Statistical method of data compression and decompression

Abstract

A communication system and method for compressing data in a transmission system wherein multiplexed channels are transported over a transmission network of the type comprising a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by connection lines, the exchange of data signals carried out by switching the channels in the network between two exchange telephone devices, and each of the multiplexed channels transporting data bytes representing the data signals from one source exchange telephone device to one destination exchange device during an exchange of information therebetween through the intermediary of a compression/decompression device. The method comprises the steps of comparing, for each multiplexed channel, the signal value associated to each one of a plurality of “n” consecutive data bytes to a predetermined threshold; deleting, in case said signal value for all said “n” data bytes is less than the predetermined threshold, all bits which are not necessary to represent the signal value from each of the “n” data bytes; building a compression frame by concatenating either the “n” data bytes when they are not modified or the “n” modified data bytes when bits have been deleted therefrom, and adding to each of said groups an identifier indicating whether said data bytes are modified or not before transmitting said compression frame over said transmission network. Decompressing the frame by determining the identifier value indicating the composition of the bytes; removing the identifier from the bytes; loading the bytes into a buffer and transmitting the bytes to a destination exchange telephone device.