Data storing device and method

• US 20060018510A1
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robot Visual Systems GmbH (Jenoptik AG)
• Original Assignee: Robot Visual Systems GmbH (Jenoptik AG)
• Inventors: Stadler, Torsten, Kuester, Hans-Holger
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for data storing with a compression coding and/or decoding device for the storing of picture data in a compressed or decompressed data format in a data memory. The compression coding and decoding device is adapted to mark or label and subsequently specific retrieve picture segments. This permits individual compression or decompression of labelled picture segments. In a method of storing picture data in a compressed or decompressed data format in a data storing memory, the picture data are divided into data segments. The location information of the data segments is stored. The method and device is preferably used in traffic monitoring installations. The picture data are camera data of a digital camera taking pictures of a traffic situation and a violating vehicle, when traffic regulations are violated such as by speeding. The device and method of the invention permits, for example, to decompress individually the picture segment showing the license plate of a violating vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of generating and storing picture data representing a traffic scene in a compressed and decompressed format in a data storing memory of a traffic monitoring arrangement having a digital camera, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a picture of a traffic scene by means of said digital camera of the traffic monitoring arrangement, so as to generate uncompressed picture data representing said traffic scene;

dividing said uncompressed picture data of the traffic scene into a plurality of data segments , so as to designate in said uncompressed picture data a location of at least one area of the traffic scene as a compression segment and a location of at least one other designated area of the traffic scene as a minimal or non-compression segment;

storing said uncompressed picture data including the designated traffic scene and compression information for each said designated area in the data storing memory of the traffic monitoring arrangement;

selectively compressing said compression and non-compression data segments to a different degree of compression; and

selecting said at least one compression data segment using said location information of the traffic scene and decompressing only said at least one compression data segment representing said one designated area of the traffic scene, while discriminating against said at least one non-compression data segments representing said other designated area of the traffic scene.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of data segments further comprising a plurality of data segments which are being stored in the data storing memory of the traffic monitoring arrangement in such a manner that some of said segments are not being compressed, some of said segments are being slightly compressed, and some of said segments are being heavily compressed.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in said plurality of data segments are separated from each other representing said data segments and labels identifying said data segments.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said step of compressing a plurality of data segments are being compressed to a uniform degree of compression.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said location of at least one area of the traffic scene associated with the compression segment represents one part of a vehicle forming a part of the traffic scene and said other designated area associated with the non-compression segment represents another part of said vehicle.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said one area of the vehicle associated with the compression segment is a license plate of the vehicle.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said other part of the vehicle associated with the compression segment is a body of said vehicle.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of reading said stored location information of said at least one data segment.