WO2000025520A1

WO2000025520A1 - Method and device for processingigitized image

Info

Publication number: WO2000025520A1
Application number: PCT/DE1999/003191
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Riegel
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1998-10-23
Filing date: 1999-10-04
Publication date: 2000-05-04
Also published as: EP1121810A1

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and devices for processing a digitized image having image points containing coding information. To this end, the image is subdivided into image blocks and the image blocks are in turn subdivided into two subimage blocks. Processing of the image is carried out in such a way that a first, a second and a third value are assigned to a subimage block, wherein the first and second values describe the relative position of the corresponding image blocks in relation to the image while the third value describes the relative position of the corresponding image block in relation to the corresponding image block. The invention also relates to the implementation of the method and the utilization of the device in coding and decoding.

Description

description

Process and arrangement for processing a digitized image

The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for processing a digitized image, as are used and carried out in the context of coding and decoding a digitized image.

Such a method and such an arrangement are used in the context of coding and decoding a digitized picture in accordance with one of the picture coding standards H.261 [1], H.263 [2] or MPEG2 [3], which are based on the principle of block-based picture coding . The block-based discrete cosine transformation (DCT) method is used for block-based image coding in accordance with [3].

Another approach to editing a digitized

Images according to the MPEG4 image coding standard is the so-called principle of object-based image coding, as is known from [3].

In object-based image coding, an image template is segmented into image blocks corresponding to objects occurring in a scene and these objects are separately encoded.

Components of a customary arrangement for image coding, as are also known from [7], and image decoding can be seen in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a camera 701 with which images are recorded. For example, camera 701 may be one can be any analog camera 701, which records images of a scene and either digitizes the images in the camera 701 and transmits the digitized images to a first computer 702, which is coupled to the camera 701, or also transmits the images analogously to the first computer 702 . The first computer 702 either processes the digitized images or converts the analog images into digitized images and processes the digitized images.

The camera 701 can also be a digital camera 701, with which directly digitized images are recorded and fed to the first computer 702 for further processing.

The first computer 702 can also be designed as an independent arrangement with which the method steps described below are carried out, for example as an independent computer card that is installed in a further computer.

The first computer 702 is generally to be understood as a unit that can carry out image signal processing in accordance with the method described below, for example a mobile terminal (mobile phone with a screen).

The first computer 702 has a processor unit 704 with which the method steps of image coding and image decoding described below are carried out. The processor unit 704 is coupled, for example, via a bus 705 to a memory 706 in which image information is stored. In general, the methods described below can be implemented both in software and in hardware or also partly in software and partly in hardware.

After image coding in the first computer 701 and after transmission of the coded image information via a transmission medium 707 to a second computer 708, the image decoding is carried out in the second computer 708.

The second computer 708 can have the same structure as the first computer 701. The second computer 708 thus also has a processor 709 which is coupled to a memory 710 by a bus 711.

FIG. 8 shows a possible arrangement in the form of a basic circuit diagram for image coding or image decoding. The arrangement shown can be used in the context of block-based and in part, as explained in more detail below, in the context of object-based image coding.

In block-based image coding, a digitized image 801 is divided into usually square image blocks 820 of size 8x8 pixels 802 or 16x16 pixels 802 and fed to the arrangement 803 for image coding.

Coding information is usually uniquely assigned to a pixel 802, for example brightness information (luminance values) and / or color information (chrominance values).

With block-based picture coding, a distinction is made between different picture coding modes.

In a so-called intra-picture coding, the digitized picture 801 is in each case with the picture elements 802 of the digital encoded and transmitted associated coding information 801.

In a so-called inter-picture coding, only differential picture information of two successive digitized pictures 801 is coded and transmitted.

The difference information is only very small if movements of image objects in the temporally successive digitized images 801 are small. If the movements are large, there is a lot of difference information that is difficult to code. For this reason, as is known from [3], an "image-to-image" movement (motion estimation) is measured and compensated for before the difference information is determined (motion compensation).

There are different methods for motion estimation and motion compensation, as they are known from [3]. A so-called "block matching method" is mostly used for block-based image coding. It is based on the fact that a picture block to be coded is compared with reference picture blocks of the same size of a reference picture. The criterion for a match quality between the block to be coded and a reference picture block in each case is usually the sum of the absolute differences in coding information which is assigned to each picture element. In this way, movement information for the image block, for example a movement vector, is determined, which is transmitted with the difference information.

Two switch units 804 are provided for switching between the intra-picture coding and the inter-picture coding. To carry out the inter-picture coding, a subtraction unit 805 is provided, in which the difference in picture information between two successive digitized ter pictures 801 is formed. The image coding is controlled by an image coding control unit 806. The picture blocks 820 or difference picture blocks to be coded are each fed to a transformation coding unit 807. The transformation coding unit 807 applies a transformation coding, for example a discrete cosine transformation (DCT), to the coding information assigned to the pixels 802.

In general, however, any transformation coding, for example a discrete sine transformation or a discrete Fourier transformation, can be used for image coding.

Spectral coefficients (transformation coefficients) are formed by the transformation coding. The spectral coefficients are quantized in a quantization unit 808 and fed to an image coding multiplexer 821, for example for channel coding and / or entropy coding. In an internal reconstruction loop, the quantized spectral coefficients are inversely quantized in an inverse quantization unit 809 and subjected to inverse transformation coding in an inverse transformation coding unit 810.

Furthermore, in the case of inter-picture coding, picture information of the respective temporally preceding picture is added in an adding unit 811. The images reconstructed in this way are stored in a memory 812. A unit for the motion compensation 813 is symbolically represented in the memory 812 for the sake of simplicity.

A loop filter 814 is also provided, which is connected to the memory 812 and the subtraction unit 805. In addition to the transmitted image information 822, the mode coding multiplexer 821 is supplied with a mode index, which is used to indicate whether intra-picture coding or inter-picture coding has been carried out.

Furthermore, quantization indices 816 for the spectral coefficients are supplied to the image coding multiplexer 821.

A motion vector is assigned to an image block 820 and / or a macro block 823, which has four image blocks 820, for example, and is supplied to the image coding multiplexer 821.

Furthermore, information is provided for activating or deactivating the loop filter 814. After the image information has been transmitted via a transmission medium 818, the transmitted information can be decoded in a second computer 819. For this purpose, an image decoding unit 825 is provided in the second computer 819, which for example has the structure of a reconstruction loop of the arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

From [4] a shape-adapted transformation coding is known, such as is used in particular in the context of object-based picture coding on edge picture blocks or picture blocks which contain only partially relevant coding information. The edge image blocks coded using a shape-adapted transformation coding are characterized in that only the pixels that are assigned to an object or have coding information relevant to the object are coded. The method described in [4] is a so-called shape-adjusted discrete cosine transformation (Shape-Adaptive DCT, SA-DCT).

In the context of an SA-DCT, the transformation coefficients assigned to an image object are determined in such a way that pixels of an edge image block that do not belong to the image object are hidden. A one-dimensional DCT, the length of which corresponds to the number of remaining pixels in the respective column, is then first applied to the remaining pixels. The resulting transformation coefficients are aligned horizontally and then subjected in a further one-dimensional DCT in the horizontal direction with the corresponding length.

The SA-DCT regulation known from [4] is based on a DCT-N transformation matrix with the following structure:

with p, k = 0 → Nl

N denotes a size of the image vector to be transformed, in which the transformed pixels are contained.

DCT-N denotes a transformation matrix of size NxN.

With p, k, indices are designated with p, k e [0, N-1].

After the SA-DCT, each column of the image block to be transformed is made according to the regulation

transformed vertically. The same rule is then applied to the resulting data in the horizontal direction.

Various methods are used in computer graphics to display an object on a screen. One method of representing an object is the so-called texture mapping.

Such a texture mapping is known from [5].

In the context of texture mapping, a digital image, which contains brightness information (luminance values) and / or color information (chrominance values) of the object to be displayed, is mapped onto a surface of a three-dimensional model of an object to be displayed.

The three-dimensional model 301 of the object to be displayed, which model 301 is shown in FIG. 3, consists of a spatial triangular lattice structure 301, the corner points 302 of the triangles 303 being present as points 304 of a Cartesian coordinate system 305.

As is shown in FIG. 3, each triangle 303 is assigned a so-called block-shaped structure card 306, which is made up of rectangular or block-shaped pixels 307. Brightness information (luminance values) and / or color information (chrominance values) are usually assigned to each pixel 307. The triangle 303 is assigned the brightness or color information in such a way that an associated image point 307 of the associated structure map 306 is assigned to a corner point 302 and 308 of the triangle 303 and 309.

The position of a corner point 308 of the triangle 309 is determined by the

Specification of coordinates (ui, vj_) 310 in a two-dimensional

Coordinate system (u, v) 311, which is assigned to the structure map 306. The coordinates (UJ_, VJ_) 310 are usually standardized.

Each corner point 302 of each triangle 303 of the three-dimensional model 301 is assigned the corresponding point 310 in the associated structure map 306 via a transformation rule (assignment or assignment key).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, all structure maps 401 are combined to form a digitized image 402, a so-called super structure map 402, by arranging the individual structure maps 401 in rows and columns. If necessary, the structure cards 401, which contain coding information relevant for the representation of the object, must be supplemented with structure cards 404, which contain no coding information relevant for the representation of the object.

However, the method described above has a particular disadvantage. The structure maps and also the super structure map have image points that do not contain any brightness or color information relevant for the representation of the object. If the superstructure card is encoded as part of an image transmission, the data rate that occurs during the transmission is unnecessarily increased by the irrelevant pixels.

To improve the method described above, a structure map is processed in the following way (see FIG. 5):

Those pixels 501 of a structure map 502, which pixels contain coding information relevant for the representation of the object, become a new triangular structure map 503 with pixels 506, which are in a predetermined shape, which is usually a right-angled triangle, and in a predetermined size be arranged, transformed. The transformation is carried out in such a way that the pixels 501, which are corner pixels 504 of the triangle 505, coincide with pixels 506, which are corner pixels 507 of the triangular structure map 503.

As part of the transformation, pixels may have to be generated by extrapolation or interpolation of values that contain brightness or color information, or pixels may have to be deleted.

The triangular structure map 503 thus only points

Pixels 506 that are relevant for the representation of an object.

As shown in FIG. 6, all triangular structure maps 601, which contain brightness or color information relevant to the representation of the object, are arranged to form a new super structure map 602.

For this purpose, two triangular structure cards 601a and 601b are arranged to form a block-shaped structure card 603. Furthermore, all block-shaped structure cards 603 are grouped in rows and columns, with which a digitized image is generated.

It is also known from [5] that such a superstructure map, as it is generated in the context of texture mapping, is encoded and decoded during image transmission.

The coding and / or decoding of a superstructure card is usually carried out using a block-oriented transformation in the intra-image coding mode, as described above.

This procedure, as it is carried out in the course of processing a digital image, is not very efficient with regard to a lower data rate to be aimed at for transmission or a higher image quality.

The invention is therefore based on the problem of specifying a method for processing a digitized image and an arrangement for processing a digitized image, with which a more efficient processing of a digitized image is possible.

The problem is solved by the method with the features according to the independent claims and the arrangements with the features according to the independent claims.

In the method for processing a digitized image with pixels that contain coding information, the image is at least partially divided into image blocks. One image block is divided into at least two associated sub-image blocks. The image is processed in such a way that at least one associated sub-image block has a first value, a second value and a third value can be assigned, the first value and the second value describing the relative position of the associated image block with respect to the image and the third value describing the relative position of the associated sub-image block with respect to the associated image block.

In the arrangement for processing a digitized image with pixels that contain coding information, a processor is provided which is set up in such a way that the following method steps can be carried out:

The image is at least partially divided into image blocks. One image block is divided into at least two associated sub-image blocks. The image is processed in such a way that at least one of the associated sub-image blocks is assigned a first value, a second value and a third value, the first value and the second value describing the relative position of the associated image block with respect to the image and the third value describes the relative position of the associated sub-picture block with respect to the associated picture block.

Preferred developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

In a further development which simplifies the method, the image blocks are arranged column by column and line by line and / or the columns are assigned column numbers and the lines line numbers. The assignment is expediently such that the first value of the associated sub-picture block is the line number of the associated picture block and the second value of the associated sub-picture block is the column number of the associated picture block.

In a further embodiment, a sub-picture block has a different shape than the associated picture block. The shape of the sub-picture block is preferably a triangle, which has a right angle. Such a form of a sub-picture blocks reduces the computational effort for a form-adapted transformation coding.

The sub-picture blocks are preferably combined to form the picture. The image thus only has those pixels which contain the coding information relevant for an object.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to change the sub-picture blocks such that the relative position of a sub-picture block with respect to the associated picture block is identical. In the context of coding, a shape-adapted transformation coding and / or in the context of decoding, an inverse transformation coding can thus be applied to all sub-picture blocks of the associated picture block.

A further development is used in the context of coding and / or decoding the image.

It is advantageous here to encode the sub-picture blocks using the coding information and / or using the first value, the second value and the third value with a shape-adapted transformation coding and / or with an inverse shape-matching transformation coding. Effective coding and / or decoding of the image is thereby achieved.

A simplification results if, in a further development, a shape-adaptive discrete cosine transformation (SA-DCT) and / or an inverse SA-DCT is / are used for decoding.

A further simplification is obtained if a triangle adaptive discrete cosine transformation (TA-DCT) is used for coding and / or an inverse TA-DCT is used for decoding. An embodiment of the invention is shown in figures and is explained in more detail below.

Show it:

1 arrangement for image coding and decoding with an image of an object by means of a camera and a representation of the object on a screen. FIG. 2 schematic representation of the procedure for image coding and image decoding with an image of an object by means of a camera and a representation of the object on a screen Screen Figure 3 triangular lattice structure of the three-dimensional model with an associated structure map Figure 4 representation of a super structure map

5 shows a transformation of a structure map to a triangular structure map FIG. 6 shows a super structure map consisting of triangular structure maps FIG. 7 arrangement for image coding or decoding with a camera, two computers and a transmission medium FIG Representation of the disassembly of the block-shaped structure map

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement for image coding and image decoding with a picture of an object by means of a camera and a representation of the object on a screen.

FIG. 1 shows a camera 101 with which images of an object 152 are recorded. The camera 101 is an analog color camera that takes pictures of the object 152 and transmits the images in analog form to a first computer 102. In the first computer 102, the analog images are converted into digitized images, wherein pixels of the digitized images contain color information of the object 152, and the digitized images are processed.

The object 152 is centered on a slide 153. The relative position of the slide 153 with respect to the camera 101 is fixed. By rotating the object carrier 153 around its center, the object 152 can be moved in such a way that the viewing angle at which the camera 101 takes up the object 152 changes continuously when the object 152 remains at a constant distance from the camera 101.

The first computer 102 is designed as an independent arrangement in the form of an independent computer card, which is installed in the first computer 102, with which computer card the method steps described below are carried out.

The first computer 102 has a processor 104 with which the method steps of image coding described below are carried out. The processor unit 104 is coupled via a bus 105 to a memory 106 in which image information is stored.

The method for image coding described below is implemented in software. It is stored in memory 106 and executed by processor 104.

After image coding in the first computer 101 and after transmission of the coded image information via a transmission medium 107 to a second computer 108, the image decoding is carried out in the second computer 108. Then, using the decoded picture information, tion of the object 152, a model of the object 152 is shown on a screen 155 linked to the second computer 108.

The second computer 108 has the same structure as the first computer 101. The second computer 108 also has a processor 109, which processor is coupled to a bus 110 with a memory 110.

The method described below for image decoding is implemented in software. It is stored in memory 110 and executed by processor 109.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the procedure for processing a digitized image in the context of coding and decoding with the recording of an object by means of a camera and a representation of the object on a screen.

This procedure for coding and decoding is implemented by the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and the arrangement described above.

Step 1 recording the object (201

Using the camera 101, as described in [7], images of the object 152, which is rotated in its position with respect to the camera 101 at predetermined rotation angles by means of the object carrier 153, are recorded. The images are transmitted in an analog form to the first computer 102.

Before the object 152 is recorded, the camera 101 is calibrated as described in [7], with a spatial geometry of the arrangement and the recording parameters parameters of the camera 101, for example the focal length of the camera 101, are determined.

The geometry data and the camera parameters are transmitted to the first computer 102.

2. Digitize the images (202)

In the first computer 102, the analog images are converted into digitized images 103 and the digitized images 103 are processed.

3.Image editing (203)

The processing of the digitized images 103 takes place according to the method of automatic three-dimensional modeling using several images of an object, as described in [7].

As part of the process of automatic three-dimensional modeling using several images of an object, two process steps are carried out:

In the first step of the method, a volume model 301 of the object 152 is determined by means of a method for determining a contour of an object in a digitized image, as mentioned in [7], using the camera parameters and the digitized images 103.

The volume model 301 of the object 152, as shown in FIG. 3, consists of a spatial triangular lattice structure 301, the corner points 302 of the triangles 303 being present as points 304 of a Cartesian coordinate system 305.

In the second step of the method, using the digitized images 103 and the ones in pixels digitized images 103 contained color information for each triangle 303, a so-called structure map 306 was determined.

The structure map is constructed from pixels 307 arranged in block form. Each pixel 307 contains color information (chrominance values) of the object 152.

The color information is assigned to the triangle 303 in that an associated image point 307 of the associated structure map 306 is assigned to a corner point 302 and 308 of the triangle 303 and 309.

The position of a corner point 308 of the triangle 309 is determined by specifying coordinates (ui, vj_) 310 in a two-dimensional one

Coordinate system (u, v) 311, which is assigned to the structure map 306. The coordinates (ui, vj_) 310 are then normalized.

Each corner point 302 of each triangle 303 of the three-dimensional model 301 is assigned the corresponding point 310 in the associated structure map 306 via a transformation rule.

Those pixels 501 of a structure map 502 which

Pixels containing color information relevant to the representation of the object 152 are transformed into a new triangular structure map 503. The pixels 506 of the triangular structure card are arranged in such a way that they form a right-angled and isosceles triangle, one leg having five pixels. The transformation is carried out in such a way that the pixels 501, which are corner pixels 504 of the triangle 505, with pixels score 506, the corner pixels 507 of the triangular

Structure map 503 are match.

As part of the transformation, pixels may have to be generated by extrapolation or interpolation of values that contain the color information, or pixels may have to be deleted.

The triangular structure map 503 thus only has pixels 506 which are relevant for the representation of an object.

As shown in FIG. 6, all triangular structure maps 601, which contain the color information relevant for the representation of the object, are arranged to form a new super structure map 602.

For this purpose, two triangular structure cards 601 are arranged to form a block structure card 603. Furthermore, all block-shaped structure cards 603 are grouped in rows and columns, a digitized image being generated.

The uniform and predetermined shape of the triangular structure map 601, the row-by-column arrangement of the block-shaped structure maps 603 and a predetermined size of the super structure map 602 result in a simplified transformation rule or a simplified assignment key, which is referred to as so-called texture binding :

Each triangle 303 of the spatial triangular lattice structure 301 of the three-dimensional model of the object 152 becomes a first value ng / which is the column number of the triangular structure map 601 associated with the triangle 303 within the superstructure map 602, a second value nz, which indicates the line number of the triangular structure map 601 associated with the triangle 303 within the superstructure map 602, and a third value nL, which indicates the relative position of the triangular structure map 601a and 601b with respect to the block-shaped structure map 603 indicates assigned.

Using the value triplet (ng, nz, nL) specified for each triangle 303 of the spatial lattice structure 301 and from the predetermined values with regard to the height H (number of pixels, for example 80 pixels) and the width B (number of pixels, for example 80 pixels) ) of the superstructure map with the size HxW and the predetermined number of pixels Z arranged in one leg of the right-angled and isosceles triangle, for example Z = 5 pixels, an assignment of a triangular structure map 601 of the superstructure map 602 to the associated triangle 303 of the volume model becomes 301 of the object determined according to the following relationships:

A _x = (Z / B) * (ng-1)

A _y = (Z / H) * (n _Z -l)

B _x = (Z / B) * ng B _y = Ay

^c x ^{= B} x

C _y - (Z / H) * n _z

D _X = A _x

Dy = Cy The corner pixels (Ax, Ay), (Cx, Cy) and (Dx, Dy) are relevant for the value nL = 0, which describes a triangular structure map 601a arranged on the left within the block-shaped structure map 603.

For the value rL = 1 _/ which describes a triangular structure card 601b arranged on the left within the block-shaped structure card 603, the corner points (A _x , Ay), (C _x , Cy)

and (B _x , By) relevant.

The two values, which are identified by the index x and the index y, indicate the coordinates of a point of the superstructure map 602 with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system 610 which is arranged in the upper left corner 611 of the superstructure map 602.

4. Coding (204;

A so-called triangle-adaptive discrete-cosine transformation (SA-DCT) is used for coding the superstructure card 602. This method for coding a digitized image is based on the method of a shape adaptive discrete cosine transformation (SA-DCT) as described in [4].

In the context of a TA-DCT, the transformation coefficients assigned to an image object are determined in such a way that pixels of a boundary image block that do not belong to the image object are hidden. A one-dimensional DCT, the length of which corresponds to the number of remaining pixels in the respective column, is then first applied to the remaining pixels. The resulting Transformation coefficients are then subjected to a further one-dimensional DCT in the horizontal direction with a corresponding length.

The TA-DCT process is based on a DCT-N transformation matrix with the following structure:

DCT - N (p, k) = γ * cos —π

* I k + *

N with p, k = 0 N-l.

DCT-N denotes a transformation matrix of size NxN.

With p, k, indices are designated with p, k e [0, N-1].

According to the TA-DCT, each column of the image block to be transformed is in accordance with the regulation

CJ = _Λ j— * [DCT - N (p, k)] * X (2!

As part of the coding of a superstructure card 602 using the TA-DCT, the superstructure card 602 is divided into the block-shaped structure cards 603. A block-shaped structure card 603 and 901 is thereby transformed into a first new one 902 and second new block-shaped structure card 903 as shown in

FIG. 9 shows that the pixels of the second triangular structure map 601b and 904 are deleted in order to determine the first new block-shaped structure map 602. The second new block-shaped structure map 903 is determined by deleting the pixels of the first triangular structure map 601a and 905.

Furthermore, the second new block-shaped structure map 903 is changed by moving pixels 906 such that the relative position of the pixels 906 of the second block-shaped structure map 903 with respect to the second new block-shaped structure map 903 with the relative position of the pixels 907 of the first new block-shaped structure map 902 with respect to FIG first new block-shaped structure card 902 matches.

The TA-DCT can thus be applied accordingly to the first new block-shaped 902 and to the second new block-shaped structure card 903.

Due to the special relative position of the pixels 906 and 907 with respect to the first new block-shaped 902 and the second new block-shaped structure card 903, the TA-DCT can be used.

5th transmission (205)

The image information encoded using the TA-DCT

(Image information of the superstructure map) is sent to the second computer together with data of the volume model of the object and the assignment (ng, ⁿ Z ' ⁿ L) i (i = 1 ... N, with N = number of triangles of the lattice structure of the volume model) 108 transmitted via a transmission medium 107. 6. Decoding (206)

After the coded image information has been transmitted, image decoding is carried out.

For this purpose, the spectral coefficients CJ are fed to an inverse TA-DCT.

In the case of the inverse TA-DCT in the context of image coding in the intra-image coding mode, pixels XJ are made from the spectral

coefficient CJ formed according to the following rule (4):

whereby the transformation matrix DCT-N has the following structure:

DCT - N (p, k) = γ * cos p * I k + - * - ¹ 2) N with p, k = 0 -> Nl.

where with:

- N denotes a size of the image vector to be transformed, in which the image points to be transformed are contained;

- [DCT-N (p, k)] is a transformation matrix of size NxN;

p, k indices are denoted by p, k e [0, N-1];

- An inversion of a matrix is denoted by () ^-1 . The decoded image or the superstructure map 602 is determined using the ascertained pixels XJ.

7. Presentation of the object (207)

Using the superstructure map, the data of the solid model of object 152 and the assignment (ng, n _z , Π) i (i = 1 ... N, with N = number of triangles of the lattice structure of the solid model), as described in [ 6], the model of the object 152 is shown on the screen 108.

The following documents have been cited in this document

[1] D. Le Gall, "The Video Compression Standard for Multimedia Applications", Communications of ACM, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 47-58, April 1991

[2] G. Wallace, "The JPEG Still Picture Compression Standard," Communications of ACM, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 31-44, April 1991

[3] De Lameillieure, J., et al., "MPEG-2 image coding for digital television", in TELEVISION AND CINEMA TECHNOLOGY, 48th year, No. 3/1994, 1994

[4] T. Sikora, B. Makai, "Shape Adaptive DCT for Generic Coding of Video", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Vol. 5, pp. 59-62, Feb. 1995

[5] JD Foley, et al, "Computer graphics: principles and practice"., 2 ^nd ed, Adison-Wesley, ISBN 0-20112110-7, p 741-744.

[6] PANORAMA technical support, available on October 12, 1998 at: http: //www.tnt.uni- hannover. de / proj ect / eu / panorama / TS. html

[7] W. Niem, et al., "Mapping texture from multiple camera views onto 3D object models for computer animation", Proc. Of International Workshop on Stereoscopic and Three Dimensional I aging, September 6-8, 1998, Santorini, Greece , 1998

Claims

claims

1. Method for processing a digitized image with pixels which contain coding information, a) in which the image is at least partially divided into image blocks; b) in which an associated image block is divided into at least two associated sub-image blocks; c) in which the processing of the image is carried out in such a way that at least one associated sub-image block is assigned a first value, a second value and a third value, the first value and the second value describing the relative position of the associated image block with respect to the image and the third value describes the relative position of the associated sub-picture block with respect to the associated picture block.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the associated image block is subdivided into a plurality of associated sub-image blocks.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each associated sub-picture block is assigned the first value, the second value and the third value.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the image blocks are arranged column by column and line by line and / or the columns are assigned column numbers and the lines line numbers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first value of the associated sub-picture block is the row number of the associated picture block and the second value of the associated sub-picture block is the column number of the associated picture block.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the associated sub-picture blocks have a different shape than the associated picture block.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sub-picture blocks have a triangular shape.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the triangular shape has a right angle.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the associated sub-picture blocks are changed such that the relative position of an associated sub-picture block with respect to the associated picture block is identical.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, used in the context of coding the image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sub-picture blocks are encoded using the coding information and / or using the first value, the second value and the third value with a shape-adapted transformation coding.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which a shape-adapted discrete cosine transformation (DCT) is used for coding.

13. The method according to claim 12, in which a shape-adaptive discrete cosine transformation (SA-DCT) is used for coding.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which a triangle adaptive discrete cosine transformation (TA-DCT) is used for coding.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, used in the context of decoding the image.

16. The method according to claim 15, in which an inverse shape-adjusted discreet-cosine transformation (DCT) is used for decoding.

17. The method according to claim 16, in which an inverse shape-adaptive discreet-cosine transformation (SA-DCT) is used for the decoding.

18. The method according to claim 17, in which an inverse triangle-adaptive discrete-cosine transformation (TA-DCT) is used for the decoding.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the image has at least partially triangular structure cards.

20. Arrangement for processing a digitized image with pixels which contain coding information in which a processor is provided which is set up in such a way that the following method steps can be carried out: a) the image is at least partially divided into image blocks; b) an associated image block is divided into at least two associated sub-image blocks; c) the image is processed in such a way that at least one of the associated sub-image blocks is assigned a first value and a second value and a third value, the first value and the second value relating to the relative position of the associated image block describe the image and the third value describes the relative position of the associated sub-image block with respect to the associated image block.

21. The arrangement as claimed in claim 20, in which the associated image block can be subdivided into a plurality of associated sub-image blocks.

22. The arrangement according to claim 20 or 21, in which each associated sub-picture block can be assigned the first value and the second value and the third value.

23. Arrangement according to one of claims 20 to 22, which can be used in the context of coding the image.

24. The arrangement according to claim 23, in which a form-adapted discrete cosine transformation (DCT) can be used for coding.

25. Arrangement according to claim 24, in which an inverse triangle-adaptive discrete-cosine transformation (TA-DCT) can be used for coding.

26. Arrangement according to one of claims 20 to 25, which can be used in the context of decoding the image.

27. The arrangement as claimed in claim 26, in which an inverse shape-adapted discreet-cosine transformation (DCT) can be used for decoding.

28. Arrangement according to claim 27, in which an inverse triangle-adaptive discrete-cosine transformation (TA-DCT) can be used for decoding.