Condensed HEIF Image Box for Small-Image Header Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
The HEIF format's header overhead becomes significant when dealing with small image files, leading to inefficiencies in data transmission and processing.
Innovation Solution
A condensed image box ('coni') is introduced to encapsulate overhead signaling and payload content, optimizing HEIF for small images by reducing header overhead and integrating all necessary information into a single box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If HEIF format with standard boxes is used for small images, then flexibility and extensibility are improved, but header overhead increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate HEIF boxes (ftyp, meta, mdat, ipco, iprp, iloc) into a single condensed image box structure. This consolidation eliminates the cumulative overhead of multiple box headers while preserving all necessary image data, codec information, and metadata in one unified structure, thereby dramatically reducing total header overhead for small images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant or unnecessary boxes from the standard HEIF structure. By identifying and removing superfluous metadata boxes and simplifying the box hierarchy, the invention reduces header overhead while retaining only the essential information needed for small image representation.
2Loss of information
If multiple HEIF boxes are used to encapsulate image data, then comprehensive metadata and codec information are preserved, but file size increases due to cumulative overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple information-carrying boxes (metadata, codec configuration, image data locations) into a single condensed box structure that maintains all necessary information while eliminating the overhead of multiple separate box headers and metadata structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The condensed image box serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores image data, codec configuration, metadata, and positioning information in a single unified structure, replacing the need for multiple specialized boxes and reducing cumulative overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a HEIF-based encapsulation technique that is optimized for delivery of small images over communication networks, such as the Internet. In such applications, the coded image content may have a small content payload, the spatial area of the image is small as compared to the range of image sizes that HEIF otherwise supports, and the image may contain only a limited number of representations. According to these embodiments, overhead signaling for these images may be condensed into a distinct box that is distinguishable from other types of HEIF boxes by its character code. The box may be a self-contained unit that contains both the overhead signaling and the coded content of the image itself.