Method and apparatus for signal encoding producing encoded signals of high fidelity at minimal sizes

A method, implemented in an encoder having a processor, comprising:

• acquiring a first signal;
• determining descriptors of said first signal;
• acquiring characteristics of a receiver;
• determining a permissible flow rate over a path from said encoder to said receiver;
• selecting a preferred set of encoding parameters compatible with said descriptors and said characteristics for encoding said first signal to produce a second signal of a requisite fidelity index and said permissible flow rate;
• and
• encoding said first signal according to said encoding parameters.

An apparatus for signal encoding comprising a processor and at least one memory device storing:

• reference data records, each reference data record indicating a fidelity index and a relative signal size corresponding to one of a collection of sets of encoding parameters;
• processor-executable instructions devised to:
• define a first analytical model for determining fidelity indices and a second analytical model for determining relative signal sizes based on said reference data records;
• and
• generate two tables of fidelity indices and relative signal sizes corresponding to a number of sets of encoding parameters exceeding a number of said reference data records;
• processor-executable instructions for determining characteristics of a target receiver of a video recording;
• and
• processor-executable instructions causing said processor to examine said tables to identify a set of encoding parameters compatible with said characteristics and corresponding to a least relative signal size at a fidelity index at least equal to a specified lower bound.

An apparatus for signal encoding comprising a processor and at least one memory device storing:

• reference data records, each reference data record indicating a fidelity index and a relative flow rate corresponding to one of a collection of sets of encoding parameters;
• processor-executable instructions devised to:
• define a first analytical model for determining fidelity indices and a second analytical model for determining relative flow rates based on said reference data records;
• and
• generate two tables of fidelity indices and relative flow rates corresponding to a number of sets of encoding parameters exceeding a number of said reference data records;
• processor-executable instructions for determining characteristics of a target receiver of a video recording;
• and
• processor-executable instructions causing said processor to examine said tables to identify a set of encoding parameters compatible with said characteristics and corresponding to a least relative flow rate at a fidelity index at least equal to a specified lower bound.