Image signal transmitter

摘要

There is provided a transmitter which is capable of compressing incoming image with a relatively small delay time and transmitting the compressed image data to a receiver. In one embodiment the transmitter is used as part of a remotely controlled manipulator equipped with a camera, a display for the human operator, a control section steered by the human operator and a manipulating section (e.g. a mechanical arm) controlled by the operator via the control section. Image data (TD) contains at least i pixel values of pixels arranged in line along a single direction, each pixel value being expressed in n bits. A transmitter (Tx) for compressing such image data and transmitting the image data to a receiver (Rx) via a transmission path (N) comprises a blocking section (1), a data compression section (2), and a data sending section (3). The blocking section (1) takes every p pixel values among the i pixel values in the image data to form a data block, and sequentially outputs a plurality of said data blocks (DB) each including the p pixel values. The data compression section (2) reduces an amount of data from each data block (DB) outputted from the blocking section (1) and thereby outputs a compressed block (CB r ). The data sending section (3) sends the compressed block CB r outputted from the data compression section (2) onto the transmission path (N).