Patent ID: 7039108

Claim:
A method of coding an image sequence, said method comprising the steps of: a) prior to performing said coding, testing whether or not an actual image of a video Image sequence has reached or exceeded a predetermined capacity parameter for a capacity of an encoder performing the coding of the image sequence; and b) performing a reduction of a coding format used in the coding so as to reduce resolution for a portion of the image sequence coded and coding said actual image with said coding format after said reduction when said capacity parameter has been reached or exceeded; wherein the reduction of the coding format comprises an adaptive sub-scanning with low-pass filtering of said actual image under control of said predetermined capacity parameter; wherein said coding is syntactically restarted after changing said coding format; wherein said encoder is an MPEG-4 encoder; and interrupting an actual video object layer, writing a new video object header and initializing a new video object layer with an INTRA-coded image in a new coded format when said coding format changes.