Image File Container

• US 20080275915A1
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dunbar, Geoffrey T., Ternasky, Joseph D., Debique, Kirt A., Crow, William M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/12 Formatting, e.g. arrangement of data block or words on the record carriers within interface between computers and data recorders G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/309 Table of contents

Abstract

An image container file has at least first and second multimedia streams (MSs). The first MS includes first image data representing an image. The second MS includes arbitrary data, which can for example, correspond to: a different representation of the same image; annotations to the first image data; second image data that together with the first image data form a new image with greater dynamic range, resolution, field of view or other attributes that can be derived from processing two or more independent images; or an executable file related to the first MS. The image container file can also include an extensible metadata to hold information describing one or more multimedia streams of the image container file. Further, the image container file may include DRM information to provide information related to obtaining a license to access encrypted data or verifying the authenticity of encrypted or unencrypted data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with a data structure for use in an image file, the data structure comprising:

a data portion to include first image data related to a first multimedia stream, and a first arbitrary data related to a second multimedia stream; and

a header portion to include a first header object comprising information related to the first multimedia stream, and a second header object comprising information related to the second data multimedia stream.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises second image data, the first and second image data providing different representations of a single image.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data portion includes data related to three or more multimedia streams.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first image data represents the single image having a first pixel resolution, and the second image data represents the single image having a second pixel resolution different from the first pixel resolution.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first image data represents the single image having a first pixel format, and the second image data represents the single image having a second pixel format different from the first pixel format, wherein a pixel format includes one or more components, component ordering, and component numeric formats.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is larger than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is of higher quality than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises image, audio, video, graphics, text, date and time, location, web links, or animation data.

9. A method for forming an image container file, comprising:

collecting image data;

forming a first multimedia stream in the image container file, the first multimedia stream including a first image data derived from the collected image data and a first header object having information related to the first image data;

collecting arbitrary data; and

forming a second multimedia stream in the image container file, the second multimedia stream including first arbitrary data derived from the collected arbitrary data and a second header object having information related to the first arbitrary data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second image data, the first and second image data providing different representations of a single image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first image data represents the single image having a first pixel resolution, and the second image data represents the single image having a second pixel resolution different from the first pixel resolution.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first image data represents the single image having a first pixel format, and the second image data represents the single image having a second pixel format different from the first pixel format.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is larger than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is of higher quality than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming a plurality of multimedia streams in the image container file, the plurality of multimedia streams including the second multimedia stream, wherein another multimedia stream in the plurality of multimedia streams includes second arbitrary data and a third header object having information related to the second arbitrary data.

16. A system for storing image data, the system comprising:

an image data receiver; and

an image file generator to form an image container file having a plurality of multimedia streams, the plurality of multimedia streams including a first multimedia stream and a second multimedia stream, wherein the first multimedia stream to include first image data derived from image data received by the image data receiver, and the second multimedia stream to include arbitrary data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second image data, the first and second image data providing different representations of a single image.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is larger than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second image data, wherein data from the first image data and data from the second image data to be combined to represent an image that is of higher quality than individual images represented by the first and second image data.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the image file generator is further to add index information related to locations of first image data and the first arbitrary data within the image container file.