In one aspect, a method of fast data compression operates on input data comprising plural J-bit bytes (e.g., 16-bit bytes). The method computes a first difference value between one pair of the input J-bit bytes, and determines that this first difference value can be represented by K bits, where K<J. The method further computes a second difference value between a second pair of the input J-bit bytes, and determines that this second difference value can be represented by M bits, where M<K. These K- and M-bit difference values are included in a composite output data string that also includes four data tags. One tag indicates the first difference value is represented by K bits. Another indicates the second difference value is represented by M bits. The final two tags indicate the polarities of the first and second difference values. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

In one aspect, a method of fast data compression operates on input data comprising plural J-bit bytes (e.g., 16-bit bytes). The method computes a first difference value between one pair of the input J-bit bytes, and determines that this first difference value can be represented by K bits, where K<J. The method further computes a second difference value between a second pair of the input J-bit bytes, and determines that this second difference value can be represented by M bits, where M<K. These K- and M-bit difference values are included in a composite output data string that also includes four data tags. One tag indicates the first difference value is represented by K bits. Another indicates the second difference value is represented by M bits. The final two tags indicate the polarities of the first and second difference values. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Implementations related to coding and/or decoding image data employing video coding with embedded motion are disclosed.

Implementations related to coding and/or decoding image data employing video coding with embedded motion are disclosed.

System and method embodiments for image coding are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method in a data processing system for image encoding includes determining a sparsity constraint according to a dimension of an input image signal. The method also includes iteratively determining a plurality of approximations to the input image signal. Each iteration provides an approximation of the input image signal. Each approximation includes a set of dictionary element indices and coefficients. The dictionary is an over-complete dictionary. Iterations of the determining step are terminated when a number of iterations is equal to the sparsity constraint. The method also includes selecting one of the plurality of approximations according to a minimum rate-distortion cost. The method also includes determining an encoded image signal according to non-zero coefficients and corresponding indices for each non-zero coefficient in the selected approximation.

A method is provided for encoding at least one image cut into blocks. The method includes, for a current block having K pixels to be encoded, wherein K>1, acts including: predicting the current block using at least one predictive block having K pixels; then determining a residual block having K pixels and representing the difference between the predictive block and the common block. A set of Mi data is determined from a pixel block group containing a number Mi of blocks having K pixels and each representing a predetermined texture, wherein 1<Mi<K, by calculating the pixel-by-pixel product of the residual block determined by each of the Mi blocks of K pixels representing a predetermined texture, and encoding the Mi data from the determined data set.

The present invention generally relates to a method for predicting a block of pixels from at least one patch comprising a block of pixels and a causal neighborhood around this block of pixels. The method comprises the following steps: determining a mapping of a causal neighborhood, around that block of pixels to be predicted, on the block of pixels to be predicted in order that the block of pixels of each patch is best predicted by mapping the neighborhood of that patch on the block of pixels of that patch, and predicting the block of pixels from a prediction block computed by applying the determined mapping on the neighborhood of the block of pixels to predict.

Implementations related to coding and/or decoding image data employing video coding with embedded motion are disclosed.

Implementations related to coding and/or decoding image data employing video coding with embedded motion are disclosed.

Implementations related to coding and/or decoding image data employing video coding with embedded motion are disclosed.