Patent ID: 6867721

Claim:
A dynamic encoder for generating an N-bit encoder output word in response to each encoder input word of a sequence of encoder input words, where each encoder input word may represent any of N+1 different levels, where N is an integer greater than 4, the dynamic encoder comprising: a plurality of switching blocks organized into a tree comprising at least a highest layer and a lowest layer of switching blocks, wherein each switching block receives a block input word and converts it into R block output words, each of the R block output words having fewer bits than the block input word, such that a sum of values of the R block output words equals a value of the block input word, and such that when the value of the block input word is other than a multiple of R, a value of each one of its R block output words is other than solely a function of the value of the block input word, wherein the highest layer of the tree includes a switching block receiving each successive encoder input word of the sequence as its block input word, wherein each switching block of each layer of the tree other than the lowest layer supplies each of its R block output words as a block input word to a separate switching block of a next lower layer of the tree, wherein each block output word of each switching block of the lowest layer of the tree consists of a single bit and forms a separate bit of the N-bit encoder output word, wherein for at least one of the plurality of switching blocks R>2.