Picture coder, picture decoder, and picture transmission system

• US 6,169,821 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakai, Toshihisa, Fukunaga, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tadayon, Bijan
• Application Number:
  US08/710,405
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 382/240, 382/232, 382/233, 382/234, 382/235, 382/236, 382/238, 382/239, 382/244, 382/248, 382/251, 348/403, 348/408, 348/416, 348/699, 364/715.02, 364/723, 364/725.01, 378/121, 341/118.51, 341/67, 386/81, 386/124
• US Class Current: 382/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/107 between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/166 concerning the amount of transmission errors, e.g. bit error rate [BER]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/573 Motion compensation with multiple frame prediction using two or more reference frames in a given prediction direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/58 Motion compensation with long-term prediction, i.e. the reference frame for a current frame not being the temporally closest one H04N19/23 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6583 Acknowledgement

Abstract

A transmission system transmits a series of coded frames from a transmitting device to a receiving device, using both intra-frame coding and inter-frame coding. The receiving device decodes the frames and sends acknowledgment signals to the transmitting device. The transmitting device selects the reference frame employed in inter-frame coding according to these acknowledgment signals. The method of reference frame selection can be varied according to an assessment of transmission channel quality. The assessment criteria, or the reference frame selection method itself, can be varied in response to input from a human user.

Claims

1. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a plurality of decoders in respective receiving devices over respective transmission channels, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said plurality of decoders;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame that has been positively acknowledged by at least a certain number of said decoders, the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoders;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said plurality of decoders.

63. The coder of claim 1, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

64. The coder of claim 1, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

65. The coder of claim 1, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

2. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a plurality of decoders in respective receiving devices over respective transmission channels, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said plurality of decoders;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame that has not been negatively acknowledged by at least a certain number of said decoders, the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoders;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said plurality of decoders.

66. The coder of claim 2, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

67. The coder of claim 2, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

68. The coder of claim 2, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

3. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a decoder in a receiving device over a transmission channel, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said decoder;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoder;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said decoder;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise positive acknowledgment signals designating successfully decoded frames, and when each one of said positive acknowledgement signals is received, said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, the frame designated by said one of said positive acknowledgment signals.

69. The coder of claim 3, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

70. The coder of claim 3, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

71. The coder of claim 3, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

4. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a decoder in a receiving device over a transmission channel, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said decoder;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoder;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said decoder;

wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgement signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames, and when each one of said negative acknowledgement signals is received, said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, a frame coded before the frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgement signals.

51. The coder of claim 4, wherein, when each one of said negative acknowledgement signals is received, said reference frame updating means deletes the frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgement signals, and all subsequent frames, from said memory means.

57. The coder of claim 4, wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgement signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames and desired reference frames, and when each one of said negative acknowledgement signals is received, said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, the desired reference frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgement signals.

58. The coder of claim 4, wherein said reference frame updating means comprises:

a list-keeping unit for keeping a list of candidate reference frames, and for adding the frames coded by said coding unit to said list of candidate reference frames; and

a deleting unit for, when one of said acknowledgement signals designates a frame as having been unsuccessfully decoded, deleting the frame thus designated, and all more recent frames in said series of frames, from said list of candidate reference frames;

and wherein said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, one of the frames on said list of candidate reference frames.

61. The coder of claim 4 wherein, when said frame that could not be decoded successfully is not stored in said memory means, said reference frame updating means selects a most recent frame stored in said memory means as said reference frame.

72. The coder of claim 4, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

73. The coder of claim 4, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

74. The coder of claim 4, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

5. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a decoder in a receiving device over a transmission channel, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said decoder;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoder;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said decoder;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames and desired reference frames, and when each one of said negative acknowledgment signals is received, said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, the desired reference frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgment signals.

75. The coder of claim 5, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

76. The coder of claim 5, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

77. The coder of claim 5, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

6. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a decoder in a receiving device over a transmission channel, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said decoder;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoder;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data; and

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said decoder;

wherein said reference frame updating means comprises

a list-keeping unit for keeping a list of candidate reference frames, and adding the frames coded by said coding unit to said list of candidate reference frames; and

a deleting unit for, when one of said acknowledgement signals designates a frame as having been unsuccessfully decoded, deleting the frame thus designated, and all more recent frames in said series of frames, from said list of candidate reference frames;

and wherein said reference frame updating means selects, as said reference frame, one of the frames on said list of candidate reference frames.

7. The coder of claim 6, wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals designating both a frame that could not be decoded successfully and a desired reference frame.

8. The coder of claim 7 wherein, if both said frame that could not be decoded successfully and said desired reference frame are present on said list of candidate reference frames, said reference frame updating means selects said desired reference frame as said reference frame.

9. The coder of claim 7 wherein, when said frame that could not be decoded successfully is not on said list of candidate reference frames, said reference frame updating means selects a most recent frame on said list of candidate reference frames as said reference frame.

52. The coder of claim 6 wherein, when one of said acknowledgement signals designates a frame as having been unsuccessfully decoded, said deleting unit also deletes the frame thus designated, and all more recent frames in said series of frames, from said memory means.

53. The coder of claim 52, wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgement signals designating both a frame that could not be decoded successfully and a desired reference frame.

78. The coder of claim 6, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

79. The coder of claim 6, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

80. The coder of claim 6, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

10. A coder in a transmitting device for coding a series of frames and transmitting resulting coded data to a decoder in a receiving device over a transmission channel, comprising:

receiving means for receiving acknowledgement signals from said decoder;

memory means for concurrently storing a plurality of frames from among said series of frames;

reference frame updating means using said acknowledgement signals to select, from among the plurality of frames stored in said memory means, a reference frame the coded data of which was successfully decoded by said decoder;

coding means coupled to said memory means, for performing inter-frame coding with reference to the reference frame selected by said reference frame updating means, thereby generating coded data;

transmitting means coupled to said coding means, for transmitting said coded data and a reference frame number indicating said reference frame to said decoder;

assessing means for assessing quality of said transmission channel, based on said acknowledgement signals; and

mode switching means coupled to said assessing means, for directing said reference frame updating means to select reference frames in different modes, responsive to said quality.

11. The coder of claim 10, wherein:

said assessing means assesses said quality by counting negatively acknowledged frames among a certain number of most recently transmitted frames.

12. The coder of claim 10, wherein said assessing means assesses said quality by counting consecutive negatively acknowledged frames.

13. The coder of claim 10, wherein said frames represent parts of pictures in a moving picture, and said assessing means assesses said quality by counting negatively acknowledged frames in identical positions in a certain number of consecutive pictures.

14. The coder of claim 10, wherein said assessing means assesses said quality according to a plurality of criteria.

15. The coder of claim 10, wherein said assessing means assesses said quality by making assessments of good and bad.

16. The coder of claim 15 wherein, when said quality is assessed as good, said mode switching means directs said reference frame updating means to select a most recently coded frame as said reference frame, unless a negative acknowledgment signal is received.

17. The coder of claim 15 wherein, when said quality is assessed as bad, said mode switching means directs said reference frame updating means to select, as said reference frame, only frames confirmed by said acknowledgment signals to have been decoded successfully.

18. The coder of claim 10, comprising a mode modifying means for receiving a mode command from a human user, and forcing said reference frame updating means to select said reference frame in a mode designated by said mode command.

19. The coder of claim 10, comprising a criteria modifying means for receiving a criteria modification command from a human user, and modifying criteria by which said assessing means assesses said quality, responsive to said criteria modification command.

81. The coder of claim 10, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

82. The coder of claim 10, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

83. The coder of claim 10, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

20. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise positive acknowledgment signals indicating that respective frames were successfully decoded.

84. The decoder of claim 20, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

21. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals indicating that respective frames were not successfully received.

85. The decoder of claim 21, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

22. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals indicating that respective frames were not successfully decoded.

86. The decoder of claim 22, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

23. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise positive acknowledgment signals indicating that respective frames were successfully decoded, and negative acknowledgments signals indicating that respective frames were not successfully received.

87. The decoder of claim 23, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

24. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving mean s for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals indicating that respective frames were not successfully decoded, and each of said negative acknowledgment signals designates a desired reference frame, to be used by said coder for inter-frame coding of following frames.

88. The decoder of claim 24, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

25. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said coder assesses quality of said transmission channel according to certain criteria, and selects reference frames for use in inter-frame coding in a mode responsive to said quality, and said decoder also comprises

criteria modification signal transmitting means for receiving input from a human user, and transmitting to said coder a corresponding signal commanding said coder to modify said criteria, responsive to said input.

89. The decoder of claim 25, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

26. A decoder in a receiving device for receiving, through a transmission channel, coded data from a coder in a transmitting device that performs inter-frame coding, and decoding said coded data to obtain a series of frames, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said coded data and reference frame numbers from said coder;

decoding means coupled to said receiving means, for decoding said coded data with reference to reference frames specified by said reference frame numbers; and

an acknowledgement signal transmitter coupled to said decoding means, for transmitting acknowledgement signals, acknowledging respective frames, to said coder, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames and indicating whether or not said decoder decoded said frames successfully;

wherein said coder assesses quality of said transmission channel according to certain criteria, and selects reference frames for use in inter-frame coding in a mode responsive to said quality, and said decoder also comprises

mode modification signal transmitting means for receiving input from a human user, and transmitting to said coder a signal commanding said coder to modify said mode, responsive to said input.

90. The decoder of claim 26, wherein said series of frames constitutes a moving picture.

27. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a plurality of receiving devices, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving devices;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving devices;

decoding said coded data at said receiving devices with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said plurality of receiving devices to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that at least one of said receiving devices decoded successfully.

28. The method claim 27, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting a frame that has been positively acknowledged by at least a certain number of said receiving devices.

29. The method claim 27, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting a frame that has not been negatively acknowledged by at least a certain number of said receiving devices.

91. The method of claim 27, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

92. The method of claim 27, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

30. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving device;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving device;

decoding said coded data at said receiving device with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said receiving device to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that said receiving device decoded successfully;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise positive acknowledgment signals designating successfully decoded frames, and said step of selecting said reference frame comprises;

selecting a frame designated by one of said positive acknowledgment signals.

93. The method of claim 30, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

94. The method of claim 30, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

31. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving device;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving device;

decoding said coded data at said receiving device with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said receiving device to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that said receiving device decoded successfully;

wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames, and said step of selecting said reference frame comprises;

selecting a frame coded before a frame designated by one of said negative acknowledgment signals.

54. The method of claim 31, comprising the further steps of:

storing said frames in memory means in said transmitting device, pending selection as said reference frame; and

deleting from said memory means the frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgement signals, and the frames more recent than the frame designated by said one of said negative acknowledgement signals.

59. The method of claim 31, wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgement signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames and desired reference frames, and said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting said desired reference frames as said reference frame.

60. The method of claim 31, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises the further steps of:

keeping a list of candidate reference frames;

adding the frames coded by intra-frame coding and the frames coded by inter-frame coding to said list;

deleting from said list each frame that is negatively acknowledged;

simultaneously deleting from said list, frames more recent than the frame that is negatively acknowledged; and

selecting said reference frame from said list.

62. The method of claim 31, comprising the further step of:

storing said frames in memory means in said transmitting device, pending selection as said reference frame;

wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises selecting a most recent frame stored in said memory means, if said frame that could not be decoded successfully is not stored in said memory means.

95. The method of claim 31, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

96. The method of claim 31, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

32. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving device;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving device;

decoding said coded data at said receiving device with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said receiving device to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that said receiving device decoded successfully;

wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals designating unsuccessfully decoded frames and desired reference frames, and said step of selecting said reference frame comprises;

selecting said desired reference frames as said reference frame.

97. The method of claim 32, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

98. The method of claim 32, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

33. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving device;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving device;

decoding said coded data at said receiving device with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said receiving device to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that said receiving device decoded successfully;

wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises the further steps of

keeping a list of candidate reference frames;

adding the frames coded by intra-frame coding and the frames coded by inter-frame coding to said list;

deleting from said list each frame that is negatively acknowledged;

simultaneously deleting from said list frames more recent than the frame that is negatively acknowledged; and

selecting said reference frame from said list.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said acknowledgment signals comprise negative acknowledgment signals designating both a frame that could not be decoded successfully and a desired reference frame.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting said desired reference frame, if both said frame that could not be decoded successfully and said desired reference frame are present on said list.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting a most recent frame on said list, if said frame that could not be decoded successfully is not on said list.

55. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

storing said frames in memory means in said transmitting device, pending selection as said reference frame; and

deleting from said memory means said frame that is negatively acknowledged, and the frames more recent than said frame that is negatively acknowledged.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said acknowledgement signals comprise negative acknowledgement signals designating both a frame that could not be decoded successfully and a desired reference frame.

99. The method of claim 33, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

100. The method of claim 33, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.

37. A method of transmitting a series of frames representing a moving picture from a transmitting device to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

concurrently storing, at said transmitting device, a plurality of frames transmitted previously to said receiving device;

coding at least some of said frames by inter-frame coding with reference to a reference frame, said reference frame being one of said frames transmitted previously;

transmitting coded data produced by the inter-frame coding of said frames, together with a reference frame number indicating said reference frame, from said transmitting device to said receiving device;

decoding said coded data at said receiving device with reference to the reference frame indicated by said reference frame number;

transmitting acknowledgement signals from said receiving device to said transmitting device, said acknowledgement signals including frame numbers of said frames, and indicating whether or not said receiving device successfully decoded said frames;

assessing quality of said transmission channel; and

selecting said reference frame at said transmitting device in different modes, responsive to said quality, using said acknowledgement signals to select, as said reference frame, a frame that said receiving device decoded successfully.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said transmitting device performs said step of assessing quality, based on said acknowledgment signals.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of assessing quality comprises:

counting negatively acknowledged frames during a certain interval.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of assessing quality comprises:

counting consecutive negatively acknowledged frames.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein said frames represent parts of pictures in said moving picture, and said step of assessing quality comprises:

counting negatively acknowledged frames in identical positions in a certain number of consecutive pictures.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of assessing quality comprises making assessments of good and bad.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting a most recently coded frame, when said quality is assessed as good, unless a negative acknowledgment signal is received.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of selecting said reference frame comprises:

selecting frames confirmed by said acknowledgment signals to have been decoded successfully, when said quality is assessed as bad.

45. The method of claim 37, comprising the further step of receiving a first command from a human user, specifying criteria by which said quality is to be assessed.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said first command is received from a human user at said transmitting device.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein said first command is received from a human user at said receiving device.

48. The method of claim 37, comprising the further step of receiving a second command from a human user, specifying a mode of selecting said reference frame.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said second command is received from a human user at said transmitting device.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said second command is received from a human user at said receiving device, comprising the further step of:

transmitting said second command from said receiving device to said transmitting device.

101. The method of claim 37, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one picture.

102. The method of claim 37, wherein each frame in said series of frames represents one part of one picture.