Multiplex Method and Associated Functional Data Structure for Combining Digital Video Signals

A functional data structure for encoding a set of at least two digital images that are divided into macroblocks of pixels encoded with position and color value specifications, including intraprediction macroblocks, wherein each image is compressed in at least

• a first data stream portion, which includes a portion of the macroblocks reduced by at least spatial redundancies, and
• a second data stream portion that is assigned to the first data stream portion and describes the redundancies,
• wherein, for each of the intraprediction macroblocks,
• the first data stream portion is reduced by color value specifications with correlations to color values from at least one row of pixels, which is located outside and at one edge of the intraprediction macroblock and for which, in the case of pixels outside of the compressed image, a default color value is assumed,
• and the second data stream comprises intrapredictors to describe the correlations,
• distinguished by the encoding of one space, which is divided into first spaces, each of which is occupied by the macroblocks for one of the digital images, and a second space that separates the first spaces from each other and is occupied by pixels with the default color value.