Image analysis – Image compression or coding – Interframe coding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-04
2002-02-26
Couso, Jose L. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Image compression or coding
Interframe coding
Reexamination Certificate
active
06351565
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to data structures for image transmission, methods of image transmission, image decoding apparatus, and data recording media. More particularly, the invention relates to a data structure of a coded image signal which corresponds to each of objects constituting a moving picture and includes locational information of data relating to the object, a method of transforming an image signal of each object into a coded image signal having the data structure and transmitting the image signal, an apparatus for decoding a coded image signal of the data structure, and a data recording medium which contains a program for performing the image transmission method or a program for performing image processing by the image decoding apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to store or transmit digital image information with high efficiency, it is necessary to compressively encode the digital image information. As a typical method of compressive coding of digital image information, there is discrete cosine transformation (DCT) represented by JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). Besides the DCT, there are waveform coding methods such as sub-band coding, wavelet coding, and fractal coding.
Further, in order to eliminate redundant image information between images, such as adjacent frames, inter-frame prediction using motion compensation is carried out. In this method, a pixel value of a pixel in the present frame is represented by a difference between this pixel value and a pixel value of a pixel in the previous frame, and this difference signal is subjected to waveform coding.
A method or compressively coding and transmitting an image signal in objects units has recently been put to practical use. To be specific, plural objects constituting a frame are individually subjected to compressive coded and transmitted so that reproduction of the image signal can be carried out in regions corresponding to the respective objects.
In this method, on the reproduction end, coded image signals corresponding to the respective objects are decoded, and the decoded images of the respective objects are synthesized to display an image corresponding to one frame. This object-by-object coding enables the user to freely combine images of objects to be displayed, whereby edition of a moving picture is facilitated.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned, it is possible to display a moving picture without reproducing images of relatively unimportant objects, according to the busyness of transmission line, the performance of reproduction apparatus, and the tastes of viewer.
Moreover, in the above-mentioned method, scalability in objects units, i.e., a hierarchical processing, is realized. In the hierarchical processing, image signals corresponding to plural hierarchies and having different resolutions are used as image signals corresponding to the respective objects, and coding or decoding of an image signal of each hierarchy is carried out using an image signal of another hierarchy.
In recent years, an image supply system that enables the user to access moving pictures through computer network, has been spread.
FIG. 9
is a schematic diagram for explaining such an image supply system.
In an image supply system
700
shown in
FIG. 9
, a plurality of networks
701
,
702
and
703
are connected to each other, and a plurality of servers
705
,
706
and
707
for supplying image information are connected to the networks
701
,
702
and
703
, respectively. Further, a plurality of terminal units for receiving and reproducing images (hereinafter referred to simply as “terminal units”) are connected to the respective networks
701
~
703
. To simplify the description, only a terminal unit
704
connected to the network
701
is shown in FIG.
9
.
In the image supply system so constructed, when the terminal unit
704
is supplied with image information from the server
705
, initially, the terminal unit
704
contacts the server
705
and forms a line connecting the terminal unit
704
with the server
705
. Thereafter, the terminal unit
704
receives image data of a predetermined program supplied from the server
705
, and reproduces the image data by decoding.
Further, in order to make the terminal unit
704
able to receive data relating to the received image data, i.e., the program (hereinafter referred to as relevant data), locational information showing resource locations of the relevant data is described in a text file corresponding to an image file in which the image data is described. The text file and the image file have different formats. Accordingly, the user can obtain the relevant data of the program received by the terminal unit according to the locational information described in the text file.
For example, Internet, being an image supply system as mentioned above, employs Hypertext files. Described in the text files are character groups and locational information showing resource locations of other data relating to the character groups (relevant data). When the user selects a specific character group, data relating to the selected character group is supplied from a prescribed server. That is, these character groups are linked to other documents, such as text file, program file, and graphic file.
In the current Internet, with respect to moving pictures, locational information of data relating to a moving picture is described in a Hypertext file corresponding to the moving picture, thereby to specify where the moving picture is linked.
Hereinafter, a detailed description is given using FIGS.
10
(
a
)-
10
(
c
).
A plurality of information sources are connected to the current Internet serving as an information supply system. Each information source contains, as Hypertext files, home pages relating to various kinds of subjects. Now it is assumed that the terminal unit
704
is connected to an information source having a home page (HP) whose title is “World of Dinosaurs” and this home page HP (Hypertext file screen HTs) is displayed on a display of the terminal unit
704
.
In this home page HP, as shown in FIG.
10
(
a
), items of moving pictures relating to dinosaurs are represented by character groups “scene
1
”~“scene
3
”. With respect to objects constituting a moving picture of each item, for example, “scene
1
”, relevant data relating to objects ob
1
and ob
2
are represented by character groups “object
1
” and “object
2
”, respectively. The display areas of these character groups are moving picture specifying areas D
1
~D
3
and relevant data specifying area D
11
and D
12
.
The displayed content of this home page HP is described in a Hypertext file Hf corresponding to the home page. To be specific, as shown in FIG.
10
(
b
), character groups “scene
1
” ml~“scene
3
” m
3
and location data b
1
~b
3
showing the locations of moving pictures data corresponding to the respective scenes are described in pairs, and character groups “object
1
” m
11
and “object
2
” m
12
and locational data b
11
and B
12
showing the locations of relevant data relating to the respective objects are described in pairs.
When the user moves a mouse pointer MP to the area D
1
corresponding to the character group “scene
1
” on the home page HP and clicks the mouse, a new display screen MPs showing moving picture data linked to the character group “scene
1
” is opened as a screen of moving picture MI. On the moving picture screen MPs, displayed are two objects ob
1
and ob
2
and display control buttons CB
1
~CB
4
for controlling the moving picture display. The user can control display of the moving picture by operating the display control buttons CB
1
~CB
4
with the mouse pointer MP.
When the user wants to see the moving picture corresponding to the character group “scene
2
” or “scene
3
”, the user moves the mouse pointed MP from the screen MPs of the moving picture MI to the area D
2
or D
3
corresponding to “scene
2
” or “scene
3
” on the home page HP and clicks the mouse, whereby a new display screen showing m
Couso Jose L.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P
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