Method and apparatus for encoding a video signal based on 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 P.times.Q sets of M.times.N transform coefficients for the group, the transform coefficients in each set representing different frequency components, respectively; quantizing the sets of transform coefficients into P.times.Q sets of M.times.N quantized transform coefficients; DPCM(differential pulse code modulation) coding the sets of quantized transform coefficients to provide P.times.Q sets of DPCM coefficients, wherein one set of DPCM coefficients is identical to one of the sets of quantized transform coefficients and each of the DPCM coefficients included in the remaining sets represents a difference between two quantized transform coefficients of an identical frequency component; and setting the P.times.Q sets of DPCM coefficients as encoded data for the group of P.times.Q blocks.