Patent ID: 7227900

Claim:
An encoding apparatus operable to encode video data representing successive images, each image having a plurality of pixels, said apparatus comprising: a differential encoder arranged to encode each image as one or more predetermined image regions, each image region being encoded as a reference value and at least one differential pixel value, said differential pixel value(s) being derived in dependence on said reference value and/or other differential pixel value(s) in accordance with an order of encoding dependency; in which, for each image region, said differential encoder is operable in a first encoding mode for a first subset of said images to encode said image region using a first order of encoding dependency and in a second encoding mode for a second, different, subset of said images to encode said image region using a second, different, order of encoding dependency, and in which said first and second subsets of images are arranged with respect to one another so that, from image to image, each image region is encoded in accordance with a predetermined sequence of orders of encoding dependency, and said predetermined sequence is such that, for each pair of consecutive images, an image region is encoded using different orders of encoding dependency.