Image adaptation with target size, quality and resolution constraints

• US 8,073,275 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mobixell Networks Incorporated (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shatz, Amir, Hougui, Yair, Raudnitz, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar, Anand
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOOM, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US11/815,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,130 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/232, 382/239, 382/244, 382251-253, 382/305, 709/221, 709230-231, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/513
• US Class Current: 382/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33307 prior to start of transmission, input or output of the picture signal only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33353 according to the available bandwidth used for a single communication, e.g. the number of ISDN channels used
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33376 according to characteristics or state of one of the communicating parties, e.g. available memory capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40068 Modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions H04N1/3935 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• 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 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33321 Image or page size, e.g. A3, A4
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33357 Compression mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for image adaptation includes accepting a digitally-represented input image and a target size requirement. The input image is modified by optimally determining at least one of a resolution of the input image and a quality of the input image, the quality defining an amount of information allocated to represent each pixel value of the input image, so as to produce a compressed output image meeting the target size requirement.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for image adaptation, comprising:

accepting a digitally-represented input image;

accepting a target size requirement; and

modifying the input image by reducing at least one of a resolution of the input image and a quality of the input image, the quality defining an amount of information allocated to represent each pixel value of the input image, so as to produce a compressed output image meeting the target size requirement,

wherein accepting the input image comprises accepting a minimum tolerable quality requirement, and wherein modifying the input image comprises reducing the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement, and reducing the resolution of the input image only when reducing the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement does not meet the target size requirement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein accepting the input image comprises accepting the input image at a media adaptation server in a communication system, wherein the target size requirement relates to at least one of a capability of a destination terminal in the communication system to which the input image is addressed and a network limitation of the communication system, wherein modifying the input image comprises producing the compressed output image so as to match the capability, and comprising transmitting the compressed output image to the destination terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input image conforms to an input image file format, and wherein modifying the input image comprises producing the compressed output image conforming to an output image file format different from the input image file format.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input image conforms to an input image file format wherein accepting the input image comprises accepting a desired output image file format, wherein modifying the input image comprises decoding the input image responsively to the image file format to produce a raw true-color image, and converting the raw true-color image to the compressed output image having the output image file format.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the desired output image format comprises a paletted image file format, and wherein reducing the quality of the input image comprises determining a palette size of an output color palette of the compressed output image causing the compressed output image to meet the target size requirement.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining the palette size comprises defining a plurality of possible palette sizes and iteratively searching over the plurality for an optimal palette size having a highest number of colors from among the plurality while meeting the target size requirement.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein defining the plurality of the possible palette sizes comprises arranging the possible palette sizes in a binary search tree, and wherein searching over the plurality comprises traversing the binary search tree so as to reduce a number of search iterations.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image file format, and wherein reducing the quality of the input image comprises determining an optimal JPEG quality factor value for encoding the compressed output image while meeting the target size requirement.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining the optimal quality factor value comprises iteratively narrowing a search interval of quality factor values in search of a quality factor value satisfying a predetermined convergence condition related to the target size requirement.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein iteratively narrowing the search interval comprises detecting a forced abort condition before determining the optimal quality factor value, and aborting the method responsively to the detected condition.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein reducing the quality of the input image comprises determining a quantization table responsively to the optimal quality factor value and producing the output image encoded using the determined quantization table.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a bitmap image format, and wherein reducing the quality of the input image comprises determining a number of bits used to encode each pixel value of the output image.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a paletted image file format, and wherein reducing the resolution of the input image comprises converting the input image to a raw true-color image, reducing the resolution of the raw true-color image to produce a resized image, and encoding the resized image in accordance with the paletted image file format to produce the compressed output image.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein reducing the resolution of the input image comprises iteratively searching over a range of allowed resolution values for a highest resolution value meeting the target size requirement.

15. Apparatus for image adaptation, comprising:

an interface, which is arranged to accept a digitally-represented input image and a target size requirement; and

a processor, which is arranged to modify the input image by reducing at least one of a resolution of the input image and a quality of the input image, the quality defining an amount of information allocated to represent each pixel value of the input image, so as to produce a compressed output image meeting the target size requirement,

wherein the interface is arranged to accept a minimum tolerable quality requirement, and wherein the processor is arranged to reduce the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement, and to reduce the resolution of the input image only when reducing the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement does not meet the target size requirement.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the interface is arranged to accept the input image from a communication system, wherein the target size requirement relates to at least one of a capability of a destination terminal in the communication system to which the input image is addressed and a network limitation of the communication system, wherein the processor is arranged to produce the compressed output image so as to match the capability, and to send the compressed output image via the interface to the communication system in order to transmit the compressed output image to the destination terminal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the input image conforms to an input image file format, and wherein the processor is arranged to produce the compressed output image conforming to an output image file format different from the input image format.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the input image conforms to an input image file format, and wherein the processor is arranged to accept a desired output image file format, to decode the input image responsively to the input image file format to produce a raw true-color image, and to convert the raw true-color image to the compressed output image having the output image file format.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a paletted image file format, and wherein the processor is arranged to determine a palette size of an output color palette of the compressed output image so causing the compressed output image to meet the target size requirement.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processor is arranged to define a plurality of possible palette sizes and to iteratively search over the plurality for an optimal palette size having a highest number of colors from among the plurality while meeting the target size requirement.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is arranged to arrange the possible palette sizes in a binary search tree and to traverse the binary search tree so as to reduce a number of search iterations.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image file format) and wherein the processor is arranged to determine an optimal JPEG quality factor value for encoding the compressed output image while meeting the target size requirement.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the processor is arranged to determine the optimal quality factor value by iteratively narrowing a search interval of quality factor values in search of a quality factor value satisfying a predetermined convergence condition related to the target size requirement.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the processor is arranged to detect a forced abort condition before determining the optimal quality factor value, and to abort determining the optimal quality factor value responsively to the detected condition.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the processor is arranged to determine a quantization table responsively to the optimal quality factor value and to produce the output image encoded using the determined quantization table.

26. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a bitmap image format, and wherein the processor is arranged to reduce the quality of the input image by determining a number of bits used to encode each pixel value of the compressed output image.

27. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the desired output image file format comprises a paletted image file format, and wherein the processor is arranged to reduce the resolution of the input image by converting the input image to a raw true-color image, reducing the resolution of the raw true-color image to produce a resized image, and encoding the resized image in accordance with the desired output image file format to produce the compressed output image.

28. The method according to claim 15, wherein the processor is arranged to reduce the resolution of the input image by iteratively searching over a range of allowed resolution values for a highest resolution value meeting the target size requirement.

29. A communication system, comprising:

one or more communication terminals, which are arranged to accept and display digitally-represented images; and

a media adaptation server, which is arranged to accept a digitally-represented input image addressed to a destination terminal selected from the one or more communication terminals, to accept a target size requirement, to modify the input image by reducing at least one of a resolution of the input image and a quality of the input image, the quality defining an amount of information allocated to represent each pixel value of the input image, so as to produce a compressed output image meeting the target size requirement, and to send the compressed output image to the destination terminal,

wherein the media adaptation server is arranged to accept a minimum tolerable quality requirement, to reduce the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement, and to reduce the resolution of the input image only when reducing the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement does not meet the target size requirement.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the media adaptation server comprises a terminal profile database holding image-handling capability profiles of respective terminal types, and wherein the media adaptation server is arranged to retrieve at least one of the target size requirement and a maximum resolution requirement from a capability profile of a terminal type to which the destination terminal belongs.

31. A computer software product for image adaptation, the product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to accept a digitally-represented input image and a target size requirement, and to modify the input image by reducing at least one of a resolution of the input image and a quality of the input image, the quality defining an amount of information allocated to represent each pixel value of the image, so as to produce a compressed output image meeting the target size requirement,

wherein the instructions cause the computer to accept a minimum tolerable quality requirement, to reduce the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement, and to reduce the resolution of the input image only when reducing the quality of the input image while meeting the minimum tolerable quality requirement does not meet the target size requirement.