A layered coding system for very low bit rate video coding

Known coding techniques for transmitting moving images at very low bit rates are explained by the source models on which these coding techniques are based. It is shown that with motion-compensated hybrid coding, object-based analysis-synthesis coding, knowledge-based coding and semantic coding, there is a consistent development of source models. In consequence these coding techniques can be combined in a layered coding system. From experimental results obtained for object-based analysis-synthesis, coding estimates for the coding efficiency of such a layered coding system are derived using head and shoulder video telephone test sequences. It is shown that an additional compression factor of about 3 can be expected with such a complex layered coding system, when compared to block-based hybrid coding.