# US 5,703,648 A · Coding apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,703,648 A - Document ID: US5703648A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/801,361 - Filed: 1997-02-19 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1993-09-17 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Akihiro Shikakura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703648A ## CPC - H04N 19/152: by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer - H04N 19/107: between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh - H04N 19/115: Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding - H04N 19/124: Quantisation - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/61: in combination with predictive coding - H04N 19/146: Data rate or code amount at the encoder output - H04N 19/30: using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability (H04N19/63 takes precedence) - H04N 19/50: using predictive coding (H04N19/61 takes precedence) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract There is provided a coding apparatus comprising: a block dividing section for dividing one picture of an input image signal into (n) blocks; (n) coding sections for coding the image data of each of the (n) blocks; and a control section for dividing one picture of the input image signal into (m) blocks so as to exist over the (n) blocks and for controlling an amount of codes which are generated from each of the coding section every (m) blocks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coding apparatus comprising: a) block dividing means for dividing one picture of an input image signal into (n) blocks; b) (n) coding means for coding the image signals of said (n) blocks; and c) control means for dividing one picture of said input signal into (m) blocks so as to exist over said (n) blocks and for controlling an amount of codes which are generated from each of said coding means in a unit of each of said (m) blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing said image signal, and said control means controls quantization steps of said quantizing means. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further having synthesizing means for synthesizing the image signals which are output from said (n) coding means. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said coding means performs a motion compensation predictive coding. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said coding means outputs motion information used when said motion compensation predictive coding is executed together with the coded image signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further having (n) memory means for storing each of the image signals coded by said coding means. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said coding means has an intraframe coding mode and an interframe coding mode, and said apparatus further has switching means for switching said coding modes in accordance with the data amount stored in said (n) memory means. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means changes a coding parameter of each of said coding means in accordance with the data amount stored in said (n) memory means, thereby controlling the amount of codes which are generated from said coding means. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing said image signal, and said coding parameter is a quantization step of said quantizing means. ### Claim 10 A coding apparatus comprising: dividing means for dividing one picture of an input image signal into a plurality of blocks; a plurality of coding means each for coding the image signal every block divided by said dividing means; memory means for storing each of the image signals coded by each of said coding means; and control means for controlling a code amount of a predetermined image signal collected from each of said blocks and coded by each of said coding means, said control means controlling the code amount by changing a coding parameter of each of said coding means in accordance with the data amount stored in said memory means, thereby controlling the amount of codes which are generated from each of said coding means. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing said image signal, and said control means controls a quantization step of said quantizing means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) An apparatus according to claim 10, further having synthesizing means for synthesizing the coded image signals which are output from said plurality of coding means. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing the image signal, and said coding parameter is a quantization step of said quantizing means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said coding means has an intraframe coding mode and an interframe coding mode, and said apparatus further has switching means for switching said coding modes in accordance with the data amount stored in said memory means. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said coding means executes a motion compensation predictive coding. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said coding means outputs motion information used when said motion compensation predictive coding is executed together with the coded image signal. ### Claim 17 A coding apparatus comprising: a) dividing means for dividing one picture of an input image signal into a plurality of first blocks; b) a plurality of coding means each for coding the image signal of each said first block, each of said plurality of coding means dividing each said first block into a plurality of second blocks and performing a coding processing on each said second block; and c) control means for controlling a coding parameter of each of said coding means according to an amount of codes which are generated when the image signal of a predetermined number of said second blocks are coded, said predetermined number of second blocks being extracted from at least two of said first blocks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing said image signal, and said control means controls a quantization step of said quantizing means. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) An apparatus according to claim 17, further having synthesizing means for synthesizing the codes which are output from said plurality of coding means. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said coding means executes a motion compensation predictive coding. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) An apparatus according to claim 17, further having memory means for storing each of the codes produced by each of said coding means. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said control means controls the coding parameter of each of said coding means in accordance with the data amount stored in said memory means. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said coding means has quantizing means for quantizing said image signal, and said control means controls a quantization step of said quantizing means. ### Claim 24 A coding method comprising the steps of: a block dividing step of dividing one picture of an input image signal into (n) blocks; a coding step of coding the image signals of said (n) blocks using (n) coding means; and a control step of dividing one picture of the input image signal into (m) blocks so as to exist over said (n) blocks and for controlling an amount of codes which are generated from each of said coding means in a unit of each of said (m) blocks. ### Claim 25 A coding method comprising the steps of: a dividing step of dividing one picture of an input image signal into a plurality of blocks; a coding step of coding the image signal using a plurality of coding means each for coding the image signal every block divided by said dividing step; a memory step of storing each of the image signals coded by each of said coding means; and a control step of controlling a code amount of a predetermined image signal collected from each of said blocks and coded by each of said coding means, said control step controlling the code amount by changing a coding parameter of each of said coding means in accordance with the data amount stored in said memory step, thereby controlling the amount of codes which are generated from each of said coding means. ### Claim 26 A coding method comprising the steps of: a dividing step of dividing one picture of an input image signal into a plurality of first blocks; a coding step of coding the image signal using a plurality of coding means each for coding the image signal of each said first block, each of the plurality of coding means dividing each first block into a plurality of second blocks and performing a coding processing on each said second block; and a control step of controlling a coding parameter of each of the coding means according to an amount of codes which are generated when the image signal of a predetermined number of said second blocks are coded, said predetermined number of second blocks being extracted from at least two of said first blocks.