Method and apparatus for selecting layers for quantization based on sideband information

• US 7,072,520 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Gormish, Michael J., Schwartz, Edward L., Boliek, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERALI, ISHRAT I
• Application Number:
  US09/800,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 382/251, 382232-235, 382239-240, 382244-253, 382298-299, 382/166, 35842601-42616, 709/247, 375/240.03, 37524018-24025, 375/240.11
• US Class Current: 382/251
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/10 using adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/117 Filters, e.g. for pre-processing or post-processing sub-band filter banks H04N19/635
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/126 Details of normalisation or weighting functions, e.g. normalisation matrices or variable uniform quantisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/129 Scanning of coding units, e.g. zig-zag scan of transform coefficients or flexible macroblock ordering [FMO]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/147 according to rate distortion criteria rate-distortion as a criterion for motion estimation H04N19/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/154 Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/34 Scalability techniques involving progressive bit-plane based encoding of the enhancement layer, e.g. fine granular scalability [FGS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/36 Scalability techniques involving formatting the layers as a function of picture distortion after decoding, e.g. signal-to-noise [SNR] scalability
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/426 : using memory downsizing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/45 : performing compensation of the inverse transform mismatch, e.g. Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform [IDCT] mismatch
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 : Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/593 : involving spatial prediction techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/619 : the transform being operated outside the prediction loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/63 : using sub-band based transform, e.g. wavelets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/635 : characterised by filter definition or implementation details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/64 : characterised by ordering of coefficients or of bits for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/645 : by grouping of coefficients into blocks after the transform
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/647 : using significance based coding, e.g. Embedded Zerotrees of Wavelets [EZW] or Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees [SPIHT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 : characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 : using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/86 : involving reduction of coding artifacts, e.g. of blockiness

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting layers for quantization based on sideband information is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a codestream of compressed image data organized in multiple layers. Each of the layers comprises coded data that adds visual value to the image. The method also includes selecting one or more of the layers for quantization based on sideband information accompanying the codestream and decompressing non-quantized layers of the codestream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a codestream of compressed image data organized in a plurality of layers, wherein each of the plurality of layers comprises coded data that adds visual value to the image;

selecting one or more of the layers for quantization based on sideband information accompanying the codestream, wherein the sideband information includes information specifying the quantization that is to be performed, wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on viewing distance so that a first set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for a first viewing distance and a second set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for the second viewing distance, wherein the first set of one or more layers and the first view distance are different than the second set of one or more layers and the second view distance; and

decompressing non-quantized layers of the codestream.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the sideband information is stored in a marker segment of the codestream.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the marker segment comprises a comment marker.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein the comment marker comprises a JPEG 2000 COM marker.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein selecting the one or more layers is based on meeting a target rate.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on resolution so that selecting the one or more layers is based on meeting a target distortion.

11. The decoder defined in claim 6 wherein the quantization logic selects the one or more layers is based on meeting a target rate.

12. The decoder defined in claim 6 wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on resolution so that selecting the one or more layers is based on meeting a target distortion.

19. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the sideband information is stored within an arithmetic coder (AC) termination area.

20. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the sideband information is stored near an end of a packer header.

21. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the sideband information is stored after a previous packet and before beginning of a next tile.

22. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising specifying, using one or more COM markers, a number of bytes for each one of resolution and a rate across an entire image.

23. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising specifying using one or more COM markers a relative number of bytes for each additional layer.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers are predefined with respect to a viewing distance, and wherein the plurality of layers are arranged from a highest frequency and lowest resolution to a lowest frequency and highest resolution manner.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the sideband information further includes a summation of bits across an entire image for a particular layer and at least a portion of previous layers.

7. A decoder comprising:

a memory to store a distortion characteristic;

quantization logic coupled to the memory to quantize a codestream of compressed image data organized in a plurality of layers, wherein each of the plurality of layers comprises coded data that adds visual value to the image, the quantization logic selecting one or more of the plurality of layers for quantization based on sideband information accompanying the codesteam, and wherein the sideband information includes information specifying the quantization that is to be performed, wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on viewing distance so that a first set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for a first viewing distance and a second set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for the second viewing distance, wherein the first set of one or more layers and the first view distance are different than the second set of one or more layers and the second view distance; and

decoding logic coupled to the quantization logic to decompress non-quantized layers of the codestream.

8. The decoder defined in claim 7 wherein the sideband information is stored in a marker segment of the codestream.

9. The decoder defined in claim 8 wherein the marker segment comprises a comment marker.

10. The decoder defined in claim 9 wherein the comment marker comprises a JPEG 2000 COM marker.

13. An article of manufacture comprising at least one recordable media storing executable instructions thereon which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive a codestream of compressed image data organized in a plurality of layers, wherein each of the plurality of plurality of layers comprises coded data that adds visual value to the image;

select one or more of the layers for quantization based on sideband information accompanying the codestrearn, wherein the sideband information includes information specifying the quantization that is to be performed, wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on viewing distance so that a first set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for a first viewing distance and a second set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for the second viewing distance, wherein the first set of one or more layers and the first view distance are different than the second set of one or more layers and the second view distance; and

decompress non-quantized layers of the codestrearn.

14. The article of manufacture defined in claim 13 wherein the sideband information is stored in a marker segment of the codestream.

15. The article of manufacture defined in claim 14 wherein the marker segment comprises a comment marker.

16. The article of manufacture defined in claim 15 wherein the comment marker comprises a JPEG 2000 COM marker.

17. The article of manufacture defined in claim 13 wherein selection of the one or more layers is based on meeting a target rate.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a codestream of compressed image data organized in a plurality of layers, wherein each of the plurality of layers comprises coded data that adds visual value to the image;

means for selecting one or more of the layers for quantization based on sideband information accompanying the codestream, wherein the sideband information includes information specifying the quantization that is to be performed, wherein the plurality of layers are predefined based on viewing distance so that a first set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for a first viewing distance and a second set of one or more layers of the plurality of layers is selected to display an image for the second viewing distance, wherein the first set of one or more layers and the first view distance are different than the second set of one or more layers and the second view distance; and

means for decompressing non-quantized layers of the codestream.