Abstract: In a data coding method for obtaining coded data by dividing input data into different-length division blocks, the input data is divided into different-length blocks in accordance with a distortion value indicative of an error between the input data and approximate data based on the input data; variable length quantized data is obtained by quantizing the approximate data associated with the input data of each of the blocks; status data indicative of the state in which the input data is divided into the blocks is obtained; and the coded data is obtained by combining the quantized data and the status data. When the input data is divided into a plurality of blocks of unequal lengths, the amount of the coded data is determined so that it is substantially coincident with a predetermined data amount.

Abstract: An image signal compression transmission system for transmitting and receiving a compressed image signal, having a transmitter section which entropy codes digitized image data for transmission, a transmission channel through which entropy-coded codes sent from said transmitter section are transmitted, and a receiver section which decodes said entropy-coded codes received from said transmission channel and derives an original digital image signal. In the transmitter section, digital image data is entropy coded. The entropy-coded codes are transmitted to the receiver section through the transmission channel. In the receiver section, the received codes are entropy code decoded at a decoding speed corresponding to a transmission rate on the transmission channel. Coefficient codes derived by the decoding are stored into a memory at the same speed as the decoding speed.

Abstract: A picture signal encoding multiplexing method and apparatus in which encoded data of a plurality of picture signals, which are respectively output from a plurality of picture signal encoding processing units, is multiplexed in a channel multiplexing unit. The method includes the steps of: generating a transmission rate control signal corresponding to information related to the encoded distortion supplied from each of picture signal encoding processing units in a channel multiplexing unit, and supplying the transmission rate control signal to each of the picture signal encoding processing units; and outputting the encoded data of the picture signal from each of the picture signal encoding processing units in accordance with the transmission rate control signal.