An optical network includes a transmitting portion configured to (i) encode an input digitized sequence of data samples into a quantized sequence of data samples having a first number of digits per sample, (ii) map the quantized sequence of data samples into a compressed sequence of data samples having a second number of digits per sample, the second number being lower than the first number, and (iii) modulate the compressed sequence of data samples and transmit the modulated sequence over a digital optical link. The optical network further includes a receiving portion configured to (i) receive and demodulate the modulated sequence from the digital optical link, (ii) map the demodulated sequence from the second number of digits per sample into a decompressed sequence having the first number of digits per sample, and (iii) decode the decompressed sequence.

An optical network includes a transmitting portion configured to (i) encode an input digitized sequence of data samples into a quantized sequence of data samples having a first number of digits per sample, (ii) map the quantized sequence of data samples into a compressed sequence of data samples having a second number of digits per sample, the second number being lower than the first number, and (iii) modulate the compressed sequence of data samples and transmit the modulated sequence over a digital optical link. The optical network further includes a receiving portion configured to (i) receive and demodulate the modulated sequence from the digital optical link, (ii) map the demodulated sequence from the second number of digits per sample into a decompressed sequence having the first number of digits per sample, and (iii) decode the decompressed sequence.

Vector Quantizer and method therein for vector quantization, e.g. in a transform audio codec. The method comprises comparing an input target vector with four centroids C.sub.0, C.sub.1, C.sub.0,flip and C.sub.1,flip, wherein centroid C.sub.0,flip is a flipped version of centroid C.sub.0 and centroid C.sub.1,flip is a flipped version of centroid C.sub.1, each centroid representing a respective class of codevectors. A starting point for a search related to the input target vector in the codebook is determined, based on the comparison. A search is performed in the codebook, starting at the determined starting point, and a codevector is identified to represent the input target vector. A number of input target vectors per block or time segment is variable. A search space is dynamically adjusted to the number of input target vectors. The codevectors are sorted according to a distortion measure reflecting the distance between each codevector and the centroids C.sub.0 and C.sub.1.

Vector Quantizer and method therein for vector quantization, e.g. in a transform audio codec. The method comprises comparing an input target vector with four centroids C.sub.0, C.sub.1, C.sub.0,flip and C.sub.1,flip, wherein centroid C.sub.0,flip is a flipped version of centroid C.sub.0 and centroid C.sub.1,flip is a flipped version of centroid C.sub.1, each centroid representing a respective class of codevectors. A starting point for a search related to the input target vector in the codebook is determined, based on the comparison. A search is performed in the codebook, starting at the determined starting point, and a codevector is identified to represent the input target vector. A number of input target vectors per block or time segment is variable. A search space is dynamically adjusted to the number of input target vectors. The codevectors are sorted according to a distortion measure reflecting the distance between each codevector and the centroids C.sub.0 and C.sub.1.

A method for processing a video signal according to the present invention comprises: determining a length of a current string, which is decoded on the basis of a sample string matching technique in a current block; determining a reference string on the basis of at least one between the length of the current string and a string vector for the current string; and predicting the current string using the reference string.

A method for processing a video signal according to the present invention comprises: determining a length of a current string, which is decoded on the basis of a sample string matching technique in a current block; determining a reference string on the basis of at least one between the length of the current string and a string vector for the current string; and predicting the current string using the reference string.

A method and device for encoding and a method and device for decoding a signal including encoded data representing an image sub-divided into blocks, and information representing a correction block and a residual block. For a current block of the image, a first pixel is encoded from a prediction value obtained for the first pixel from at least one pixel of a previously rebuilt block. The prediction is corrected using at least one value of a pixel of the correction block. At least one current pixel of the current block is encoded from a prediction value obtained for the current pixel from at least one previously corrected pixel of the current block. The prediction is corrected by using at least one value of a pixel of the correction block, delivering a prediction block for the current block. The residual block is computed from the current block and the predictive block.

In an embodiment, a method involves accessing a first pixel block of an image, the first pixel block comprising pixels, each associated with multiple pixel components, determining whether to separately or jointly encode the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels of the first pixel block, determining that the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels in the first pixel block are to be jointly encoded based on (1) determining, based on the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels, a line defined within a three-dimensional coordinate system in which each of the pixels is represented as a three-dimensional point and (2) determining that the line satisfies a predetermined criteria, and encoding the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels in the first pixel block as a single quantized value based on a projection of the three-dimensional point associated with that pixel onto the line.

A method of compressing image data comprising a set of image values each representing a position in image-value space so as to define an occupied region thereof. The method comprises selectively applying a series of compression transforms to subsets of the image data items to generate a transformed set of image data items occupying a compacted region of value space. The method further comprises identifying a set of one or more reference data items that quantizes the compacted region in value space. For each image data item in the set of image data items, a sequence of decompression transforms from a fixed set of decompression transforms is identified that generates an approximation of that image data item when applied to a selected one of the one or more reference data items. Each image data item in the set of image data items is encoded as a representation of the identified sequence of decompression transforms for that image data item. The encoded image data items, set of reference data items and the fixed set of decompression transforms are stored as compressed image data.

A method of compressing image data comprising a set of image values each representing a position in image-value space so as to define an occupied region thereof. The method comprises selectively applying a series of compression transforms to subsets of the image data items to generate a transformed set of image data items occupying a compacted region of value space. The method further comprises identifying a set of one or more reference data items that quantizes the compacted region in value space. For each image data item in the set of image data items, a sequence of decompression transforms from a fixed set of decompression transforms is identified that generates an approximation of that image data item when applied to a selected one of the one or more reference data items. Each image data item in the set of image data items is encoded as a representation of the identified sequence of decompression transforms for that image data item. The encoded image data items, set of reference data items and the fixed set of decompression transforms are stored as compressed image data.