Decompressor and compressor for simultaneously decompressing and compressng a plurality of pixels in a pixel array in a digital image differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) system

A digital image differential pulse code modulation decompressor for simultaneously generating, during a cycle of operation of said decompressor, a decompressed pixel value for a plurality of selected pixels located on a diagonal of an array of pixels where said array has x columns and y rows and where said decompressed pixel values are used in generating an image, said decompressor comprising:

• a storage means for storing an error value for each selected pixel to be processed during a cycle of operation of said decompressor;
• a processing means for simultaneously generating, during said cycle of operation of said decompressor, a decompressed value for each said selected pixel where said decompressed value for a selected pixel is derived from said error value stored in said storage means for said selected pixel and a predicted value generated by said processing means for each selected pixel where said predicted value is derived from a predictor, said predictor being at least a second order, two dimensional predictor;
• and
• wherein the number of cycles of operation needed to generate all predicted pixel values included in said array is equal to (x+n-1) multiplied by (y/n) where n is the selected number of pixels on the diagonal of said array to be processed during each cycle of operation of said decompressor.

A digital image differential pulse code modulation compressor for simultaneously generating, during a cycle of operation of said compressor, a decompressed value and an encoded quantized error value for each of a plurality of selected pixels located on a diagonal of an array of pixels where said encoded quantized error values will be used in generating an image represented by said array of pixels, said array having x columns and y rows, said compressor comprising:

• a storage means for storing an array value for each selected pixel of said plurality of selected pixels to be processed during a cycle of operation of said compressor;
• and
• a processing means for concurrently processing, during said cycle of operation of said compressor, each said array value stored in said storage means to generate for each said selected pixel of said plurality of selected pixels:
• a decompressed value derived from said array value and a predicted value generated by said processing means for said selected pixel where said predicted value is derived from a predictor, said predictor being at least a second order, two dimensional predictor;
• and
• an encoded quantized error value generated from the difference between said array value and said predicted value for said selected pixel.

A digital image differential pulse code modulation compressor for simultaneously generating, during a cycle of operation of said compressor, a decompressed value and an encoded quantized error value for each of a plurality of selected pixels located on a diagonal of an array of pixels where said encoded quantized error values will be used in generating an image represented by said array of pixels, said array having x columns and y rows, said compressor comprising:

• a storage means for storing an array value for each selected pixel to be processed during a cycle of operation of said compressor;
• and
• a processing means for simultaneously generating, during said cycle of operation of said compressor,
• a decompressed value for each said selected pixel where said decompressed value for a selected pixel is derived from said array value stored in said storage means for said selected pixel and a predicted value generated by said processing means for each selected pixel where said predicted value is derived from a predictor, said predictor being at least a second order, two dimensional predictor;
• an encoded quantized error value, for each said selected pixel, generated from the difference between said array value and said predicted value of each of said selected pixels;
• first storage means for storing decompressed values for pixels which were generated during previous cycles of operations to a present cycle of operation of said decompressor;
• prediction means for simultaneously generating said predicted pixel value for each said selected pixel where said predicted value is derived from decompressed values stored in said first storage means in accordance with said predictor;
• and
• control means for transferring said decompressed values for said selected pixels generated during said present cycle of operation to said first storage means for use during a future cycle of operation of said decompressor.

A digital image differential pulse code modulation decompression method for simultaneously generating, during a cycle of operation of said decompression method, a decompressed value for a plurality of selected pixels located on a diagonal of an array of pixels where said decompressed values for the pixels in said array are used in recreating a visual image, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing an error value for each selected pixel to be processed during a cycle of operation;
• simultaneously generating, during said cycle of operation, a predicted value for each selected pixel where said predicted value is derived from a predictor, said predictor being at least a second order, two dimensional predictor;
• and
• simultaneously generating, during said cycle of operation of said decompressor, a decompressed value for each said selected pixel where said decompressed value for a selected pixel is derived from said error value for said selected pixel and said predicted value for said selected pixel.