Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher
Image signal compression apparatus and method using variable length encoding
 A transform unit obtains a discrete cosine coefficient by processing an image signal in a discrete cosine transform fashion per unit of a predetermined data amount. A memory includes therein a plurality of quantization tables corresponding to quantization accuracies different from each other, and a memory includes therein a variable length coding table. A quantization unit quantizes the discrete cosine coefficient with reference to a selected one of the plurality of quantization tables. An encoding unit obtains encoded data by processing the quantized discrete cosine coefficient in a variable length coding fashion. A code amount adding unit obtains total amount data indicative of a total amount of the encoded data corresponding to the predetermined data amount. The encoded data, the total amount data and table identification data corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of quantization tables are temporarily stored in an FIFO memory and these data are read out therefrom as a compression code in a predetermined order. 
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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Ichiro
Okamoto