Patent ID: 6707948
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
In a stepwise method of (i) wavelet-encoding an input image of finite horizontal and vertical extent into encoded data representative of the input image, (ii) communicating the wavelet-encoded image data to an image generator, (iii) decoding the wavelet-encoded image data in the image generator, and (iv) generating an output image from the decoded image data, the improvement which before the step of (i) wavelet-encoding further includes the step offiltering the image data with a mathematical filter applied in both horizontal and vertical spatial directions of the output image with a different number of levels of decomposition in each direction; and which between the steps of the (i) wavelet-encoding and the (ii) communicating further includes the step of re-ordering the wavelet-encoded image data so that the (ii) communicating is of successive portions of the wavelet-encoded image data representing successive strip portions of the input image, so that the (iii) decoding is of these successively communicated portions; and so that the (iv) output image generating is of successive portions of the output image in strips from one side to an opposite side of the output image; wherein the (iii) decoding of the re-ordered image data portions, and the (iv) image generating of the portions of the output image associated therewith, is time-overlapped, certain strip portions of the output image being generated even before later image data portions as represent further strip portions of the output image are even communicated.