Image processing apparatus and method, and storage medium therefor

• US 20010004404A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 06/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Itokawa, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/192 the adaptation method, adaptation tool or adaptation type being iterative or recursive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/29 involving scalability at the object level, e.g. video object layer [VOL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/37 with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

Image data of plural objects are inputted, the inputted image data are encoded on an object basis, a priority order of code amount allocation is set for the objects, and encoding conditions for the objects in the encoding step are controlled in accordance with the priority order. The encoding conditions are controlled so that a total code amount obtained by encoding the image data of the plural objects does not exceed a predetermined code amount.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a) input means for inputting image date of plural objects;

b) encoding means for encoding the image data inputted by said input means on an object basis; and

c) control means for setting a priority order of code amount allocation for each of the objects and in accordance with said priority order, controlling encoding conditions for each of the objects in said encoding means,

wherein said control means controls the encoding conditions in said encoding means so that a total code amount obtained by encoding the image data of said plural objects does not exceed a predetermined code amount.

2. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means changes said priority order at a predetermined timing.

3. An apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said predetermined timing is determined according to how many times a code amount reduction processing for said objects is executed or according to code amounts of said objects.

4. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein, when the code amount of an object set to a lowest priority becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit value, said control means sets an other object to the lowest priority.

5. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said encoding means breaks down the image data of said objects at least into pixel data and shape data and encodes the pixel data and the shape data, and said control means determines said priority order in accordance with a size of shape data of said objects.

6. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said encoding means executes the encoding operation in accordance with MPEG-4, and said control means determines said priority order in accordance with the sizes of bounding boxes of said objects.

7. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said encoding means includes quantization means for quantizing the image data of said objects, and quantization parameters of said quantization means are controlled by said encoding conditions.

8. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising recording means for recording the data encoded by said encoding means into a recording medium.

9. An image processing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said input means comprises image pickup means for photographing an object image and generating image data.

10. A video camera provided with the image processing apparatus according to

claim 1

.

11. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

a) inputting image data of plural objects;

b) encoding the inputted image data on an object basis; and

c) setting a priority order of code amount allocation for each of the objects and, in accordance with said priority order, controlling encoding conditions for each of the objects in said encoding step,

wherein, in said controlling step, the encoding conditions in said encoding step are controlled so that a total code amount obtained by encoding the image data of said plural objects does not exceed a predetermined code amount.

12. A storage medium for storing program codes of encoding steps, said encoding steps comprising:

a) an inputting step of inputting image data of plural objects;

b) an encoding step of encoding the inputted image data on an object basis; and

c) a controlling step of setting a priority order of code amount allocation for each of the objects and, in accordance with said priority order, controlling encoding conditions for each of the objects in said encoding step,

wherein, in said controlling step, the encoding conditions in said encoding step are controlled so that a total code amount obtained by encoding the image data of said plural objects does not exceed a predetermined code amount.