METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE "BLOCKY PICTURE" EFFECT IN MPEG DECODED IMAGES

A method and apparatus for applying blockiness reduction techniques to encoded video or other picture images by utilizing the run-length codes of neighboring pixel blocks to adaptively filter the decoded pixel data of interest, thereby smoothing out the gradations of intensity and color between neighboring blocks of pixels. The present invention can adaptively filter pixel data within a single picture block as well as between blocks. The method comprises the step of obtaining the run-length codes of a first encoded picture block and a neighboring picture block, deriving filter coefficients based on the run-length codes of the first encoded picture block and the neighboring encoded picture block and providing the filter coefficients, decoded first picture data and neighboring picture data to an adaptive filter, and filtering the decoded picture data of the first and neighboring picture blocks, thereby producing an outputted filtered picture signal. The apparatus comprises the necessary structure to carry out this method.