Image file container

• US 7,480,382 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Crow, William M., Dunbar, Geoffrey T., Ternasky, Joseph D., Debique, Kirt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lemma; Samson B
• Application Number:
  US10/674,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 380/200, 380/217, 380/201, 380/214, 713/165, 713/160, 713/164, 705/51, 705/57
• US Class Current: 380/217
• 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 storage medium encoded with a data structure for use in an image file to store data, the data structure comprising:

a data portion comprising;

first still image data related to a first multimedia stream of multimedia data, wherein the first still image data represents at least a first pixel format;

first arbitrary data related to a second multimedia stream of multimedia data, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises second still image data, and wherein the second image data represents at least a second pixel format; and

a header portion comprising;

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, wherein the first and second image data provide different representations of a single image.

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

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first still image data and the second still image data comprise compressed and uncompressed image data, respectively.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first still image data is derived from a first camera setting and the second still image data is derived from a second camera setting.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second still 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 first still image data is further derived using a first color space and second still image data is further derived from a second color space.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first still image data is further derived using a first color context and second still image data is further derived from a second color context.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first still image data further represents the single image having a first field of view, and the second still image data further represents the single image having a second field of view.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first still image data comprises raw image sensor data.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream includes data representing an annotation of an image represented by the first still image data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises audio data.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second multimedia stream comprises an executable component.

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

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

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises metadata.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises an index portion to contain information related to a location of data stored in the data portion.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein data stored in the data portion is encrypted.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the header portion further comprises digital rights management information.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to obtaining a license to access the first still image data.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to obtaining a license to verify the authenticity of the first still image data.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the multimedia data structure is compatible with advanced systems format (ASF).

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

70. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the camera settings comprise exposure settings.

71. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the camera settings comprise white balance settings.

23. A method for forming an image container file for storing data associated with one or more multimedia streams, comprising:

collecting still image data;

forming a first multimedia stream in the image container file, the first multimedia stream including a first still image data derived from the collected image data and a first header object having information related to the first still image data, wherein the first still image data represents at least a first pixel format;

collecting arbitrary data associated with the collected image 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˜

wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second image data where the second image data represents at least a second pixel format, and a second header object having information related to the first arbitrary data, wherein the first and second image data provide different representations of a single image.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second still image data comprise compressed and uncompressed image data, respectively.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first still image data is derived from a first camera setting and the second still image data is derived from a second camera setting.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first still image data further represents the single image having a first pixel resolution, and the second still image data further represents the single image having a second pixel resolution different from the first pixel resolution.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the the second still image data represents the single image having a second pixel format different from the first pixel format.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first still image data is further derived using a first color space and second still image data is further derived from a second color space.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the first still image data is further derived using a first color context and second still image data is further derived from a second color context.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the first still image data comprises raw image sensor data.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises data representing an annotation of an image represented by the first still image data.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises audio, video, graphics, text, date and time, location, web links, or animation data.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises an executable component.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second still image data, wherein data from the first still image data and data from the second still image data to be combined to represent an image that is larger than individual images represented by the first and second still image data.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein the first arbitrary data comprises second still image data, wherein data from the first still image data and data from the second still image data to be combined to represent an image that is of higher quality than individual images represented by the first and second still image data.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising adding metadata to the image container file.

37. The method of claim 23, further comprising forming an index portion to contain information related to a location of data stored in the image container file.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing digital rights management information in the image container file.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to obtaining a license to access the first still image data.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to verifying the authenticity the first still image data.

41. The method of claim 23, wherein the image file container contains encrypted data.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein the multimedia data structure is compatible with advanced systems format (ASF).

43. The method of claim 23, 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.

72. The method of claim 25, wherein the camera settings comprise exposure settings.

73. The method of claim 25, wherein the camera settings comprise white balance settings.

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

an image data receiver; and

an image file generator to form an image container file to store image data, the 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 still image data derived from image data received by the image data receiver, the second multimedia stream to include arbitrary data, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second still image data, the first and second still image data providing different representations of a single image.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the arbitrary data comprises data representing an annotation of an image represented by the first still image data.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the arbitrary data comprises audio, video, graphics, text, date and time, location, web links, or animation data.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the arbitrary data comprises an executable component.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second still image data, wherein data from the first still image data and data from the second still image data to be combined to represent an image that is larger than individual images represented by the first and second still image data.

49. The system of claim 44, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second still image data, wherein data from the first still image data and data from the second still image data to be combined to represent an image that is of higher quality than individual images represented by the first and second still image data.

50. The system of claim 44, wherein the image file generator is further to add metadata to the image container file.

51. The system of claim 44, wherein the image file generator is further to add index information related to locations of first still image data and the first arbitrary data within the image container file.

52. The system of claim 44, wherein the image container file contains encrypted data.

53. The system of claim 44, wherein the image file generator is further to store digital rights management information in the image container file.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to obtaining a license to access the first still image data.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to verifying the authenticity of the first still image data.

56. The system of claim 44, wherein the image container file can be accessed using a multimedia viewer.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the multimedia viewer comprises a viewer than can view advanced systems format (ASF) files.

58. A computer-readable medium having components as recited in claim 44.

59. A system comprising:

means for collecting image data; and

means for generating an image container file to store image data, the image container file including 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 includes first still image data derived from image data received by the image data receiver, the second multimedia stream includes arbitrary data, wherein the arbitrary data comprises second still image data, the first and second still image data providing different representations of a single image.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the arbitrary data comprises data representing an annotation of an image represented by the first still image data.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the arbitrary data comprises audio, video, graphics, text, date and time, location, web links, or animation data.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the means for generating selectively encrypts data contained in the image container file.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein the arbitrary data comprises an executable component.

64. The system of claim 59, wherein the means for generating includes means for adding metadata to the image container file.

65. The system of claim 59, wherein the means for generating includes means for storing index information related to locations of the first still image data and the first arbitrary data within the image container file.

66. The system of claim 59, further comprising means for storing digital rights management information in the image container file.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to obtaining a license to access the first still image data.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein the digital rights management information contains information related to verifying the authenticity of the first still image data.

69. A computer-readable medium having components as recited in claim 59.