LIMITED ERROR RASTER COMPRESSION

摘要

Embodiments of the invention relate to an image or raster compression method for a multi-dimensional array of pixels. A user specifies a maximum error allowable per pixel for the compression algorithm. The raster is divided into a number of pixel blocks where each pixel is quantized and bit stuffed based on a number of block statistics including the maximum error allowable. The size of the pixel blocks is limited to two (e.g., 8×8 and 16×16) to save processing time with little difference in compression. A Look-Up Table (LUT) is used instead for certain types of data where it is more efficient.

主权项

1. A compression method comprising:
receiving raster data representing a multi-dimensional array of pixels, wherein each pixel is associated with a data value; receiving a first user defined parameter defining a maximum error allowable per wherein each block includes a plurality of pixels; determining minimum and maximum data values of the plurality of pixels within each block; determining a number of bytes needed to encode each block based on the maximum error allowable per pixel and the minimum and maximum data values for the particular block; and encoding each block within the determined number of bytes such that, when decoded, the multi-dimensional array of pixels will not deviate from its pre-encoded data values by more than the maximum allowable error per pixel.