Apparatus for compression encoding video signals

Apparatus for compression encoding video signals, comprising:

• block segmenting means for segmenting a vertical interval of video picture elements into a plurality of blocks of picture elements;
• orthogonal transform means for providing an orthogonal transformation of respective blocks, the orthogonal transformation of a block being represented by a two-dimensional array of transform coefficients of differing values;
• means for partitioning said two-dimensional array of transform coefficients into respective areas;
• and quantizing means for quantizing said respective areas with respective quantizing values by dividing the value of the transform coefficients in said respective areas by a respective divisor 2.sup.n/2, where n is an integer which is not constant for all said respective areas, said quantizing means including a plurality of shift circuits having inputs connected in common to receive transform coefficient data D, and means for summing shifted data produced by said shift circuits to provide an approximation of the divisor 2.

Apparatus for compression encoding video signals, comprising:

• block segmenting means for segmenting a vertical interval of video picture elements into a plurality of blocks of picture elements;
• orthogonal transform means for providing an orthogonal transformation of respective blocks, the orthogonal transformation of a block represented by a two-dimensional array of transform coefficients for different frequency components, said array having an oblique frequency axis;
• means for partitioning said two-dimensional array of transform coefficients in a direction substantially perpendicular to said oblique frequency axis to form respective areas of coefficients;
• and quantizing means for quantizing said respective areas with respective quantizing values by dividing the value of the transform coefficients in said respective areas by a respective divisor 2.sup.n/2, where n is an integer that is not constant for all said respective areas.

Apparatus for compression encoding video signals, comprising:

• block segmenting means for segmenting a vertical interval of video picture elements into a plurality of blocks of picture elements;
• orthogonal transform means for providing an orthogonal transformation of respective blocks, the orthogonal transformation of a block represented by a two-dimensional array of transform coefficients for different frequency components, said array having an oblique frequency axis;
• means for partitioning said two-dimensional array of transform coefficients in a direction substantially perpendicular to said oblique frequency axis to form respective areas of coefficients;
• and quantizing means for quantizing said respective areas with respective quantizing values by dividing the value of the transform coefficients in said respective areas by a respective divisor 2.sup.n/2, where n is an integer that is not constant for all said respective areas, said quantizing means including a plurality of shift circuits having inputs connected in common to receive transform coefficient data D from said respective areas, and means for summing shifted data produced by said shift circuits to provide an approximation of the divisor 2.