Patent ID: 6873738

Claim:
A memory apparatus for use with a digital picture signal, the apparatus comprising: first signal processing means for receiving an input digital picture signal and for performing a hierarchical encoding process thereon so as to form hierarchical encoded picture data; memory means for storing the hierarchical encoded picture data from said first signal processing means; and second processing means for receiving the hierarchical encoded picture data from said memory means which is the same as the hierarchical encoded picture data formed by the first signal processing means and for decoding the received hierarchical encoded picture data in accordance with a hierarchical decoding process to restore said input digital picture signal; wherein said first signal processing means, said memory means and said second processing means being disposed on a common semiconductor substrate, wherein said first signal processing means forms data in a second hierarchical level with an average value of every N pixels of data in a first hierarchical level, the input digital picture data being the data in the first hierarchical level, and wherein said first signal processing means comprises: average value calculating means for forming the data in the second hierarchical level with the average value of every N pixels of the data in the first hierarchical level; and means for outputting (N−1) pixels of the data in the first hierarchical level and one pixel of the data in the second hierarchical level to said memory means.