Patent ID: 6233279
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
An image processing method for coding an image signal corresponding to each frame forming an image space including an object of an arbitrary shape, for each of plural blocks into which the image space is divided, said method comprising:outputting difference data between image data of a target block to be coded in a frame which is presently processed and image data of a prediction block for the target block, as image data of a difference block;compressing the image data of the difference block to generate image data of a compressed difference block and then coding the image data of the compressed difference block to generate a coded image signal, while decompressing the image data of the compressed difference block to restore the difference data as image data of a decompressed difference block;adding the image data of the decompressed difference block and the image data of the prediction block to generate image-data of a reproduced block;outputting the image data of the reproduced block after replacing insignificant pixel values constituting the reproduced block with a predetermined padding value when the reproduced block is an ineffective block comprising only insignificant pixels, on the other hand, outputting the image data of the reproduced block as it is when the reproduced block is an effective block, other than the ineffective block, which has at least one significant pixel; andgenerating image data of a prediction block for a target block in a frame to be processed next in accordance with the image data of the effective block and the image data of the padded ineffective block.