Device for and method of coding/decoding image information

• US 6,307,885 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1997
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pantech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Inventors: Kweon, Ji-Heon, Moon, Joo-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US08/937,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 348/420, 348/421, 348/397-398, 348/384, 348/390, 348/571, 348/420.1, 348/422.1, 382/243, 382/242, 382/246, 375/240.24, 375/240.08, 375/240.1
• US Class Current: 375/240.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

A device for coding image information, which is a shape encoder for splitting an image transferred from an image input into an object image and a background image that have predetermined shape information, includes: a boundary block merge block for merging boundary blocks including both the object and background images out of shape information received, by using a boundary block merge technique; a variable length coding block for variable-length-coding the merged boundary blocks received from the boundary block merge block; and a variable length coding table memory for storing variable length coding tables which are used when the merged boundary blocks are variable-length-coded by the variable length coding block.

Claims

1. A device for coding image information, which is a shape encoder for splitting an image transferred from an image input unit into an object image and a background image that have predetermined shape information, said predetermined shape information depending upon whether said object image and said background image contains an interior block, an exterior block, or a boundary block:

the device for coding image information, comprising;

a boundary block merge section for merging boundary blocks including both the object and the background images out of shape information received, by using a boundary block merge technique, said boundary block merge section outputting merged boundary blocks;

a variable length coding section for variable-length-coding the merged boundary blocks received from the boundary block merge section; and

a variable length coding table memory for storing variable length coding tables which are used when the merged boundary blocks are variable-length-coded by the variable length coding section.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary block merge section merges a plurality of boundary blocks.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said boundary blocks comprise a plurality of sub blocks, and wherein the boundary block merge section merges said plurality of sub blocks.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary block merge section merges luminance blocks.

5. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary block merge section merges chrominance blocks.

6. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary block merge block merges luminance and chrominance blocks in separate groups.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said boundary blocks comprise a plurality of sub blocks, and wherein the variable length coding section codes the boundary blocks by using the variable length coding tables, wherein said variable lengths coding tables are different in the number of coding bits according to the number of object blocks, including the object image, out of a plurality of sub blocks.

8. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said boundary blocks comprise a plurality of sub blocks, and wherein the variable length coding tables stored in the variable length coding table memory are differently constructed according to arrangement characteristics of object blocks, including the object image, out of said plurality of sub blocks.

9. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein the variable length coding tables have bits that are gradually increased in number with less frequency of occurrence for each arrangement characteristic according to the arrangement characteristics of the object blocks.

10. A method of coding information, which is a shape encoding accomplished by splitting an image transferred from an image input into an object image and a background image that have predetermined shape information, said predetermined shape information depending upon whether said object image and said background image contains an interior block, an exterior block, or a boundary block, the method of coding image information, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of boundary blocks, wherein said boundary blocks comprise object and background images;

merging said boundary blocks, including both the object and background images, out of shape information received, by using a boundary block merge technique; and

performing a variable length coding according to the result of said merging step.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein a plurality of boundary blocks are merged in said merging step.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein said boundary blocks comprise a plurality of sub blocks, and wherein said plurality of sub blocks constituting the boundary blocks are merged in said merging step.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein luminance blocks are merged in said merging step.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein chrominance blocks are merged in said merging step.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein luminance and chrominance blocks are each merged in separate groups.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein said step (c) variable-length-codes the boundary blocks by using variable length coding tables, wherein said variable length coding tables are different in the number of coding bits according to the number of object blocks, including the object image, out of a plurality of said sub blocks constituting the boundary blocks.

17. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein said step (c) variable-length-coding codes the boundary blocks by using the variable length coding tables, wherein said variable length coding tables are different in the number of coding bits according to the arranging characteristics of object blocks, including the object image, out of a plurality of said sub blocks constituting the boundary blocks.

18. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the variable length coding step variable-length-codes the boundary blocks by using the variable length coding tables as follows:

the variable length coding tables have bits that are gradually increased in number with less frequency of occurrence for each arrangement characteristic according to the arrangement characteristics of the object blocks.