Method and system for encoding the ROI

In a method and a system for encoding and transmission of still images having at least one region of interest (ROI), the ROI coefficients of an image transformed into the frequency domain, preferably using a wavelet transform are encoded so that they are transmitted first and can be decoded by a receiver without transmission of the boundary of the ROI. In a preferred embodiment the coefficients belonging to the ROI are shifted so that the minimum ROI coefficient is larger than the largest background coefficient. A receiver can then perform an opposite procedure and thereby obtain the ROI. By specifying how much the coefficients need to be shifted in order to avoid sending shape information several advantages are achieved. Thus, it is possible to avoid sending shape information and to avoid shape encoding at encoder side. Furthermore, there is no need for a shape decoder at receiver side, and there is no need for the receiver to produce the ROI mask. Also, in another preferred embodiment, the shifting (or scaling operations) required at encoder and decoder are also avoided.