Patent ID: 7813563

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for performing digital signal processing, comprising: obtaining a first set of digitized coefficients from source data; determining a best-fit distribution of a generalized Gaussian distribution for the set of digitized coefficients, wherein determining the best-fit distribution includes determining parameters for the generalized Gaussian distribution, wherein determining the parameters includes determining an actual shape parameter of the generalized Gaussian distribution by: (i) applying a first algorithm to the digitized coefficients, wherein the first algorithm depends upon a ratio of a first summation of the digitized coefficients to a second summation of the digitized coefficients and wherein the first and second summations depend, at least in part, upon a variable shape parameter, and (ii) determining, via one or more iterations, a root value for the variable shape parameter of the first algorithm, wherein the iterations are globally-convergent to the root value irrespective of a starting value of the variable shape parameter and wherein the actual shape parameter comprises the root value; wherein the first algorithm comprises 1 n ⁢ ∑ i = 1 n ⁢  X i  2 ⁢ ⁢ θ ( 1 n ⁢ ∑ i = 1 n ⁢  X i  θ ) 2 - ( θ + 1 ) , where n in the first algorithm is associated with the number of digitized coefficient X i in the first algorithm is associated with a value of each of the digitized coefficients, and θ is associated with the variable shape parameter; applying a quantization algorithm to the first set of digitized coefficients to obtain a second set of quantizers, wherein the quantization algorithm is based at least in part on the determined best-fit distribution; and providing the second set of quantizers as a compressed representation of the source data, wherein the prior steps are performed by one or more computers.