Abstract: A novel vector quantization encoding system comprises a conventional vector formatter and a novel gross quantizer. The vector formatter generates vectors to be searched in a full code book of vectors. The gross quantizer generates pointers indicative of subsets of vector indices. The vector indices are indicative of groups of vectors to be searched in the full code book that are substantially less in number than the number of vectors in the full code book. A search controller is employed to search only the subset of vectors in the full code book and produce as an output the index of the one vector in the full code book closest to the formatted vector being searched so that the quality of a full code book searched is made faster without degradation of a full code book search.

Abstract: A novel vector quantization encoding system comprises a conventional vector formatter and a novel gross quantizer. The vector formatter generates vectors to be searched in a full code book of vectors. The gross quantizer generates pointers indicative of subsets of vector indices. The vector indices are indicative of groups of vectors to be searched in the full code book that are substantially less in number than the number of vectors in the full code book. A search controller is employed to search only the subset of vectors in the full code book and produce as an output the index of the one vector in the full code book closest to the formatted vector being searched so that the quality of a full code book searched is made faster without degradation of a full code book search.

Abstract: A first set of input index signals represents a row-column array of quantized pixels; and each input index signal in the first set represents a rectangular non-overlapping quantized pixel group which is aligned to a particular row and a particular column. By repeatedly performing three steps on different pairs of the input index signals in the first set, a second set of index signals is generated wherein a respective index signal exists for each individual pixel in the array and by which the image can be filtered. These three steps are: 1) selecting a pair of input index signals in the first set such that the two quantized pixel groups which the selected index signals represent are adjacent to each other in the array; 2) forming an address signal by combining the two selected input index signals; and 3) reading a memory with the address signal to thereby obtain an output index signal.