All The Claims

1. An energy measurement system for a fluid heating and cooling system, comprising:
a primary fluid flow loop;
a first secondary fluid flow loop and a second secondary fluid flow loop each being fluidly coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the first secondary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with a heat load and the second secondary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with a heat source, the first and second secondary fluid flow loops each including an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupling the primary fluid flow loop to each of the first and second secondary fluid flow loops;
a fluid flow meter coupled to the primary fluid flow loop between at least one of the outlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop and the inlet of the second secondary fluid flow loop and the outlet of second secondary fluid flow loop and the inlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop, the flow meter measuring a volumetric fluid flow of the flow within the primary loop at the position of the flow meter;
a first temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the first temperature sensor measuring the temperature of a fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop upstream of the inlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop;
a second temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the second temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid in the primary fluid flow loop flowing downstream of the outlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop;
a third temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the third temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the second secondary fluid flow loop; and
a processor in communication with the first, second, and third temperature sensors and the fluid flow meter, the processor being configured to:
multiply the difference between the measured temperatures of the second and first temperature sensors by the volume flow measured by the flow meter to determine the thermal energy consumption rate of the heat load of the first secondary flow loop; and
multiply the difference between the measured temperatures between the third and second temperature sensors by the volume measured by the flow meter to determine the thermal energy generation rate of the heat source of the second secondary flow loop.
2. The system of claim 1, further including a heat exchange element exchanging heat with the primary fluid flow loop.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second primary fluid flow loop in thermal communication with the primary fluid flow loop; and wherein the second primary fluid flow loop exchanges heat with the primary fluid flow loop through a heat exchanging element.
4. The system of claim 3, further including a second fluid flow meter coupled to the second primary fluid flow loop.
5. The system of claim 3, further including a tertiary fluid flow loop fluidly coupled to the second primary fluid flow loop, the tertiary fluid flow loop including at least one of a heat load and a heat source; and wherein the at least one heat source on the tertiary fluid flow loop is one or more solar energy collectors.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tertiary fluid flow loop includes an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with the second primary fluid flow loop.
7. A method of measuring at least one of energy production and consumption rate in a fluid heating or cooling system, comprising:
coupling a single fluid flow meter to a primary fluid flow loop, the primary fluid flow loop being fluidly coupled to a first secondary fluid flow loop and a second secondary loop, the first secondary fluid flow loop including an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupling the primary fluid flow loop and the first secondary fluid flow loop, the first secondary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with a heat load and the second secondary flow loop exchanging heat with a heat source;
coupling a first temperature sensor to the primary fluid flow loop upstream of the inlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop;
measuring the volumetric fluid flow rate within the primary fluid flow loop at any position along the primary fluid flow loop that is not between the inlet and the outlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop and the second secondary fluid flow loop with the fluid flow meter;
measuring the temperature of a fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop upstream of the inlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop with the first temperature sensor;
coupling a second temperature sensor to the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop, and
measuring the temperature of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the first secondary fluid flow loop with the second temperature sensor;
coupling a third temperature sensor to the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the second secondary fluid flow loop;
measuring the temperature of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the second secondary fluid flow loop with the third temperature sensor;
multiplying the difference between the measured temperatures of the second and first temperature sensors by the volume flow measured by the flow meter to determine the energy consumption rate of the heat load of the first secondary flow loop; and
multiplying the difference between the measured temperatures between the third and second temperature sensors by the volume measured by the flow meter to determine the energy generation rate of the heat source of the second secondary flow loop.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the primary cooling loop exchanges heat with a heat exchanging element.
9. The method of claim 8, further including coupling a second fluid flow meter to a second primary fluid flow loop, the second primary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with the primary fluid flow loop through the heat exchanging element.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second primary fluid flow loop is fluidly coupled to a tertiary fluid flow loop, the tertiary fluid flow loop including an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupling the second primary fluid flow loop and the tertiary flow loop, the tertiary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with at least one of a heat source and a heat load.
11. The method of claim 7, further including fluidly coupling one or more solar collectors to the second primary fluid flow loop.
12. An energy measurement system for a fluid heating and cooling system, comprising:
a primary fluid flow loop;
a plurality of secondary fluid flow loops fluidly coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, each secondary fluid flow loop exchanging heat with at least one of a heat source and a heat load, each secondary fluid flow loop including an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupling the primary fluid flow loop to the secondary fluid flow loop;
a fluid flow meter coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the fluid flow meter being positioned on the primary fluid flow loop at any position other than between the inlet and outlet of each secondary fluid flow loop;
a first temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the first temperature sensor measuring the temperature of a fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop upstream of the inlet of a first one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops, the first one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops being fluidly coupled to a heat load;
a second temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the second temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of the first one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops;
a third temperature sensor coupled to the primary fluid flow loop, the third temperature sensor measuring the temperature of a fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow loop downstream of the outlet of a second one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops, the second one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops being fluidly coupled to a heat source;
a processor in communication with the first, second, and third temperature sensors and the fluid flow meter, the processor being configured to:
multiply the difference between the measured temperatures of the second and first temperature sensors by the volume flow measured by the flow meter to determine the energy consumption rate of the heat load of the first one of the plurality of secondary loops; and
multiply the difference between the measured temperatures between the third and second temperature sensors by the volume measured by the flow meter to determine the energy generation rate of the heat source of the second one of the plurality of secondary fluid flow loops.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An inverter for driving multiple discharge lamps comprising:
a transformer for driving a first discharge lamp and a second discharge lamp, comprising primary and secondary windings;
a first balancing circuit connected in series with the first discharge lamp, sensing a first lamp current through the first discharge lamp to provide a first sensing signal, for adjusting the first lamp current in accordance with a matching signal;
a second balancing circuit connected in series with the second discharge lamp, sensing a second lamp current through the second discharge lamp to provide a second sensing signal, for adjusting the second lamp current in accordance with the matching signal; and
a comparator receiving the first and the second sensing signals, for comparing the first sensing signal with the second sensing signal to generate the matching signal used to control the first and the second balancing circuits, thereby equalizing the first lamp current and the second lamp current.
2. The inverter as recited in claim 1 wherein the comparator drives the matching signal to a first state when the first sensing signal is greater than the second sensing signal and drives the matching signal to a second state when the first sensing signal is less than the second sensing signal.
3. The inverter as recited in claim 2 wherein the first balancing circuit comprises a first transistor circuit, in response to the matching signal, for decreasing the first lamp current when the matching signal is in the first state, and for increasing the first lamp current when the matching signal is in the second state.
4. The inverter as recited in claim 2 wherein the second balancing circuit comprises a second transistor circuit, in response to the matching signal, for increasing the second lamp current when the matching signal is in the first state, and for decreasing the second lamp current when the matching signal is in the second state.
5. The inverter as recited in claim 3 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first coupling device connected between the comparator and the first transistor circuit, for protecting against noise from the comparator.
6. The inverter as recited in claim 4 wherein the second balancing circuit further comprises a second coupling device connected between the comparator and the second transistor circuit, for protecting against noise from the comparator.
7. The inverter as recited in claim 3 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first rectifier circuit having an input port and an output port, where one terminal of the input port is coupled to the first discharge lamp and terminals of the output port are coupled across the first transistor circuit.
8. The inverter as recited in claim 4 wherein the second balancing circuit further comprises a second rectifier circuit having an input port and an output port, where one terminal of the input port is coupled to the second discharge lamp and terminals of the output port are coupled across the second transistor circuit.
9. The inverter as recited in claim 7 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first sensing circuit for sensing the first lamp current through the first discharge lamp to provide the first sensing signal, in which the first sensing circuit has its input terminal coupled to the other terminal of the first rectifier circuit’s input port and has its output terminal coupled to a first input terminal of the comparator.
10. The inverter as recited in claim 8 wherein the second balancing circuit further comprises a second sensing circuit for sensing the second lamp current through the second discharge lamp to provide the second sensing signal, in which the second sensing circuit has its input terminal coupled to the other terminal of the second rectifier circuit’s input port and has its output terminal coupled to a second input terminal of the comparator.
11. The inverter as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a resonant push-pull converter, including the transformer generating an AC voltage in a push-pull manner at the secondary winding to drive the first and the second discharge lamps in parallel; and
drive circuitry for controlling the resonant push-pull converter to regulate the AC voltage in accordance with the first sensing signal, in which the input of the drive circuitry receives a DC voltage and the output of the drive circuitry is coupled to the transformer’s primary winding.
12. An inverter for driving multiple discharge lamps comprising:
a resonant push-pull converter, including a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding that is coupled to a parallel connection of a first and second discharge lamp, for generating an AC voltage in a push-pull manner at the secondary winding to drive the first and the second discharge lamps in parallel;
a first balancing circuit connected in series with the first discharge lamp, sensing a first lamp current through the first discharge lamp to provide a first sensing signal, for adjusting the first lamp current in accordance with a matching signal;
a second balancing circuit connected in series with the second discharge lamp, sensing a second lamp current through the second discharge lamp to provide a second sensing signal, for adjusting the second lamp current in accordance with the matching signal;
a comparator receiving the first and the second sensing signals, for comparing the first sensing signal with the second sensing signal to generate the matching signal used to control the first and the second balancing circuits, thereby equalizing the first lamp current and the second lamp current; and
drive circuitry for controlling the resonant push-pull converter to regulate the AC voltage in accordance with the first sensing signal, in which the input of the drive circuitry receives a DC voltage and the output of the drive circuitry is coupled to the transformer’s primary winding.
13. The inverter as recited in claim 12 wherein the comparator drives the matching signal to a first state when the first sensing signal is greater than the second sensing signal and drives the matching signal to a second state when the first sensing signal is less than the second sensing signal.
14. The inverter as recited in claim 13 wherein the first balancing circuit comprises a first transistor circuit and the second balancing circuit comprises a second transistor circuit, wherein the first transistor circuit decreases the first lamp current and the second transistor circuit increases the second lamp current respectively in response to the matching signal in the first state, and wherein the first transistor circuit increases the first second lamp current and the second transistor circuit decreases the second lamp current respectively in response to the matching signal in the second state.
15. The inverter as recited in claim 14 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first coupling device and the second balancing circuit further comprises a second coupling device, for respectively protecting against noise from the comparator, wherein the first coupling device is connected between the comparator and the first transistor circuit, and wherein the second coupling device is connected between the comparator and the second transistor circuit.
16. The inverter as recited in claim 14 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first rectifier circuit and the second balancing circuit further comprises a second rectifier circuit, wherein one terminal of the first rectifier circuit’s input port is coupled to the first discharge lamp and terminals of the first rectifier circuit’s output port are coupled across the first transistor circuit, and wherein one terminal of the second rectifier circuit’s input port is coupled to the second discharge lamp and terminals of the second rectifier circuit’s output port are coupled across the second transistor circuit.
17. The inverter as recited in claim 16 wherein the first balancing circuit further comprises a first sensing circuit for sensing the first lamp current through the first discharge lamp to provide the first sensing signal, in which the first sensing circuit has its input terminal coupled to the other terminal of the first rectifier circuit’s input port and has its output terminal coupled to a first input terminal of the comparator.
18. The inverter as recited in claim 16 wherein the second balancing circuit further comprises a second sensing circuit for sensing the second lamp current through the second discharge lamp to provide the second sensing signal, in which the second sensing circuit has its input terminal coupled to the other terminal of the second rectifier circuit’s input port and its output terminal coupled to a second input terminal of the comparator.
19. An inverter for driving multiple discharge lamps comprising:
a transformer for driving a plurality of discharge lamps, comprising primary and secondary windings;
a plurality of balancing circuits respectively connected in series with the corresponding discharge lamps, sensing respective lamp currents through their corresponding discharge lamps to provide a plurality of sensing signals, for adjusting the lamp currents in accordance with a set of matching signals; and
a comparator for comparing the sensing signals from the balancing circuits to generate the set of matching signals used to control the balancing circuits, thereby equalizing the lamp currents among the discharge lamps.
20. The inverter as recited in claim 19 wherein each of the balancing circuits comprises a transistor circuit in response to the corresponding matching signal set, when one of the matching signals indicates that its corresponding lamp current is the largest of all, the corresponding transistor circuit decreases the largest lamp current and the rest of the transistor circuits increase the other lamp currents.
21. The inverter as recited in claim 20 wherein each of the balancing circuits further comprises a coupling device connected between the comparator and its associated transistor circuit, for protecting against noise from the comparator.
22. The inverter as recited in claim 21 wherein each of the balancing circuits further comprises a rectifier circuit having an input port and an output port, where one terminal of each rectifier circuit’s input port is coupled to the corresponding discharge lamp and terminals of each rectifier circuit’s output port are coupled across its associated transistor circuit.
23. The inverter as recited in claim 22 wherein each of the balancing circuits further comprises a sensing circuit for sensing the corresponding lamp current to provide the respective sensing signal, in which each sensing circuit has its input terminal coupled to the other terminal of its associated rectifier circuit’s input port and has its output terminal coupled to a corresponding terminal of the comparator.
24. The inverter as recited in claim 19 further comprising:
a resonant push-pull converter, including the transformer generating an AC voltage in a push-pull manner at the secondary winding to drive the discharge lamps in parallel; and
drive circuitry for controlling the resonant push-pull converter to regulate the AC voltage in accordance, with the one of the sensing signals, in which the input of the drive circuitry receives a DC voltage and the output of the drive circuitry is coupled to the transformer’s primary winding.

1. A method comprising:
partitioning a database corresponding to object images into a first partition and a second partition based on a fuzzy similarity analysis of a measure of the object images to a first threshold;
partitioning each of the first partition and the second partition into at least two portions so that the measure of the object images having a fuzzy similarity more than or equal to a second threshold cluster into a selected one of the at least two portions;
determining a feature set from image content of a query object image;
after partitioning the first partition into the at least two portions. using fuzzy logic to search the database for at least one image similar to the query object image; and
outputting the at least one image similar to the query object image.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
deriving the feature set for each of the object images from contours of at least two views of objects corresponding to each of the object images.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein using the fuzzy logic comprises comparing one object image from each of said first and second partitions with said query object image.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
based on the comparison, obtaining the at least one similar image as a match in the partition that indicates maximum similarity with said query object image.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a similarity matrix for the object images within the database before partitioning the database.
6. A method comprising:
partitioning a database corresponding to object images into a plurality of sets based on fuzzy logic;
obtaining a query image;
after partitioning the database into the plurality of sets, searching the database for a solution set having a maximum similarity to the query image using fuzzy logic, and
outputting at least a portion of the solution set.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein searching the database comprises comparing a single image of each of a plurality of sets within the database to the query image.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the single image comprises comparing a feature vector of the query image to a corresponding feature vector of the single image.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising partitioning the database into a plurality of levels, each of the levels corresponding to a similarity threshold.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein outputting a portion of the solution set comprises displaying at least one object image corresponding to the portion of the solution set.
11. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:
partition a database corresponding to object images into a plurality of sets based on fuzzy logic;
obtain a query image;
after the database is partitioned, search the database for a solution set having a maximum similarity to the query image using the fuzzy logic; and
output at least a portion of the solution set.
12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to compare a single image of each of a plurality of sets within the database to the query image.
13. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to compare a feature vector of the query image to a corresponding feature vector of the single image.
14. A system comprising:
a dynamic random access memory containing instructions that when executed enable the system to partition a database corresponding to object images into a first partition and a second partition based on a fuzzy similarity analysis of a measure of the object images to a first threshold; to thereafter use fuzzy logic to search the database for at least one image similar to a query object image; and to output the at least one image similar to query object image; and
a processor coupled to the dynamic random access memory to execute the instructions.
15. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to derive a feature set for each of the object images from contours of at least two views of objects corresponding to each of the object images.
16. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to obtain the at least one similar image as a match in the partition that indicates maximum similarity with said query object image.
17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a display coupled to the processor to display the query object image and the at least one similar image.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for encoding a digitized image comprising at least one image object having a plurality of picture elements, wherein encoding information is allocated to the plurality of picture elements, the method comprising the steps of:
grouping the plurality of picture elements to form at least one image block;
determining a DC portion of the encoding information allocated to the plurality of picture elements contained in at least one part of the at least one image block;
subtracting the DC portion from the encoding information allocated to the plurality of picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block containing an edge of the image object to achieve a subtraction result; and
transforming the subtraction result by a shape-adaptive transformation encoding to achieve transformed encoding information.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transformation encoding is performed such that signal energy of the encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block within a location domain is substantially equal to signal energy of the transformed encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block within a frequency domain.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subtraction result is comprised of a plurality of difference values dj, and transformation coefficients cj are generated from the plurality of difference values dj according to the equation:
c
_

j

=
2
N
\xb7
DCT
–
N

_
\u2062
(

p
,
k

)

\xb7
d
_

j
wherein N is a quantity of an image vector to be transformed in which the picture elements are contained, DCT-N is a transformation matrix of size N*N, and p,k are indices where p,k \u03b5 0, N\u22121.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of subtracting the DC portion from the encoding information is only applied to edge image blocks that are encoded during an intra-image encoding mode.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
scaling the DC portion.
6. A method for decoding a digitized image comprised of at least one image object having a plurality of picture elements, wherein the plurality of picture elements have been shape-adaptive transformation encoded into transformed encoding information, the plurality of picture elements are grouped to form at least one image block and a DC portion of encoding information of picture elements contained within the at least one image block is allocated to the at least one image block, the method comprising steps of:
inverse transformation encoding the plurality of picture elements having been shape-adaptive transformation encoded for at least one part of the at least one image block to achieve inverse transformed encoding information; and
adding the DC portion to each picture element of the at least one image block containing an edge of the image object and having been inverse transformation encoded to achieve an addition result.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein inverse transformation coding is performed such that signal energy of the encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of each edge image block within a location domain is substantially equal to signal energy of the transformed encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of each edge image block within a frequency domain.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the addition result is comprised of a plurality of difference values dj, that are generated from transformation coefficients cj contained within the transformed encoding information to the equation:
d
j

=
2
N
\xb7
(
DCT
–
N

_

\u2062

(

p
,
k

)
)
–
1
\xb7
c
_

j
wherein N is a quantity of an image vector to be transformed in which the picture elements are contained, DCT-N is a transformation matrix of size N*N, and p,k are indices where p,k \u03b5 0, N\u22121 and (*)\u22121 is an inverse of a matrix.
9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of adding the DC portion to each picture element which has been inverse transformation encoded is only applied to edge image blocks that are encoded during an intra-image encoding mode.
10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the DC portion is scaled.
11. An apparatus for encoding a digitized image having at least one image object that is comprised of a plurality of picture elements that are allocated encoding information, the apparatus comprising:
a processor unit configured to:
group the plurality of picture elements to form at least one image block;
determine a DC portion of the encoding information allocated to the plurality of picture elements contained in at least one part of the at least one image block;
subtract the DC portion from the encoding information allocated to the plurality of picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block containing an edge of the image object to achieve a subtraction result; and
transform the subtraction result by shape-adaptive transformation encoding to achieve transformed encoding information.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor unit is further configured to perform transformation encoding such that signal energy of the encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block within a location domain is substantially equal to signal energy of the transformed encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of the at least one image block within a frequency domain.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor unit is configured to derive the subtraction such that the subtraction result is comprised of a plurality of difference values dj, and transformation coefficients cj are generated from the plurality of difference values dj according to the equation:
c
_

j

=
2
N
\xb7
DCT
–
N

_
\u2062
(

p
,
k

)

\xb7
d
_

j
wherein N is a quantity of an image vector to be transformed in which the picture elements are contained, DCT-N is a transformation matrix of size N*N, and p,k are indices where p,k \u03b5 0, N\u22121.
14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor unit is configured such that subtraction of the DC portion from the encoding information is only applied to edge image blocks that are encoded during an intra-image encoding mode.
15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor unit is configured to scale the DC portion.
16. An apparatus for decoding a digitized image comprised of at least one image object having a plurality of picture elements, wherein the plurality of picture elements have been shape-adaptive transformation encoded into transformed encoding information, the plurality of picture elements are grouped to form at least one image block and a DC portion of encoding information of picture elements contained within the at least one image block is allocated to the at least one image block, the apparatus comprising:
a processor unit configured to:
inverse transformation encode the plurality of picture elements having been shape-adaptive transformation encoded for at least one part of the at least one image block to achieve inverse transformed encoding information; and
add the DC portion to each picture element of the at least one image block containing an edge of the image object and having been inverse transformation encoded to achieve an addition result.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor unit performs inverse transformation coding such that signal energy of the encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of each edge image block within a location domain is substantially equal to signal energy of the transformed encoding information of the picture elements of the at least one part of each edge image block within a frequency domain.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor unit is configured to derive the addition result such that the addition result is comprised of a plurality of difference values dj, that are generated from the transformed encoding information according to the equation:
d
_

j

=
2
N
\xb7
(
DCT
–
N

_

\u2062

(

p
,
k

)
)
–
1
\xb7
c
_

j
wherein N is a quantity of an image vector to be transformed in which the picture elements are contained, DCT-N is a transformation matrix of size N*N, and p,k are indices where p,k \u03b5 0, N\u22121 and (*)\u22121 is an inverse of a matrix.
19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor unit is configured such that addition of the DC portion to each picture element having been inverse transformation encoded is only applied to edge image blocks that are encoded during an intra-image encoding mode.
20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor unit is configured to scale the DC portion.
21. An apparatus for encoding a digitized image, the image comprised of at least one image object having a plurality of picture elements, at least one portion of the picture elements being grouped into at least one image block, comprising:
a processing unit including:
an processing unit input receiving the at least one image block comprised of the at least one portion of the plurality of picture elements;
a first switching unit connected to the input, the first switching unit having first and second input contacts and corresponding first and second switching positions, and an output;
a subtraction unit connected between the processing unit input and the second input contact of the first switching unit;
a transformation encoding unit connected to the output of the first switching unit for encoding the image block according to a prescribed transformation; and
a memory connected to the processing unit input and to the subtraction unit, the memory storing luminance information of a preceding image block;
wherein the subtraction unit subtracts luminance information of the at least one image block from the luminance information of the preceding image block stored in the memory; and
wherein the first switching unit is in the first position connecting the processing unit input to the transformation encoding unit when the processing unit is operating in a first mode, and the first switching unit is in the second position connecting the subtraction unit to the transformation encoding unit when the processing unit is operating in a second mode.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:
an inverse transformation encoding unit connected to an output of the transformation encoding unit for decoding the encoded image block and outputting decoded image information;
an addition unit connected to an output of the inverse transformation encoding unit; and
a second switching unit having first and second switching positions that is connected to the first switching unit so that the switching positions of the second switching unit correspond to the switching positions of the first switching unit, the second switching unit connected to the addition unit, the subtraction unit and the memory;
wherein the second switching unit connects to the memory to the addition unit when the processing unit is operating in the second mode and the luminance information of the preceding image block is added to the decoded image information.
23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first mode is an inter-image encoding mode and the second mode is an intra-image encoding mode.
24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the prescribed transformation is a shape-adaptive discrete cosine transformation.
25. A method for encoding a digitized image, the image comprised of at least one image object having a plurality of picture elements, at least one portion of the picture elements being grouped into at least one image block, comprising:
receiving the at least one image block comprised of the at least one portion of the plurality of picture elements at an input of a processing unit;
transmitting the at least one image block to a first switching unit connected to the input of the processing unit, the first switching unit having first and second input contacts and corresponding first and second switching positions, and an output;
encoding the image block according to a prescribed transformation via a transformation encoding unit;
storing luminance information of a preceding image block in a memory; and
subtracting luminance information of the at least one image block from the luminance information of the preceding image block stored in the memory, wherein the first switching unit is in the first position connecting the processing unit input to the transformation encoding unit when the processing unit is operating in a first mode, and the first switching unit is in the second position connecting the subtraction unit to the transformation encoding unit when the processing unit is operating in a second mode.
26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:
decoding the encoded image block and outputting decoded image information via an inverse transformation encoding unit connected to an output of the transformation encoding unit;
transmitting the decoded image block to an addition unit connected to an output of the inverse transformation encoding unit; and
providing a second switching unit having first and second switching positions that is connected to the first switching unit so that the switching positions of the second switching unit correspond to the switching positions of the first switching unit, the second switching unit connected to the addition unit, the subtraction unit and the memory;
wherein the second switching unit connects to the memory to the addition unit when the processing unit is operating in the second mode and the luminance information of the preceding image block is added to the decoded image information.
27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the first mode is an inter-image encoding mode and the second mode is an intra-image encoding mode.
28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the prescribed transformation is a shape-adaptive discrete cosine transformation.