System and method for using pattern vectors for video and image coding and decoding

A computer readable medium storing a computer program having instructions for controlling a computing device to identify non-zero coefficients in a block of image data having transformed coefficients the instructions comprising:

• mapping a block of transform coefficients into a one-dimensioned list of transform coefficients in a fixed order:
• generating a single entity;
• that identifies which transform coefficients in the one-dimensional list are non-zero;and
• coding the single entity.

A computing device that decodes a bitstream, the computing device comprising:

• a processor;
• a module configured to control the processor to receive a single entity that represents a mapping of a block of transform coefficients into a one-dimensional list of transform coefficients in a fixed order;
• a module configured to control the processor to decode the single entity to identify which transform coefficients in the block are non-zero;and
• a module configured to control the processor to convert the non-zero transform coefficients into block image data.

A computer readable medium storing a computer program having instruction for controlling a computing device to decode a bitstream, the instructions comprising:

• receiving a single entity that represents a mapping of a block of transform coefficients into a one-dimensional list of transform coefficients in a fixed order:
• decoding a single entity to identify which transform coefficients in a block are non-zero;
• and
• converting the non-zero transform coefficients into block image data.