Method and apparatus to provide efficient multimedia content storage

• US 7,805,024 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar; Anand
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES, JOSE
• Application Number:
  US10/839,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 382/236, 382/239, 382/305, 348/231.2, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/231.5
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4177 encoding document change data, e.g. form drop out data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a device, that includes a programmed data processor, to process image data. The method includes, for a plurality n of files each containing image data representing one of n images, selecting one file as a base file; selecting as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related file to the base file; comparing the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween; and storing the target file as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file. An image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location, and/or on an image capture time, or based on a user input. Storing can be performed in a memory device that is a part of a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone or a personal communicator that includes a digital camera, such as a camera phone.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting one file of a plurality of image data files, each image data file containing image data representing an image, as a base file;

selecting as a target file an image data file that is a contextually-related file to the base file using supplemental information other than image content;

comparing the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween, wherein comparing the target file comprises comparing the image data in the target file and image data in the base file on a block-by-block basis, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of pixels, and determining mismatches between selected blocks in the target file and selected blocks in the base file, the determining using a cost function calculated using a reduced number of pixel locations in the selected blocks relative to an exhaustive search that uses all pixel locations in the selected blocks; and

storing the target file as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file.

2. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

3. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

4. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on a user input.

5. A method as in claim 1, where an image data file is selected as being contextually-related to the base file based on information received from an image capture device other than an image capture device that generated the image data file.

6. A method as in claim 1, where storing is performed in a memory device that comprises a part of a wireless communications device.

7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising transmitting the reduced file to a destination using a wireless link.

8. A method as in claim 7, where the wireless link comprises a short range radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) communications link.

9. A method as in claim 1, where comparing comprises:

partitioning the target file into non-overlapping blocks of pixels;

for each block in the target file, finding a best matching block in the base file;

representing a block in the target file using a relative location of the best matching block in the base file and as a difference between the blocks; and

encoding the difference between the blocks.

10. An electronic device comprising at least one data processor coupled to at least one memory for storing a program and a plurality of image data files each containing image data representing an image, said data processor operating under control of the stored program to cause the portable electronic device to select one of the plurality of image data files as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is a contextually-related file to the base file using supplemental information other than image content;

to compare the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store the target file in the image memory as a reduced file that is a representation of differences between the image data of the target file and the image data of the base file, wherein the at least one data processor is further operable to cause the portable electronic device, when comparing the target file, to compare the image data in the target file and image data in the base file on a block-by-block basis, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of pixels, and to determine mismatches between selected blocks in the target file and selected blocks in the base file, the determination using a cost function calculated using a reduced number of pixel locations in the selected blocks relative to an exhaustive search that uses all pixel locations in the selected blocks.

11. A device as in claim 10, where said at least one data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

12. A device as in claim 10, where said at least one data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

13. A device as in claim 10, where said at least one data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least a user input.

14. A device as in claim 10, where said at least one data processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least information received from an image capture device other than an image capture device that generated the image data file.

15. A device as in claim 10, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the reduced file to a destination using a wireless link.

16. A device as in claim 15, where the wireless link comprises a short range radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) communications link.

17. A device as in claim 10, where said at least one data processor operates, when comparing the target file and the base file, to cause the portable electronic device to partition the target file into non-overlapping blocks of pixels;

to find a best matching block in the base file for each block in the target file;

to represent a block in the target file using a relative location of the best matching block in the base file and as a difference between the blocks and to encode the difference between the blocks.

18. A device as in claim 10, wherein a selected one of the at least one memories stores the plurality of image data files, and wherein the selected memory is detachable from said device.

19. A camera phone, comprising:

a digital image capture device coupled to an image storage memory configured to store a plurality of image data files, each containing image data representing an image; and

at least one processor coupled to said image storage memory and operable to perform context-based image compression;

to select an image data file as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related to the base file using supplemental information other than image content;

to process the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store a processed target file in the image storage memory as a file of smaller size than the size of the target file, wherein the at least one processor is further operable, when comparing the target file, to compare the image data in the target file and image data in the base file on a block-by-block basis, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of pixels, and to determine mismatches between selected blocks in the target file and selected blocks in the base file, the determination using a cost function calculated using a reduced number of pixel locations in the selected blocks relative to an exhaustive search that uses all pixel locations in the selected blocks.

20. A camera phone as in claim 19, where said image storage memory is detachable from said camera phone.

21. A camera phone as in claim 19, where said at least one processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

22. A camera phone as in claim 21, where the image capture location is determined by the camera phone.

23. A camera phone as in claim 21, further comprising a transceiver, and where the image capture location is determined external to said camera phone and is transmitted to said camera phone through said transceiver.

24. A camera phone as in claim 21, where the image capture location comprises an azimuthal pointing direction of said digital image capture device.

25. A camera phone as in claim 21, where the image capture location comprises an elevation angle of a pointing direction of said digital image capture device.

26. A camera phone as in claim 19, where said at least one processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture time.

27. A camera phone as in claim 19, where said at least one processor selects an image data file to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least a user input.

28. A camera phone as in claim 19, where said at least one processor selects an image data tile to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least information received from another camera phone.

29. A camera phone as in claim 19, further comprising a transceiver, and where said processed target file is transmitted from said camera phone through said transceiver.

30. A camera phone as in claim 29, further comprising a transceiver, and where said transceiver comprises one of a short range radio frequency or infrared communications transceiver.

31. A camera phone as in claim 19, further comprising a program, and where the image processor operates under control of the program.

32. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with said computer program and configured to perform operation on a portable electronic device and where the computer program further comprises computer-executable instructions responsive to a plurality of image data files, each containing image data representing an image, to select an image data file as a base file;

to select as a target file an image data file that is contextually-related to the base file using supplemental information other than image content;

to process the target file and the base file to determine differences therebetween and to store a processed target file as a file of smaller size than the size of the target file, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further responsive to the image data files, when comparing the target file, to compare the image data in the target file and image data in the base file on a block-by-block basis, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of pixels, and to determine mismatches between selected blocks in the target file and selected blocks in the base file, the determination using a cost function calculated using a reduced number of pixel locations in the selected blocks relative to an exhaustive search that uses all pixel locations in the selected blocks.

33. A computer program as in claim 32, where an image data file is selected to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least an image capture location.

34. A computer program as in claim 33, where the image capture location comprises an azimuthal pointing direction of an image capture device.

35. A computer program as in claim 33, where the image capture location comprises an elevation angle of a pointing direction of an image capture device.

36. A computer program as in claim 32, where an image data file is selected to be contextually-related to the base file based on at least one of an image capture time or a user input.

37. A computer program as in claim 32, where said computer program is executed by a data processor that comprises a part of a wireless communications device that includes a digital image capture device.