Efficient rate allocation for multi-resolution coding of data

A method, comprising

• examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a global priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• and
• after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the global priority level;
• repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• and
• terminating the examining, the encoding, the reducing, and the decreasing in response to determining that a total amount of bits used is greater than a target bit rate.

A method, comprising:

• examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a current priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the current priority level;
• repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients until the total amount of bits used is greater than the target bit rate;
• finding a global minimum rate-distortion slope among encoded coding units of the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• encoding un-encoded units in respective collections of coefficients according to the local coding order until respective minimum rate-distortion slopes for respective collections of coefficients are smaller than the global minimum rate-distortion slope;
• computing a rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope;
• and
• using the rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope to select truncation points.

The article of manufacture of claim 83 wherein:

• finding a global minimum rate-distortion slope includes finding a rate-distortion slope that is a function of a rate value and a distortion value, and wherein:
• the rate value is an amount of bits needed to encode a coding unit to be encoded or a first neighboring coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients;
• and
• the distortion value is a distortion reduction due to encoding of the coding unit to be encoded or the encoding of a second neighboring coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients.

The apparatus of claim 85 wherein:

• finding a global minimum rate-distortion slope includes finding a rate-distortion slope that is a function of a rate value and a distortion value, and wherein:
• the rate value is an amount of bits needed to encode a coding unit to be encoded or a first neighboring coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients;
• and
• the distortion value is a distortion reduction due to encoding of the coding unit to be encoded or the encoding of a second neighboring coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients.

An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a global priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• and
• after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the global priority level;
• repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• and
• terminating the examining, the encoding, the reducing, and the decreasing in response to determining that a total amount of bits used is greater than a target bit rate.

An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a current priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the current priority level;
• repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients until the total amount of bits used is greater than the target bit rate;
• finding a global minimum rate-distortion slope among encoded coding units of the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• encoding un-encoded units in respective collections of coefficients according to the local coding order until respective minimum rate-distortion slopes for respective collections of coefficients are smaller than the global minimum rate-distortion slope;
• computing a rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope;
• and
• using the rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope to select truncation points for the coding units.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• means for, in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a global priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• and
• means for, after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the global priority level;
• means for repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• and
• means for terminating the examining, the encoding, the reducing, and the decreasing in response to determining that a total amount of bits used is greater than a target bit rate.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units;
• means for, in response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a current priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to the local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients;
• means for, after the collections of coefficients are examined, decreasing the current priority level;
• means for repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients until the total amount of bits used is greater than the target bit rate;
• means for finding a global minimum rate-distortion slope among encoded coding units of the plurality of collections of coefficients;
• means for encoding un-encoded units in respective collections of coefficients according to the local coding order until respective minimum rate-distortion slopes for respective collections of coefficients are smaller than the global minimum rate-distortion slope;
• means for computing a rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope;
• and
• means for using the rate-distortion adjusted rate-distortion slope to select truncation points for the coding units.