Abstract: A method of encoding and decoding an image includes the following steps: subsampling the image to obtain a plural number of subsampled frames of spatially offset image-representative signals; transforming each of the subsampled frames to obtain a corresponding number of frames of transform coefficient-representative signals; forming vector-representative signals from corresponding coefficient-representative signals of the respective frames of coefficient-representative signals; transforming the vector-representative signals; quantizing the transformed vector-representative signals to obtain encoded signals; transmitting the encoded signals; receiving the transmitted encoded signals; and decoding the encoded signals to obtain a recovered version of the image.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding an input signal, includes the following steps: applying a transform to the input signal to obtain a transformed signal; quantizing the transformed signal to obtain a sequence of quantized values, the quantized values being representable in the form of ordered binary bits; for each order of said binary bits, encoding a bit plane of the sequence using (run, end) coding to obtain encoded values; and decoding the encoded values to recover the input signal.

Abstract: In a form of the present invention, a method is set forth for decoding an encoded signal that includes an encoded control portion and an encoded video portion, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of inverse transform functions; decoding the encoded signal to recover said control portion; selecting one of said inverse transform functions in accordance with the recovered control portion; and decoding said encoded video portion with the selected inverse transform function.

Abstract: A method for wavelet encoding image-representative signals, including the following steps: identifying shape information of a shape in the image; within rows of pixels of a shape, performing wavelet decompositions for segments of consecutive pixels in the shape; for segments of pixels having out of the shape pixels in a wavelet decomposition, forming a zero tree that includes don't-care nodes and having uncoded don't-care descendents of don't-care nodes.

Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded signal that includes an encoded control portion and an encoded video portion, includes the following steps: providing a plurality of inverse transform functions; decoding the encoded signal to recover the control portion; selecting one of the inverse transform functions in accordance with the recovered control portion; and decoding encoded video portion with the selected inverse transform function.

Abstract: A method for encoding an image-representative signal, including the following steps: for shapes of the image, applying a transform to a segment of pixels of the shape to obtain a low pass transform component and a high pass transform component; and for segments with an odd number of pixels, including the odd pixel in the low pass transform component and excluding the odd pixel from the high pass transform component.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for adaptive entropy coding and decoding of a stream of indices representative of information, including the following steps: establishing, at both an encoder and a decoder, respective coding tables to have codes corresponding to indices; finding, in the encoder table, codes corresponding to indices of the stream of indices, and sending the found codes to the decoder for recovery of the indices corresponding to the sent codes; determining an overall frequency of occurrence of individual indices in the stream of indices; determining a measure of how currently individual indices have occurred in the stream of indices; and adaptively modifying the encoder and decoder tables in accordance with the measure of how currently individual indices have occurred and the frequency of occurrence.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a single crystal relaxor based material, including the following steps: providing a seed single crystal plate, providing a first and second polycrystalline structure, bonding the top surface of the seed crystal plate to the outer surface of the first polycrystalline structure, bonding the bottom surface of the seed crystal plate to the outer surface of the second polycrystalline structure, and annealing the bonded structure.

Abstract: A process is provided for continuously decomposing ozone in the presence of water or water vapor by contacting the ozone containing gas with a zeolite, such as mordenite, dealuminized mordenite, zeolite Y or zeolite 13 X, at a temperature at which water or water vapor is not sorbed by the zeolite, such as 128 to 175.degree. C.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for encoding and decoding an input signal representative of video or audio information. A form of the method includes the following steps: processing the input signal to produce a sequence of vectors representative of the input signal; implementing a lattice vector quantization procedure on individual vectors of the sequence to identify a lattice point of a lattice that is closest to the individual vector and to obtain an index value representative of a labelling of the identified lattice point, the lattice vector quantization procedure including a multi-level allocation of groups of reserved indices, and selection of the index value for the individual vector within a group of reserved indices. The index signals representative of the index values are stored and/or transmitted, and then recovered for decoding. The decoding is operative to obtain a recovered sequence of vectors, and the sequence of vectors can be processed to produce an output signal.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for encoding and decoding an input signal representative of video or audio information. A form of the encoding includes the following steps: processing the input signal to produce a sequence of vectors representative of the input signal; implementing a lattice vector quantization procedure on individual vectors of the sequence to identify a lattice point of a lattice that is closest to the individual vector and to obtain an index value representative of a labelling of the identified lattice point, the lattice vector quantization procedure including a multi-level allocation of groups of reserved indices, and selection of the index value for the individual vector within a group of reserved indices. The index signals representative of the index values are stored and then recovered for decoding, or transmitted before decoding. The decoding is operative to obtain a recovered sequence of vectors, and the sequence of vectors can be processed to produce an output signal.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying a fluoropolymer including the following steps: providing a fluoropolymer surface, adding a solution including a a reactive species to the fluoropolymer surface, and exposing the reduced fluoropolymer surface to ultraviolet radiation in the presence of ozone or oxygen. The method reduces the discoloration of the fluoropolymer.

Abstract: An activated sludge process for reducing the amount of N.sub.2 O released to the atmosphere during biological oxidation of NH.sub.3, includes the following steps: mixing wastewater influent containing NH.sub.3 and BOD with activated sludge to provide a mixed liquor in a first enclosed aerobic treatment zone wherein an oxygen containing gas is introduced, the first enclosed aerobic treatment zone having two or more stages in which gas and liquor phases are staged and oxygen is transferred to the liquid phase and BOD is metabolized and NH.sub.3 is oxidized to NOx and N.sub.2 O, wherein the pN.sub.2 O is maintained at a level greater than 2 mm Hg; transferring the mixed liquor and gas to a second enclosed treatment zone having two or more stages, in which gas and liquid phases are staged, and wherein NOx and N.sub.2 O are reduced to N.sub.

Abstract: A technique for detecting damage of leads arranged in a generally parallel periodic pattern, includes the following steps: directing a coherent light beam at a plurality of adjacent leads; detecting an image at a distance from the leads at which the light beam would form a diffraction image having substantially uniform intensity when the leads form a substantially uniform pattern; moving the pattern of leads and the light beam with respect to each other; and detecting damage of leads from variation in intensity of the detected image.