Video signal encoding method and apparatus employing inter-block

Abstract

A frame of a video signal, wherein the frame is divided into non-overlapping blocks of M.times.N pixels, M and N being positive integers, respectively, is encoded by: arranging the blocks into groups of P.times.Q blocks, P and Q being positive integers, respectively; transforming each of the P.times.Q blocks in a group into a set of M.times.N transform coefficients to thereby provide for the group a first class of transform coefficients corresponding to P.times.Q sets of M.times.N transform coefficients, transform coefficients in a set representing different frequency components, respectively; rearranging the first class of transform coefficients to generate M.times.N sets of P.times.Q rearranged coefficients, the rearranged coefficients in a set being of an identical frequency component; transforming each set in the M.times.N sets of P.times.Q rearranged coefficients into a set of P.times.Q transform coefficients to thereby provide a second class of transform coefficients corresponding to the transform coefficients of the M.times.N sets of P.times.Q rearranged coefficients; and setting the second class of transform coefficients as selected coefficients for the group of P.times.Q blocks.