Method and apparatus to provide efficient multimedia content storage

• US 20050262543A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4177 encoding document change data, e.g. form drop out data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a device, that includes a programmed data processor, to process image data. The method includes, for a plurality n of files each containing image data representing one of n images, selecting one file as a base file; selecting as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related file to the base file; comparing the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween; and storing the target file as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file. An image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location, and/or on an image capture time, or based on a user input. Storing can be performed in a memory device that is a part of a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone or a personal communicator that includes a digital camera, such as a camera phone.

Claims

1. A method to process image data, comprising:

for a plurality n of files each containing image data representing one of n images;

selecting one file as a base file;

selecting as a target file an image data file that is a contextually-related file to the base file;

comparing the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween; and

storing the target file as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file.

2. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

3. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

4. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on a user input.

5. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on information received from an image capture device other than an image capture device that generated the image data file.

6. A method as in claim 1, where storing is performed in a memory device that comprises a part of a wireless communications device.

7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising transmitting the reduced file to a destination using a wireless link.

8. A method as in claim 7, where the wireless link comprises a cellular communication channel.

9. A method as in claim 7, where the wireless link comprises a short range radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) communications link.

10. A method as in claim 1, where comparing comprises:

partitioning the target file into non-overlapping blocks of pixels;

for each block in the target file, finding a best matching block in the base file;

representing a block in the target file using a relative location of the best matching block in the base file and as a difference between the blocks; and

encoding the difference between the blocks.

12. A device as in claim 1, where said data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

19. A device as in claim 7, where the wireless link comprises a short range radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) communications link.

11. A device to process image data, comprising a data processor coupled to an image memory for storing a plurality n of files each containing image data representing one of n images, said data processor operating under control of a stored program to select one file as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is a contextually-related file to the base file;

to compare the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store the target file in the image memory as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file.

13. A device as in claim 11, where said data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

14. A device as in claim 11, where said data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least a user input.

15. A device as in claim 11, where said data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least information received from an image capture device other than an image capture device that generated the image data file.

16. A device as in claim 11, where said image memory comprises a part of a wireless communications device.

17. A device as in claim 16, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the reduced file to a destination using a wireless link.

18. A device as in claim 17, where the wireless link comprises a cellular communication channel.

20. A device as in claim 11, where said data processor operates, when comparing the target file and the base file, to partition the target file into non-overlapping blocks of pixels;

to finding a best matching block in the base file for each block in the target file;

to represent a block in the target file using a relative location of the best matching block in the base file and as a difference between the blocks and to encode the difference between the blocks.

21. A camera phone, comprising:

a transceiver;

a controller coupled to said transceiver;

a digital image capture device coupled to an image storage memory for storing n image data files representing one of n images; and

an image processor coupled to said image storage memory and operable to select an image data file as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related to the base file;

to process the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store a processed target file in the image storage memory as a file of smaller size than the size of the target file.

22. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said image storage memory is detachable from said camera phone.

23. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said image processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

24. A camera phone as in claim 23, where the image capture location is determined by the camera phone.

25. A camera phone as in claim 23, where the image capture location is determined external to said camera phone and is transmitted to said camera phone though said transceiver.

26. A camera phone as in claim 23, where the image capture location comprises an azimuthal pointing direction of said digital image capture device.

27. A camera phone as in claim 23, where the image capture location comprises an elevation angle of a pointing direction of said digital image capture device.

28. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said image processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

29. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said image processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least a user input.

30. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said image processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least information received from another camera phone.

31. A camera phone as in claim 21, where said processed target file is transmitted from said camera phone through said transceiver.

32. A camera phone as in claim 31, where said transceiver comprises a radio frequency cellular communication transceiver.

33. A camera phone as in claim 31, where said transceiver comprises one of a short range radio frequency or infrared communications transceiver.

34. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and comprising computer-executable instructions responsive to n image data files representing one of n images to select an image data file as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related to the base file;

to process the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store a processed target file as a file of smaller size than the size of the target file.

35. A computer program as in claim 34, where an image data file is selected to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

36. A computer program as in claim 35, where the image capture location comprises an azimuthal pointing direction of an image capture device.

37. A computer program as in claim 35, where the image capture location comprises an elevation angle of a pointing direction of an image capture device.

38. A computer program as in claim 34, where an image data file is selected to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

39. A computer program as in claim 34, where an image data file is selected to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least a user input.

40. A computer program as in claim 34, where said computer program is executed by a data processor that comprises a part of a wireless communications device that includes a digital image capture device.