Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

An information processing method of compressing image data using an MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) technique, the method comprising:

• an extracting step of extracting at least one second block, the second block being a reference block with respect to a first block formed of a predetermined number of pixels in the image data;
• a first calculating step of calculating a first value which is the absolute difference between the sum of the pixels of the first block and the sum of the pixels of the second block extracted in the extracting step;
• a first setting step of setting the initial value of a second value which is compared to the first value determined in the first calculating step;
• a first comparing step of comparing the first value determined in the first calculating step with the second value;
• a second calculating step of calculating a third value which is the sum of absolute differences between the pixels of the first block and the pixels of the second block when it is determined in the first comparing step that the first value is smaller than the second value;
• and
• a second setting step of setting the third value as the second value when the third value determined in the second calculating step is smaller than the second value,
• wherein, in the extracting step, all the second blocks in a predetermined search area are sequentially extracted.

A recording medium containing a computer-readable program for an information processing apparatus for compressing image data using an MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) technique, the program comprising:

• an extracting step of extracting at least one second block, the second block being a reference block with respect to a first block formed of a predetermined number of pixels in the image data;
• a first calculating step of calculating a first value which is the absolute difference between the sum of the pixels of the first block and the sum of the pixels of the second block extracted in the extracting step;
• a first setting step of setting the initial value of a second value which is compared to the first value determined in the first calculating step;
• a first comparing step of comparing the first value determined in the first calculating step with the second value;
• a second calculating step of calculating a third value which is the sum of absolute differences between the pixels of the first block and the pixels of the second block when it is determined in the first comparing step that the first value is smaller than the second value;
• and
• a second setting step of setting the third value as the second value when the third value determined in the second calculating step is smaller than the second value,
• wherein, in the extracting step, all the second blocks in a predetermined search area are sequentially extracted.

A program executable by a computer for controlling an information processing apparatus for compressing image data using an MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) technique, the program comprising:

• an extracting step of extracting at least one second block, the second block being a reference block with respect to a first block formed of a predetermined number of pixels in the image data;
• a first calculating step of calculating a first value which is the absolute difference between the sum of the pixels of the first block and the sum of the pixels of the second block extracted in the extracting step;
• a first setting step of setting the initial value of a second value which is compared to the first value determined in the first calculating step;
• a first comparing step of comparing the first value determined in the first calculating step with the second value;
• a second calculating step of calculating a third value which is the sum of absolute differences between the pixels of the first block and the pixels of the second block when it is determined in the first comparing step that the first value is smaller than the second value;
• and
• a second setting step of setting the third value as the second value when the third value determined in the second calculating step is smaller than the second value,
• wherein, in the extracting step, all the second blocks in a predetermined search area are sequentially extracted.