Patent US6282322B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6282322B1
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System and method for compressing and decompressing images
Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC
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Filing: 1998-12-03
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Granted: 2001-08-28
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Expires: 2018-12-03
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to systems and methods for increasing image compression. The systems and methods are improvements applicable to encoder/decoders which compress images by, inter alia, transforming non-overlapping independent blocks of pixels into a frequency domain and then quantizing the resulting frequency domain coefficients. The invention achieves increased compression by predicting low frequency coefficients of a block from, preferably, the average intensities, or zero frequency coefficients, of the block and its adjacent blocks. In an encoder, the low frequency coefficients are predicted, are then subtracted from the actual transform coefficients, and the difference coefficients are transmitted to a decoder. In the decoder, the low frequency coefficients are again predicted, are added to the received difference coefficients, and the resulting actual transform coefficients are used to reconstruct an image.
Inventors
- 👤 Albert E. Rackett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T9/00; H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/169; H04N19/18; H04N19/102; H04N19/103; H04N19/105; H04N19/50; H04N19/593; H04N19/60; H04N19/61
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
309 words
A method for compressing an image presented as image data in the form of a pixel array comprising: transforming a plurality of pixel blocks to transform coefficients in a frequency domain, wherein the pixel blocks are rectangular, non-overlapping, and the plurality of pixel blocks covers the pixel array, and wherein the transform coefficients represent each pixel block and include a zero frequency transform coefficient, one or more selected low frequency transform coefficients, and remaining transform coefficients, predicting for each pixel block the selected low frequency transform coefficients from a linear combination of the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and of the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, subtracting for each pixel block the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients from the selected low frequency transform coefficients to form difference transform coefficients, quantizing for each pixel block the difference coefficients and the remaining transform coefficients, and representing the image by compressed image data comprising the zero frequency transform coefficient, the quantized difference coefficients, and the quantized remaining coefficients for each of the plurality of pixel blocks; wherein said step of predicting for each pixel block further comprises: determining an interpolating pixel array having interpolating pixel values linearly interpolating differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, transforming the interpolating pixel array to transform coefficients in the frequency domain, and selecting the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as the corresponding transform coefficients of the interpolating pixel array; wherein said step of selecting selects the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as those transform coefficients present in an upper left square sub-array of size three-by-three of the transformed interpolating pixel array, excluding the zero frequency transform coefficient of the transformed interpolating pixel array.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
309 words
A method for compressing an image presented as image data in the form of a pixel array comprising: transforming a plurality of pixel blocks to transform coefficients in a frequency domain, wherein the pixel blocks are rectangular, non-overlapping, and the plurality of pixel blocks covers the pixel array, and wherein the transform coefficients represent each pixel block and include a zero frequency transform coefficient, one or more selected low frequency transform coefficients, and remaining transform coefficients, predicting for each pixel block the selected low frequency transform coefficients from a linear combination of the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and of the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, subtracting for each pixel block the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients from the selected low frequency transform coefficients to form difference transform coefficients, quantizing for each pixel block the difference coefficients and the remaining transform coefficients, and representing the image by compressed image data comprising the zero frequency transform coefficient, the quantized difference coefficients, and the quantized remaining coefficients for each of the plurality of pixel blocks; wherein said step of predicting for each pixel block further comprises: determining an interpolating pixel array having interpolating pixel values linearly interpolating differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, transforming the interpolating pixel array to transform coefficients in the frequency domain, and selecting the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as the corresponding transform coefficients of the interpolating pixel array; wherein said step of selecting selects the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as those transform coefficients present in an upper left square sub-array of size three-by-three of the transformed interpolating pixel array, excluding the zero frequency transform coefficient of the transformed interpolating pixel array.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
396 words
A method for compressing an image presented as image data in the form of a pixel array comprising: transforming a plurality of pixel blocks to transform coefficients in a frequency domain, wherein the pixel blocks are rectangular, non-overlapping, and the plurality of pixel blocks covers the pixel array, and wherein the transform coefficients represent each pixel block and include a zero frequency transform coefficient, one or more selected low frequency transform coefficients, and remaining transform coefficients, predicting for each pixel block the selected low frequency transform coefficients from a linear combination of the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and of the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, subtracting for each pixel block the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients from the selected low frequency transform coefficients to form difference transform coefficients, quantizing for each pixel block the difference coefficients and the remaining transform coefficients, and representing the image by compressed image data comprising the zero frequency transform coefficient, the quantized difference coefficients, and the quantized remaining coefficients for each of the plurality of pixel blocks; wherein said step of predicting for each pixel block further comprises: determining an interpolating pixel array having interpolating pixel values linearly interpolating differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, transforming the interpolating pixel array to transform coefficients in the frequency domain, and selecting the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as the corresponding transform coefficients of the interpolating pixel array; wherein the pixel values of the interpolating pixel array are weighted sums of differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficient of each pixel block orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, and wherein the pixel values are linearly interpolated in a dimension-independent manner; wherein the interpolating pixel array is a square array, and wherein the weights of the weighted sum are chosen such that a first zero frequency transform coefficient difference at one boundary of the pixel block and a second zero frequency transform coefficient difference at the opposite boundary that is of equal magnitude and opposite sign to the first zero frequency transform coefficient difference results in a linear gradient of interpolating pixel values between the boundaries in the interpolating pixel array.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
396 words
A method for compressing an image presented as image data in the form of a pixel array comprising: transforming a plurality of pixel blocks to transform coefficients in a frequency domain, wherein the pixel blocks are rectangular, non-overlapping, and the plurality of pixel blocks covers the pixel array, and wherein the transform coefficients represent each pixel block and include a zero frequency transform coefficient, one or more selected low frequency transform coefficients, and remaining transform coefficients, predicting for each pixel block the selected low frequency transform coefficients from a linear combination of the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and of the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, subtracting for each pixel block the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients from the selected low frequency transform coefficients to form difference transform coefficients, quantizing for each pixel block the difference coefficients and the remaining transform coefficients, and representing the image by compressed image data comprising the zero frequency transform coefficient, the quantized difference coefficients, and the quantized remaining coefficients for each of the plurality of pixel blocks; wherein said step of predicting for each pixel block further comprises: determining an interpolating pixel array having interpolating pixel values linearly interpolating differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficients of pixel blocks orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, transforming the interpolating pixel array to transform coefficients in the frequency domain, and selecting the predicted selected low frequency transform coefficients as the corresponding transform coefficients of the interpolating pixel array; wherein the pixel values of the interpolating pixel array are weighted sums of differences between the zero frequency transform coefficient of the pixel block and the zero frequency transform coefficient of each pixel block orthogonally adjacent to the pixel block, and wherein the pixel values are linearly interpolated in a dimension-independent manner; wherein the interpolating pixel array is a square array, and wherein the weights of the weighted sum are chosen such that a first zero frequency transform coefficient difference at one boundary of the pixel block and a second zero frequency transform coefficient difference at the opposite boundary that is of equal magnitude and opposite sign to the first zero frequency transform coefficient difference results in a linear gradient of interpolating pixel values between the boundaries in the interpolating pixel array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the interpolating pixel array is four pixels on a side, and wherein the weights are +3, −1, −2, and 0.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the interpolating pixel array is array eight pixels on a side, and wherein the weights are +4, +2, 0, −1, −2, −2, −1, and 0.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-27 | 2005-02-26 | 2005-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-27 | 2009-02-26 | 2009-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-27 | 2013-02-26 | 2013-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |