Encoding Apparatus Bypassing Arithmetic Coding for Continuous Shooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The slow processing speed of binary arithmetic coding in image encoding leads to delayed feedback and reduced accuracy in controlling the amount of generated codes, particularly during continuous shooting of still images, resulting in decreased shooting speed.
Innovation Solution
An encoding apparatus that performs binarization processing and records binary data directly into a recording unit without generating arithmetic code data during continuous shooting of still images, bypassing the slow arithmetic coding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If binary arithmetic coding processing is performed inside the image capturing apparatus, then compression rate is improved, but processing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the encoding process into two parts: binarization processing is performed inside the image capturing apparatus, while binary arithmetic coding is performed outside (e.g., on a cloud server). This segmentation allows the apparatus to handle only the faster binarization step locally, while the computationally intensive arithmetic coding is offloaded, thereby improving processing speed without sacrificing compression performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (cloud server or external processing device) to perform the binary arithmetic coding processing. This intermediary handles the computationally demanding arithmetic coding step, allowing the image capturing apparatus to maintain high processing speeds while still achieving the compression benefits of arithmetic coding through the intermediate transmission of binarized data.
2Loss of substance
If binary arithmetic coding is performed for each still image during continuous shooting, then compression is improved, but shooting speed deteriorates due to processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the encoding workflow so that only binarization is performed for each image during continuous shooting within the apparatus, while the arithmetic coding is batch-processed externally. This allows rapid acquisition and initial processing of multiple images, with compression applied subsequently without blocking the shooting workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs binarization processing as a preliminary step during continuous shooting, converting image data to binary format that can be quickly processed and stored. The actual arithmetic coding compression is then applied in a subsequent batch process, allowing the shooting operation to proceed at full speed without waiting for compression to complete.
3Reliability
If encoding control prioritizes image quality over code amount consistency, then image quality is improved, but code amount increases leading to processing bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an external processing system as an intermediary to handle the arithmetic coding of high-quality images. This allows the image capturing apparatus to maintain high image quality settings without being constrained by local processing capacity, as the external system can handle the computational load of compressing the larger data volumes generated by high-quality encoding.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an encoding apparatus. A data processing unit generates binary data by performing data processing, including binarization processing, with respect to image data that has been input from an image capturing unit. An arithmetic coding unit generates arithmetic code data by performing arithmetic coding of the binary data. A control unit performs control so as to record the arithmetic code data into a recording unit. When the image data is still image data generated during continuous shooting of still images, the control unit performs control so as to record the binary data into the recording unit without generating the arithmetic code data.