Patent ID: 7064689

Claim:
An encoder comprising: a changing-point counter for counting changing points of n-bit data(n: a positive integer) to generate a counting result, where values of adjoining bits change at each of the changing points; the changing-point counter outputting a discrimination bit that has a first value when the counting result exceeds a predetermined value; a code converter for converting the n-bit data in such a way that bits of the n-bit data located at predetermined positions are inverted when the discrimination bit has the first value; and a parallel-to-serial converter for converting (n+1)-bit data to a (n+1)-bit serial code, the (n+1)-bit data being generated by adding the discrimination bit to an output of the code converter, wherein the changing-point counter conducts its counting operation for (n+1)-bit data generated by including a last bit of an immediately preceding n-bit serial code the encoder has dealt to the n-bit serial data.