Low bandwidth encoding scheme for video transmission

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for encoding areas of an image that have definable parameters as graphic objects and then encoding the remaining areas of the image, if any, as a raster scanned image. This method and apparatus is particularly well suited for the encoding of an image that has areas that can be described as having a particular texture characteristic. Each area of the image, and subsequent images, that have the particular texture characteristic is encoded with an identifier to the texture characteristic, rather than encoded with the details of the texture itself. Regular texture pattern types, such as bricks, marble, woodgrain, satin, velour, etc. are associated with areas of the image, and the encoding of these areas merely contain an identification of the pattern type. Areas of the image that do not contain regular texture pattern types are encoded as conventional raster scanned areas of the image. A decoding device processes the conventional raster scanned encoding, then processes the encoding of the textured areas and fills in the details associated with each identified texture pattern type. In a preferred embodiment, the level of detail provided by the decoding device is dependent upon the characteristics of the display device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.