Patent ID: 8311090

Claim:
A method for encoding a first data word and a second data word onto an encoded data word, the first and second data words each having a number of bits and each being representative of at least one type of image data, the method comprising the steps of: determining a first approximation value, to which a first code word is assigned, for a first data value represented by the first data word, and determining a second approximation value, to which a second code word is assigned, for a second data value represented by the second data word; mapping the first code word onto a first data segment of the encoded data word and mapping the second code word onto a second data segment of the encoded data word; determining a first difference value between the first data value and the first approximation value and determining a second difference value between the second data value and the second approximation value; and at least partial mapping one of a first difference data word and a second difference data word onto at least one additional data segment of the encoded data word, where the first difference data word represents the first difference value and the second difference data word represents the second difference value, where each of the plurality of approximation values is associated with a sequence number, and where a magnitude of each of the corresponding plurality of sequence numbers depends on an absolute value of the difference in magnitude between two successive approximation values within the plurality of approximation values.