Fuzzy subimage classification in image sequence coding

Fuzzy systems are used to classify subimages efficiently in adaptive hybrid transform/predictive coding of image sequences. An adaptive fuzzy system estimates fuzzy rules by clustering input-output data generated by the subimage classification method of W.-H. Chen and C.H. Smith (1977). The fuzzy rules define patches in the state space and approximate an unknown function by covering its graph with patches. The fuzzy system classifies subimages into four temporally active subimage classes according to the between-frame prediction error signal. The system encodes active subimages with more bits, and inactive subimages with fewer bits, to compress the image data. Fuzzy classification improved coding performance over nonfuzzy classification and nonadaptive interframe coding.<<ETX>>