Image storage device and method

• US 7,689,000 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kazama, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rosario; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/509,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

An image storage device according to an example of the invention comprising a first storage unit which stores first image, a second storage unit which stores second image to be determined whether the second image includes detection target data which is the similar to data included in the first image, parallel comparison units which perform a process of comparing pixel values between a frame of the first image and a frame of the second image, and determining, based on a comparison result between the frame of the first image and the frame of the second image, whether the detection target data is included in the second image in parallel, and a third storage unit which stores, when it is determined that the detection target data is included in the second image, the detection target data.

Claims

1. An image storage device comprising:

a first storage unit which stores first image data;

a second storage unit which stores second image data to be determined whether the second image data includes detection target data which is the same as or similar to data included in the first image data;

a plurality of parallel comparison units which perform a process of comparing at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between a frame image of the first image data and a frame image of the second image data in parallel, and determining, based on a comparison result between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data, whether the detection target data is included in the second image data; and

a third storage unit which stores, when it is determined that the detection target data is included in the second image data, the detection target data or data obtained by encoding the detection target data.

2. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage unit stores first sound data for the first image data,

the second storage unit stores second sound data for the second image data,

the plurality of parallel comparison units compare the first sound data with the second sound data and determine in parallel, based on the comparison result between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and a comparison result between the first sound data and the second sound data, whether the detection target data is included in the second image data, and

the third storage unit stores, when it is determined that the detection target data is included in the second image data, sound data for the detection target data or data obtained by encoding the sound data for the detection target data.

3. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel value total results are at least one of a color histogram and a brightness histogram.

4. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel comparison units are a plurality of processors included in a multiple processor.

5. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the first image data and the second image data are video image data or encoded data of a video image,

the detection target data is replay data,

the first storage unit sequentially stores the first image data,

the second storage unit sequentially stores the second image data,

the plurality of parallel comparison units perform a process of receiving from the second storage unit image data which is a replay determination target, receiving from the first storage unit image data of an arbitrary time, and comparing the image data which is the replay determination target with the image data of the arbitrary time, and determining, based on a comparison result, whether an image similarity between the image data which is the determination target and the image data of the arbitrary time is greater than or equal to a predetermined level in parallel,

the image storage device further comprises:

a control unit which controls to provide the image data of the arbitrary time stored in the first storage unit to the plurality of parallel comparison units and detects a replay sequence based on a result determined by the plurality of parallel comparison units that the image similarity is greater than or equal to the predetermined level; and

an encoding unit which performs an encoding process on the replay data which is image data of the replay sequence detected by the control unit, and

the third storage unit stores the replay data encoded by the encoding unit.

6. The image storage device according to claim 5, wherein

the first storage unit sequentially stores sound data for the first image data,

the second storage unit sequentially stores sound data for the second image data,

the plurality of parallel comparison units perform a process of receiving from the second storage unit first sound data for the image data which is the replay determination target, receiving from the first storage unit second sound data for the image data of the arbitrary time, comparing the first sound data with the second sound data, and determining whether a sound similarity between the first sound data and the second sound data is lower than or equal to a predetermined level in parallel,

the control unit controls to provide the first sound data stored in the first storage unit to the plurality of parallel comparison units and detects, when it is determined by the plurality of parallel comparison units that the image similarity is greater than or equal to the predetermined level and the sound similarity is lower than or equal to the predetermined level, a replay sequence based on a determination result by the plurality of parallel comparison units,

the encoding unit performs an encoding process on sound data for the replay data detected by the control unit, and

the third storage unit stores the replay data and the sound data which are encoded by the encoding unit.

7. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage unit includes a plurality of fourth storage units,

one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores some frame images of the first image data,

other one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores other frame images of the first image data, and

the plurality of parallel comparison units compare at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between the some frame images of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and between the other frame images of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data in parallel.

8. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage unit includes a plurality of fourth storage units,

one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores the first image data,

other one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores speed changed data obtained by changing a replay speed of the first image data, and

the plurality of parallel comparison units compare at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and between the speed changed data and the frame image of the second image data in parallel.

9. The image storage device according to claim 8, further comprising a speed changing unit which generates the speed changed data by inserting in the first image data a number of frame images according to a changed replay speed.

10. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of parallel comparison units compares the frame image of the first image data or a region of the frame image of the first image data with a region of the frame image of the second image data.

11. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel comparison units compress an amount of information on the first image data and the second image data and then compare the first image data whose amount of information is compressed with the second image data whose amount of information is compressed.

12. The image storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a counter unit which counts the number of times a determination is made that the detection target data is included in the second image data.

13. The image storage device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects commercial data based on a time length of the detection target data.

14. An image storage method comprising:

storing a first image data in a first storage unit and storing in a second storage unit second image data to be determined whether the second image data includes detection target data which is the same as or similar to data included in the first image data;

performing in parallel, by a plurality of parallel comparison units, a process of comparing at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between a frame image of the first image data and a frame image of the second image data, and determining, based on a comparison result between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data, whether the detection target data is included in the second image data; and

storing, when it is determined that the detection target data is included in the second image data, the detection target data or data obtained by encoding the detection target data, in a third storage unit.

15. The image storage method according to claim 14, wherein

the first storage unit stores first sound data for the first image data,

the second storage unit stores second sound data for the second image data,

the plurality of parallel comparison units perform a process of comparing the first sound data with the second sound data and determining, based on the comparison result between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and a comparison result between the first sound data and the second sound data, whether the detection target data is included in the second image data in parallel, and

the third storage unit stores, when it is determined that the detection target data is included in the second image data, sound data for the detection target data or data obtained by encoding the sound data for the detection target data.

16. The image storage method according to claim 14, wherein

the first storage unit includes a plurality of fourth storage units,

one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores some frame images of the first image data,

other one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores other frame images of the first image data, and

the plurality of parallel comparison units compare at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between the some frame images of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and between the other frame images of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data in parallel.

17. The image storage method according to claim 14, wherein

the first storage unit includes a plurality of fourth storage units,

one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores the first image data,

other one of the plurality of fourth storage units stores speed changed data obtained by changing a replay speed of the first image data, and

the plurality of parallel comparison units compare at least one of pixel values and pixel value total results between the frame image of the first image data and the frame image of the second image data and between the speed changed data and the frame image of the second image data in parallel.

18. The image storage method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of parallel comparison units compares the frame image of the first image data or a region of the frame image of the first image data with a region of the frame image of the second image data.

19. The image storage method according to claim 14, further comprising:

compressing an amount of information on the first image data and the second image data and then comparing, by the plurality of parallel comparison units, the first image data whose amount of information is compressed with the second image data whose amount of information is compressed.

20. The image storage method according to claim 14, further comprising:

counting, by a counter unit, the number of times a determination is made that the detection target data is included in the second image data.