System and method for efficiently encoding data

• US 20080031527A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Julian, Arcas, Blaise Aguera y
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/40 Conversion to or from variable length codes, e.g. Shannon-Fano code, Huffman code, Morse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed which may include converting data identifying a plurality of visual features into a plurality of pixel characteristic data values; and forming an image file with pixels having the respective pixel characteristic data values.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

converting data identifying a plurality of visual features into a plurality of pixel characteristic data values; and

forming an image file with pixels having said respective pixel characteristic data values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of visual features comprise at least one graphical symbol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual feature identification data comprises ASCII codes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual feature identification data comprises frequency-order positions of said visual features.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual feature identification data is determined based on a combination of a) a frequency of use of said visual features and b) transition probabilities between successive ones of said visual features.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said pixel characteristic data values comprise at least one data type selected from the group consisting of:

pixel intensity data values, pixel color data values, and image contrast data values.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said pixel characteristic data values comprise pixel color data values.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said pixel color data values comprise at least one color-data value type selected from the group consisting of:

RBG (Red, Blue, Green) pixel color data values, HSV (Hue Saturation Value) pixel color data values, and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color data values.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

losslessly compressing said image file.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual feature identification data comprises differences in values of said identification data for successive ones of said visual features.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual features comprise alphanumeric characters.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

locating said pixels in said image file in a same order that said alphanumeric characters are ordered in, within an original document.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting said image file to a client.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

decoding at least a region of said image file into said alphanumeric characters for viewing by said client.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

enabling said client to browse said decoded image file region in a first dimension.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

enabling said client to browse said decoded image file region in first and second dimensions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said browsing in said first dimension comprises advancing along a line of said alphanumeric characters, and wherein said browsing in said second dimension comprises scrolling over a plurality of lines of said alphanumeric characters.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said browsing comprises browsing said decoded image file in a manner that emulates browsing within said original document.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

correlating locations of said pixels in said image file with locations of the alphanumeric characters corresponding to said pixels in an original document containing said alphanumeric characters.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said pixels'"'"' locations within said image file at least substantially correspond to locations of said corresponding alphanumeric characters in said original document.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said pixels'"'"' locations within said image file are substantially the same as locations of said corresponding alphanumeric characters in said original document.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting at least a region of said image file from a server to a client.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting a region of said image file from a server by a client.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

sending said requested region of said image file by said server.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said sending comprises transmitting compressed data suitable for decoding by said client.

26. An apparatus including a processor operating under the instructions of a software program, the software program causing the apparatus to perform actions, comprising:

converting data identifying a plurality of visual features into a plurality of pixel characteristic data values; and

forming an image file with pixels having said respective pixel characteristic data values.

27. A storage medium containing a software program operable to cause an apparatus including a processor under the instructions of the software program to perform actions, comprising:

converting data identifying a plurality of visual features into a plurality of pixel characteristic data values; and

forming an image file with pixels having said respective pixel characteristic data values.