1. Apparatus for processing previously encoded digital words each one of which includes segment bits to indicate a location in an encoding range and interval bits to indicate a location within a segment, said apparatus comprising means for storing said segment bits and said interval bits for a predetermined number of input digital words, said predetermined number being greater than one, means responsive to said segment bits for determining a maximum segment value present in said predetermined number of input digital words, means for processing the stored segment bits and interval bits for each of said input digital words to develop a processed digital word with fewer digital bits in response to a difference between the value of said stored segment bits and said maximum segment value determined for said predetermined number of input digital words, and means for transmitting a predetermined number of processed digital words with said maximum segment value corresponding to said predetermined number of processed digital words.
1. Apparatus for processing previously encoded digital words each one of which includes segment bits to indicate a location in an encoding range and interval bits to indicate a location within a segment, said apparatus comprising means for storing said segment bits and said interval bits for a predetermined number of input digital words, said predetermined number being greater than one, means responsive to said segment bits for determining a maximum segment value present in said predetermined number of input digital words, means for processing the stored segment bits and interval bits for each of said input digital words to develop a processed digital word with fewer digital bits in response to a difference between the value of said stored segment bits and said maximum segment value determined for said predetermined number of input digital words, and means for transmitting a predetermined number of processed digital words with said maximum segment value corresponding to said predetermined number of processed digital words. 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing the stored segment bits and interval bits includes a shift register means having cells equal in number to at least one more than the number of interval bits in each of said input digital words, means responsive to the stored segment bits for entering a digital value into at least one cell of said shift register means, and means for coupling the stored interval bits into other cells of said shift register means.