Patent ID: 6839674

Claim:
A method for coding a sequence of data elements each comprising an exponent and corresponding mantissa, including the steps of: a) coding a first data element in the sequence as a base value; b) coding a successive data element in the sequence with a coded exponent constrained by a differential limit with respect to the preceding data element exponent; c) determining a difference between the coded exponent of the successive data element and the original thereof as a result of said differential limit; d) if the difference determined at step c) is of a first sign, shifting the coded mantissa of the successive data element according to the magnitude of the difference; e) if the difference determined at step c) is of a second sign: i) examining data elements in the sequence to identify a data element exponent at a successive local peak in exponent values; ii) coding data elements in the reverse sequence order from said local peak data element, with coded exponents constrained by said differential limit and corresponding mantissas shifted according to a difference between the respective coded and original exponent values; and f) repeating steps b) to e) for the data elements in the sequence.