Patent ID: 8238674

Claim:
A method for encoding an image, wherein the image comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, the method comprising: identifying a first set of pixels from the plurality of pixels in a current row, wherein the first set of pixels comprises one or more pixels equal to one or more corresponding pixels in a reference row; identifying a second set of pixels from the plurality of pixels in the current row, wherein the second set of pixels comprises one or more pixels not equal to one or more corresponding pixels in the reference row; identifying a third set of pixels, the third set of pixels comprising at least one of: a first group of pixels selected from the first set of pixels, wherein the first group of pixels comprises one or more contiguous pixels; and a second group of pixels selected from at least one of the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels, wherein the second group of pixels comprises one or more contiguous pixels having a uniform pixel value, and wherein at least one pixel selected from the second set of pixels precedes one or more pixels selected from the first set of pixels in the current row, wherein the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels are contiguous in the current row; and encoding the third set of pixels in an encoded data set, wherein the encoded data set comprises data corresponding to at least one of an end-of-row indicator indicating an end of the current row, a count of the first group of pixels, a count of the second group of pixels, and a pixel source for the one or more contiguous pixels in the second group of pixels.