Patent ID: 6792046
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An encoding system comprising:an encoding unit operable to encode external input signals of a macroblock of a unit image, to output coded data corresponding to said external input signals; a fixed code output unit operable to output a fixed code predetermined for an encoding type of said unit image; a storage unit operable to store either said coded data outputted from said encoding unit or said fixed code outputted from said fixed code output unit for said macroblock; and a rate control unit operable to determine which of said coded data and said fixed code is stored in said storage unit in accordance with a number of bits encoded by said encoding unit for said coded data, wherein said rate control unit determines a maximum number of bits, as can be generated by encoding the unit image, for each macroblock of said unit image, and determines which of the coded data outputted from said encoding unit and the fixed code outputted from said fixed code output unit on the basis of said maximum number of bits, and wherein said rate control unit determines the maximum number of bits on the basis of the following: Tmax&lE;vbv_bits+Rp, and Rp=R/F wherein Tmax designates the maximum number of bits , Rp designates a number of bits to be read from the storage unit for the unit image, R designates a bit rate for reading bits from said storage unit, F designates a rate for encoding the unit image, and vbv_bits designates an occupied space of the VBV buffer in the previous unit image.