plurality of combinations from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for estimating the image attributed on the basis of at least one of said difference block and orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for selecting a combination of a desired one quantizing step value and upper limit value of space frequency from said decided plurality of combinations in correspondence with said estimated image attribute; and

quantizing means for quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients, for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the selected combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said selected combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said selected combination.

9. A moving picture coding system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for obtaining a quantization coefficient by said quantizing means on the basis of said orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for transforming said quantization coefficient to a variable length code; and

means for generating image code data by adding control information necessary for decoding said variable length code and said quantizing step value in said selected combination.

10. A moving picture coding system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for transmitting said image code data quantized by said quantizing means to an opposite terminal;

wherein said quantizing means comprises;

means for transforming said orthogonal transform coefficient to be quantized to a variable length code; and

means for generating image code data by adding control information necessary for decoding said variable length code and said quantizing step value in said selected combination.

11. A moving picture coding system according to claim 10, further comprising:

storage means for storing image code data transmitted from an opposite terminal;

means for transmitting image code data stored in said storage means to an opposite terminal; and

means for decoding image code data which is transmitted from an opposite terminal and stored in said storage means and displaying it on display means.

12. A moving picture coding system in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means for calculating orthogonal transform coefficients of the inputted image, a frame memory, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

previously defined parameter information, stored in a table, having a plurality of combinations of quantizing step values and upper limit values of image space frequencies in correspondence with an image code size;

means for dividing inputted image data into blocks of n pixels×

n pixels, integrating a plurality of said blocks, and generating macro blocks;

means for generating a motion vector for each of said macro blocks by performing operations between said macro blocks and image data stored in said frame memory;

means for executing motion compensation prediction by generating a difference block for each of said divided blocks;

means for obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing orthogonal transform for said difference blocks;

means for deciding at least one combination from said parameter information on the basis of said image code size of the inputted image coded by said coding means;

means for estimating the image attribute on the basis of at least one of said difference block and said orthogonal transform coefficient;

means for selecting a combination of a desired one quantizing step value and a desired upper limit value of space frequency from said decided at least one combination in correspondence with said estimated image attribute; and

quantizing means for quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the selected combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said selected combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said selected combination.

13. A moving picture coding system according to claim 12, wherein at least one combination decided by said deciding means is a plurality of candidate combinations and said image attribute estimated by said estimation means including at least one of an image having a sudden gradation change and an image having little gradation change.

14. A moving picture coding system according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for selecting a step of a large value from candidate values of a plurality of quantizing step values for said desired quantizing step value and selecting an upper limit value of a large value from candidate values of a plurality of upper limit values of space frequencies to be coded for said desired upper limit value of space frequency when said image attribute estimated by said estimation means is estimated as an image including a sudden gradation change; and

means for selecting a small step value from candidate values of a plurality of quantizing step values for said desired quantizing step value and selecting an upper limit value of a small value from candidate values of a plurality of upper limit values of space frequencies to be coded for said desired upper limit value of space frequency when said image attribute estimated by said estimation means is estimated as an image having little gradation change.

15. A moving picture coding system according to claim 12, wherein said parameter information comprises at least one of a predetermined function and a parameter table which are decided on the basis of a plurality of moving pictures having different gradation changing degrees.

16. A moving picture coding system according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for autonomously detecting a processing capacity and processing load of a terminal having at least one of a load of a network and a moving picture encoder, wherein said deciding means decides said at least one combination on the basis of said autonomously detected processing capacity and processing load.

17. A moving picture coding system according to claim 12, wherein said deciding means decides on the basis of the processing capacity and a required value of code size of an opposite terminal executing image communication.

18. A moving picture coding system according to claim 12, wherein said deciding means further decides a required code size given by an instruction inputted from the outside of said moving picture coding system.

19. An image coding method in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

a step of obtaining previously defined parameter information having a plurality of combinations of quantizing steps and upper limit values of image space frequencies in accordance with an image code size, the parameter information being stored in a table;

a step of deciding one combination from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said image coding means; and

a quantizing step of quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the decided combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said decided combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said decided combination.

20. A method of TV conference in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

a step of obtaining previously defined parameter information having a plurality of combinations of quantizing steps and upper limit values of image space frequencies depending on the image code size, the parameter information being stored in a table;

a step of executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

a step of deciding one combination from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said orthogonal transform coefficient; and

a quantizing step of quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the decided combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said decided combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said decided combination.

21. A moving picture coding method in a system including an image inputting means, an image coding means, and an image code transmitting means, comprising:

a step of obtaining previously defined parameter information having a plurality of combinations of quantizing steps and upper limit values of image space frequencies in accordance with an image code size, the parameter information being stored in a table;

a step of executing a motion compensation prediction and generating a difference block, for image data inputted from said image inputting means, obtaining an orthogonal transform coefficient by executing orthogonal transform for the generated difference block;

a step of deciding a plurality of combinations from said parameter information on the basis of a size of an image code of the inputted image coded by said orthogonal transform coefficient;

a step of estimating the image attributed on the basis of at least one of said difference block and orthogonal transform coefficient;

a step of selecting a combination of a desired one quantizing step value and upper limit value of space frequency from said decided plurality of combinations in correspondence with said estimated image attribute; and

a quantizing step of quantizing the orthogonal transform coefficients for space frequencies below said upper limit values of image space frequencies of the selected combination, on the basis of the quantizing step value of said selected combination, while executing no quantization for space frequencies higher than said upper limit values of image space frequencies of said selected combination.