Picture coding method, picture coding apparatus and image relaying apparatus

• US 7,082,163 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uenoyama, Tsutomu, Yamada, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): SENFI, BEHROOZ M
• Application Number:
  US09/992,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 348/409, 348/411, 348/441, 348/442, 348/407.1, 348/413, 382/56, 382/41, 382/244, 382/236, 382/238, 382/232, 375/240.01, 375/240.02, 375/240.25, 375/240.04, 375/240.12, 375/240.13
• US Class Current: 375/240.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/005 Statistical coding, e.g. Huffman, run length coding

Abstract

A picture coding apparatus contains a rate control unit 100, an image buffer 200, an orthogonal transformation unit 300, a quantizing unit 400, a variable length coding unit 500, a motion predicting unit 600, a coding unit 700, and an output buffer 800. The rate control unit 100 allocates a target code amount to each of pictures, and transfers a quantizing value 100a which is determined by a code amount to the quantizing unit 400. This target code amount is calculated by adding a reference target code amount to a correction value. The correction value is calculated based on a difference between a predetermined target value and an actual value of a remaining coding picture amount of the output buffer 800.

Claims

1. A picture coding method including the steps of:

inputting moving picture data having an arbitrary frame rate that is not known in advance;

determining the input frame rate of the inputted moving picture data;

providing a target value for a buffer storage amount;

determining a buffer remaining amount of the coded picture data stored in a buffer and not yet outputted by the apparatus;

calculating a correction amount based on a difference of said target value and said buffer remaining amount; and

calculating a target code amount for use in said coding step by adding said correction amount to said reference target code amount, wherein said target code amount is based on said input frame rate;

providing a reference coding frame rate based upon said input frame rate;

calculating a reference target code amount using said reference coding frame rate, wherein said target code amount is determined based upon the reference target code amount; and

updating said reference coding frame rate, wherein

said reference coding frame rate is determined based upon an average value of said measured frame rates within a time interval, and wherein, when the reference coding frame rate before being updated is larger than the reference coding frame rate after being updated, a value between said reference coding frame rate before being updated and said reference coding frame rate after being updated is used as an updated reference coding frame rate.

2. A picture coding method including the steps of:

inputting moving picture data having an arbitrary frame rate that is not known in advance;

determining the input frame rate of the inputted moving picture data;

providing a reference coding frame rate;

determining a reference target code amount using said reference coding frame rate;

providing a target value for a buffer storage amount;

determining a buffer remaining amount of the coded picture data stored in a buffer and not yet outputted by the apparatus;

calculating a correction amount based on a difference of said predetermined target value and said buffer remaining amount;

calculating a target code amount for use in said coding step by adding said correction amount to said reference target code amount; and

updating said reference coding frame rate, wherein,

said reference coding frame rate is determined based upon an average value of said measured frame rates within a time interval, and wherein, when the reference coding frame rate before being updated is larger than the reference coding frame rate after being updated, a value between said reference coding frame rate before being updated and said reference coding frame rate after being updated is used as an updated reference coding frame rate.

3. A picture coding method including the steps of:

inputting moving picture data having an arbitrary frame rate;

coding said moving picture data into coded picture data for storage in a buffer prior to outputting said coded picture data;

determining the input frame rate of the inputted moving picture data;

determining a reference coding frame rate using said input frame rate;

calculating a reference target code amount using said reference coding frame rate;

determining a target value for a buffer storage amount using said reference coding frame rate;

determining a buffer remaining amount of the coded picture data stored in the buffer and not yet outputted by the apparatus;

calculating a correction amount based on a difference of said predetermined target value and said buffer remaining amount; and

calculating a target code amount for use in said coding step by adding said correction amount to said reference target code amount, wherein

the code amount of the outputted coded picture data is approximated to said target code amount in said coding step; and

updating said reference coding frame rate, wherein

said reference coding frame rate is determined based upon an average value of said measured frame rates within a time interval, and wherein, when the reference coding frame rate before being updated is larger than the reference coding frame rate after being updated, a value between said reference coding frame rate before being updated and said reference coding frame rate after being updated is used as an updated reference coding frame rate.

4. A picture coding method including the steps of:

determining a reference coding frame rate using the input frame rate of inputted moving picture data;

calculating a reference target code amount using said reference coding frame rate;

determining a target value for a buffer storage amount using said reference coding frame rate;

determining a buffer remaining amount of the coded picture data stored in a buffer and not yet outputted by the apparatus;

calculating a correction amount based on a difference of said predetermined target value and said buffer remaining amount; and

calculating a target code amount for use in said coding step by adding said correction amount to said reference target code amount; and

updating said reference coding frame rate, wherein,

said reference coding frame rate is determined based upon an average value of said measured frame rates within a time interval, and wherein, when the reference coding frame rate before being updated is larger than the reference coding frame rate after being updated, a value between said reference coding frame rate before being updated and said reference coding frame rate after being updated is used as the updated reference coding frame rate.