Prior art

The USPTO database search for patent number 7769238 confirms the previously stated information:

• Patent Number: US7769238B2
• Title: Picture coding method and picture decoding method
• Inventors: Kiyofumi Abe, Shinya Kadono, Satoshi Kondo, Makoto Hagai
• Applicant: Panasonic Corp
• Filing Date: October 26, 2007
• Issue Date: August 3, 2010
• Current Assignee: VIDEOLABS Inc, Panasonic Holdings Corp
• Legal Status: Expired - Lifetime (Adjusted expiration: August 16, 2024)

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 7769238

To identify the most relevant prior art, we examine the "Prior art citations" section of US Patent 7769238.

1. US 6,697,422 B1

• Full Citation: US 6,697,422 B1 to Aoyagi et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued February 24, 2004; Filed December 29, 2000.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding digital image data, particularly for motion pictures, using variable length coding (VLC) tables. It focuses on switching between multiple VLC tables based on characteristics of the image data, such as a prediction mode (intra/inter), quantization scale, or block size, to improve coding efficiency.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1 and 13. This patent broadly anticipates the concept of selecting VLC tables based on image characteristics to improve coding efficiency. Specifically, elements like "selecting tables for variable length coding" and "performing variable length coding for the number of the coefficients" (Claim 1), and the corresponding decoding steps (Claim 13), are present in a general sense.

2. US 6,504,874 B1

• Full Citation: US 6,504,874 B1 to Nakagawa et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued January 7, 2003; Filed September 18, 2000.
• Brief Description: This patent discloses an image coding method and apparatus that adaptively selects variable length code tables based on the frequency distribution of symbols (e.g., transform coefficients) within a block or macroblock. The selection can also be based on prediction modes (intra/inter).
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1 and 13. Similar to US 6,697,422, this patent presents a general method of adaptive VLC table selection based on image content, which could broadly anticipate the core idea of selecting tables for coding/decoding coefficients.

3. US 6,104,834 A

• Full Citation: US 6,104,834 A to Shodai et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued August 15, 2000; Filed December 15, 1997.
• Brief Description: This patent describes an image encoding and decoding method where variable length codes are chosen for image data (like motion vectors or transform coefficients) based on the statistical properties of the data. This includes adapting the VLC table to improve coding efficiency.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1 and 13. This reference broadly teaches adaptive VLC table selection based on data characteristics, which could anticipate the general concept in the independent claims of US 7769238.

4. US 6,052,154 A

• Full Citation: US 6,052,154 A to Shirota et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued April 18, 2000; Filed July 17, 1997.
• Brief Description: This patent relates to image encoding and decoding, particularly variable length coding of quantized transform coefficients. It details a method for selecting VLC tables based on the image characteristics or coding modes to optimize compression.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1 and 13. The patent's focus on adaptive VLC table selection for transform coefficients based on image characteristics or coding modes broadly aligns with the inventive concept of US 7769238.

5. EP 1 202 529 A2

• Full Citation: EP 1 202 529 A2 to Aoyagi et al. (published as US 6,697,422 B1 in the US)
• Publication/Filing Date: Published May 2, 2002; Filed October 26, 2001.
• Brief Description: This is the European equivalent or related application to US 6,697,422 B1, describing a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding digital image data, using variable length coding (VLC) tables based on characteristics of the image data.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1 and 13. As it is substantially the same disclosure as US 6,697,422, it would anticipate the same claims for the same reasons.

6. ISO/IEC 14496-2:1999(E)

• Full Citation: ISO/IEC 14496-2:1999(E) Information technology—coding of audio-visual objects Part 2: Visual (1999-12-01) P.119 7.4.1 Variable length decoding.
• Publication/Filing Date: December 1, 1999.
• Brief Description: This is a standard document that describes variable length decoding (VLD) in the context of MPEG-4 video coding. The patent specifically references page 119, section 7.4.1, which discusses variable length decoding. The patent itself states that "in the existing technique, only one table is prepared as a VLC table respectively for intra prediction coding and inter prediction coding."
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference explicitly describes a variable length decoding technique and the use of VLC tables in video coding. While it may not disclose adaptive selection of multiple VLC tables based on predictive values in the same way as US 7769238, it establishes the foundational knowledge of VLC tables and their use in picture coding/decoding. This could potentially anticipate general elements of "variable length coding/decoding" within Claims 1 and 13, but not necessarily the adaptive selection based on a predictive value of the number of non-zero coefficients.

Most Relevant Prior Art Summary:

The most relevant prior art appears to be US 6,697,422 B1 and US 6,504,874 B1, as they both explicitly teach adaptive selection of VLC tables based on various image characteristics or statistical properties for improved coding efficiency. While they may not specifically use "the number of coefficients other than 0 contained in coded blocks" as the sole predictive value, they establish the broader concept of adaptively choosing VLC tables based on context. US 7769238 distinguishes itself by specifically defining the predictive value as being based on the number of non-zero coefficients in neighboring coded/decoded blocks. The ISO/IEC standard provides the general context of VLC, but the other US patents are more directly related to adaptive VLC table selection.