Image information encoding/decoding system

• US 6,021,226 A
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mimura, Hideki, Kikuchi, Shinichi, Taira, Kazuhiko, Kitamura, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US09/118,910
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/233, 382/236, 382/238, 382/239, 382/240, 382/245, 382/246, 382/247, 382/248, 348/420, 348/421, 358/261.1, 358/432, 358/433
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/46 Conversion to or from run-length codes, i.e. by representing the number of consecutive digits, or groups of digits, of the same kind by a code word and a digit indicative of that kind
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/93 Run-length coding
• 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 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A bit train of a plurality of continuous pixels is compressed according to a new run-length compression scheme. In this run-length compression scheme, the run information of one unit of compression includes run-length information indicating the continuous number of the same pixel data blocks, or the number of pixels followed, and pixel data having a two-bit configuration for discriminating three or more colors of the pixels.

Claims

1. A method of encoding an integral body of information which is formed of a plurality of pixel data, each defined by a predetermined number of bits, wherein a data block, containing same continuous pixel data, is compressed as one unit of compression, the integral body of information being arranged on a data line of a finite bit length, the method comprising:

specifying the data block of the one compression unit of the integral body of information;

generating a compressed unit data block in accordance with a coding header corresponding to a continuing number of the same pixel data in the data block of the one compression unit, with a number of pixels followed indicating the continuing number of the same pixel data, and with data representing the same pixel data in the data block of the one compression unit, the generating of the compressed unit data block including;

assigning no bits to the coding header when a data length of the continuing number of the same pixel data is not greater than four, and

assigning at least two but less than a predetermined number of bits to the coding header when the data length of the continuing number of the same pixel data is equal to or greater than four but less than a prescribed number;

constituting the coding header by a specific number of bits which indicates that the same pixel data continues up to an end of the data line, when the same pixel data in the data block of one unit of compression continues up to the end of the data line; and

adding dummy bit data to the data block of the one compression unit so that a total bit length of at least one data block of the one compression unit becomes a multiple of eight bits, if the total bit length is not a multiple of eight when generation of the data block of the one compression unit on the data line is completed, wherein

said integral body of information includes a specific header comprising information of a size of said integral body of information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said integral body of information is represented by contents of a group of data packets, each of the data packets including sub-picture data relating to said pixel data and a packet header thereof.

3. A method of decoding a bit train of a unit of a compressed data block, which is obtained by compressing same continuous pixel data as one unit of compression, wherein the compressed data block corresponds to at least part of an integral body of information formed by a plurality of pixel data each defined by a predetermined number of bits, wherein the integral body of information is arranged on a finite length data line corresponding to at least part of a horizontal scanning line of a TV display, and wherein the compressed data block includes either a coding header indicating data of a number of pixels followed, which number data corresponds to the number of the same continuous pixel data, or a coding header indicating the number data of pixels followed as well as the same continuous pixel data, the decoding method comprising:

obtaining a specific header having size information of the integral body of information;

determining a size of the integral body of information in accordance with the size information of said specific header;

detecting the coding header from the data block of the one compression unit contained in the integral body of information;

detecting the number data of the pixels followed, from the data block of the one compression unit, in accordance with a content of the coding header detected by the coding header detecting step;

determining a content of the pixel data in an uncompressed data block of the one compression unit, in accordance with a remainder of the data block of the one compression unit, from which removed are the coding header detected by the coding header detecting step and the number of the pixels followed detected by the continuous pixel number detecting step;

arranging bit data of the content determined by the pixel data determining step, by a number indicated by the number data of the pixels followed detected by the continuous pixel number detecting step, so as to restore a pattern of uncompressed pixel data of the one compression unit; and

removing a dummy bit data when a total bit length of all of the data blocks of the one compression unit have been adjusted to a multiple of eight bits by adding the dummy bit data.