Encoder for volume data

• US 7,254,267 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: KDDI Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Yasuyuki, Koike, Atsushi, Matsuo, Kenji, Hashimoto, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hung; Yubin
• Application Number:
  US10/669,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20040208378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 382/166, 382/232, 382/248, 382/250, 348/395.1, 348/398.1, 348/403.1, 358/426.01, 358/426.12, 358/426.14, 375/240.18, 375/240.19, 375/240.2, 708/203
• US Class Current: 382/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/13 Adaptive entropy coding, e.g. adaptive variable length coding [AVLC] or context adaptive binary arithmetic coding [CABAC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/62 by frequency transforming in three dimensions H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/63 using sub-band based transform, e.g. wavelets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding

Abstract

A volume data encoder with high encoding efficiency is provided. The object of the coding is volume data which contains a plurality of tomogram planes output from a CT and an MRI. A header analysis unit separates each plane image into header information and pixel information. A header compression unit compresses the separated header information. On the other hand, a two-dimensional transform unit conducts frequency decomposition on the pixel information. A skip portion detection and table generation unit detects skip portions that are the same in all coefficients in a z-direction, and stores them in a table. A one-dimensional transform unit conducts one-dimensional transform on the pixel information for coefficients except the skip portions. A unit block division unit divides each subband into unit blocks. An entropy encoding unit determines a parameter for entropy encoding according to statistical properties of all coefficients in all unit blocks included in each class.

Claims

1. A volume data encoder for encoding volume data that are image data having a three-dimensional spatial pixel arrangement, the volume data encoder comprising:

a two-dimensional transform unit for conducting two-dimensional frequency decomposition along a first and a second dimensions on two-dimensional consecutive images;

skip detection means for detecting the same data portion which can be skipped in a one-dimensional frequency decomposition and an encoding processing, when further conducting the one-dimensional frequency decomposition and subsequent encoding processing on transform coefficients obtained from the two-dimensional transform unit;

a one-dimensional transform unit for conducting the one-dimensional frequency decomposition except the portion detected by the skip detection means which can be skipped; and

an encoding processing unit for conducting encoding on data subjected to the frequency decomposition in the one-dimensional transform unit, except the portion which can be skipped.

2. The volume data encoder according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing a result of detection conducted by the skip detection means.

3. The volume data encoder according to claim 1, comprising:

a unit block division unit for dividing inside of a subband block, which is obtained by conducting three-dimensional frequency decomposition on volume data obtained by conducting the two-dimensional and the one-dimensional frequency decompositions, into unit blocks, which are smaller three-dimensional blocks; and

adaptive encoding means for conducting adaptive encoding on each of the unit blocks with a suitable encoding parameter.

4. The volume data encoder according to claim 2, comprising:

a unit block division unit for dividing inside of a subband block, which is obtained by conducting three-dimensional frequency decomposition on volume data obtained by conducting the two-dimensional and the one-dimensional frequency decompositions, into unit blocks, which are smaller three-dimensional blocks; and

adaptive encoding means for conducting adaptive encoding on each of the unit blocks with a suitable encoding parameter.

5. The volume data encoder according to claim 3, comprising:

means for calculating statistical values of coefficients for each of all unit blocks in the subband;

means for classifying the unit blocks into classes according to the statistical values; and

means for storing a result of the classifying,

wherein the adaptive encoding means uses a common encoding parameter for each of the classes when encoding unit blocks.

6. The volume data encoder according to claim 4, comprising:

means for calculating statistical values of coefficients for each of all unit blocks in the subband;

means for classifying the unit blocks into classes according to the statistical values; and

means for storing a result of the classifying,

wherein the adaptive encoding means uses a common encoding parameter for each of the classes when encoding unit blocks.

7. The volume data encoder according to claims 2 or 5, comprising means for compressing information held in the detection result storage means according to claim 2 or the classifying result storing means according to claim 5, respectively,

wherein the compressed result is added to encoded data.

8. The volume data encoder according to claim 1, comprising means for separating header information from pixel information, if information other than the pixel information accompanies each of a plurality of two-dimensional images forming the volume data, as the header information,

wherein the header information is processed apart from the pixel information, and a result of compression using a common portion of a plurality of kinds of header information is added to encoded pixel data.

9. The volume data encoder according to claim 2, comprising means for separating header information from pixel information, if information other than the pixel information accompanies each of a plurality of two-dimensional images forming the volume data, as the header information,

wherein the header information is processed apart from the pixel information, and a result of compression using a common portion of a plurality of kinds of header information is added to encoded pixel data.

10. The volume data encoder according to claim 3, comprising means for separating header information from pixel information, if information other than the pixel information accompanies each of a plurality of two-dimensional images forming the volume data, as the header information,

wherein the header information is processed apart from the pixel information, and a result of compression using a common portion of a plurality of kinds of header information is added to encoded pixel data.