Methods and apparatus for communicating and displaying compressed image data

• US 20060023953A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiery LLC
• Original Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Kliorin, Victor, Marsden, Jonathan B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/48 using compressed domain processing techniques other than decoding, e.g. modification of transform coefficients, variable length coding [VLC] data or run-length data motion estimation in a transform domain H04N19/547; processing of decoded motion vectors H04N19/513

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for creating one or more compressed image tiles based on a compressed file that describes a digital image. In particular, the compressed image tiles are created without fully decompressing the compressed file. Each compressed image tile includes data corresponding to a portion of the digital image, and is independent of other compressed image tiles (i.e., may be decompressed without decompressing any other tile). In response to requests to display a desired portion of the digital image at a specific resolution, the compressed image tiles corresponding to the desired portion and the specified resolution are communicated via a band limited communication channel. In this regard, the portions of the digital image may be quickly communicated and displayed, without having to wait for the entire compressed file to be communicated over the band limited channel.

Claims

1. A system for processing a compressed image file that describes an image, the system comprising:

a first computer adapted to create a compressed image tile based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the compressed image tile describing a portion of the image;

a second computer adapted to decompress the compressed image tile and display the portion of the image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computer comprises a print server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer comprises a client computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second computer comprise the same computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressed image file comprises data compressed according to a block compression standard.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the block compression standard comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group compression standard.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first resolution comprises full resolution.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computer is adapted to create first and second compressed image tiles based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the first compressed image tile describing a first portion of the image, and the second compressed image tile describing a second portion of the image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution, and the second compressed image tile comprises image data at a second resolution.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first compressed image tile may be decompressed without decompressing the second compressed image tile.

12. A system for processing a compressed image file that describes an image, the system comprising:

a print server adapted to create a compressed image tile based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the compressed image tile describing a portion of the image;

a client computer coupled to the print server via a communication channel, the client computer adapted to receive the compressed image tile from the print server via the communication channel, decompress the compressed image tile and display the portion of the image.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the compressed image file comprises data compressed according to a block compression standard.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the block compression standard comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group compression standard.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first resolution comprises full resolution.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the print server is adapted to create first and second compressed image tiles based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the first compressed image tile describing a first portion of the image, and the second compressed image tile describing a second portion of the image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution, and the second compressed image tile comprises image data at a second resolution.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first compressed image tile may be decompressed without decompressing the second compressed image tile.

20. A system for processing a compressed image file that describes an image, the system comprising:

a first computer adapted to create a plurality of compressed image tiles based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, each compressed image tile describing a corresponding portion of the image;

a second computer adapted to decompress the compressed image tiles and display the portions of the image.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first computer comprises a print server.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the second computer comprises a client computer.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second computer comprise the same computer.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the compressed image file comprises data compressed according to a block compression standard.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the block compression standard comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group compression standard.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the compressed image tiles comprise image data at a first resolution.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first resolution comprises full resolution.

28. A method for processing a compressed image file that describes an image, the method comprising:

creating a compressed image tile based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the compressed image tile describing a portion of the image;

decompressing the compressed image tile and display the portion of the image.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the compressed image file comprises data compressed according to a block compression standard.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the block compression standard comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group compression standard.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first resolution comprises full resolution.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein creating further comprises creating first and second compressed image tiles based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, the first compressed image tile describing a first portion of the image, and the second compressed image tile describing a second portion of the image.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first compressed image tile comprises image data at a first resolution, and the second compressed image tile comprises image data at a second resolution.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the first compressed image tile may be decompressed without decompressing the second compressed image tile.

36. A method for processing a compressed image file that describes an image, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of compressed image tiles based on the compressed image file without fully decompressing the compressed image file, each compressed image tile describing a corresponding portion of the image;

decompressing the compressed image tiles and display the portions of the image.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the compressed image file comprises data compressed according to a block compression standard.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the block compression standard comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group compression standard.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the compressed image tiles comprise image data at a first resolution.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the first resolution comprises full resolution.