ESL Image Compression Using MTFT and Chain Coding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ESL systems face inefficiencies in image compression, leading to high packet numbers, long compression times, and low decompression performance, which affect wireless communication success rates and battery life in ESL tags.
Innovation Solution
An ESL management server employs a pre-processing method using Move-to-Front Transform (MTFT) and chain coding to convert images into binary sequences, followed by encoding into bitstreams, optimizing data transmission and decompression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional image compression methods are used in ESL systems, then image data can be transmitted, but the compression rate is low and the number of packets remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The image is divided into multiple blocks (e.g., 8x8 pixel blocks), and each block is processed independently through run-length encoding. This segmentation allows the system to identify and compress repetitive patterns within each block, thereby reducing the overall data size and number of packets transmitted while maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies run-length encoding by changing the representation parameter from individual pixel values to run-length pairs (value, count). This parameter transformation efficiently compresses sequences of identical pixels, significantly reducing the data volume for images with large uniform areas, thus improving compression rate and reducing packet count.
2Productivity
If conventional image compression methods are used, then compression can be performed, but the compression time is long
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the image into small independent blocks, the system can process each block quickly through simple run-length encoding without requiring complex global analysis. This segmentation strategy reduces computational complexity and processing time while achieving effective compression, thus improving productivity without excessive time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses run-length encoding to copy and represent repeated pixel values efficiently. Instead of storing each pixel individually, the system copies the value once and stores the count of repetitions, dramatically reducing the data size and processing requirements, thereby achieving high compression rates with minimal time penalty.
3Ease of operation
If image data is transmitted without compression, then transmission is simple, but data size is large causing wireless communication inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the data representation from individual pixel values to run-length encoded pairs (value, count). This parameter change efficiently compresses the image data by exploiting spatial redundancy, significantly reducing the data size for wireless transmission while maintaining a relatively simple encoding process that preserves transmission ease.
4Productivity
If prior art compression methods are used, then some compression is achieved, but decompression performance is low
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into blocks that are independently encoded using run-length encoding. During decompression, each block can be independently and quickly reconstructed without affecting other blocks. This segmentation ensures high decompression performance and reliability while maintaining effective compression rates across the entire image.
Data Source
AI summary
An Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) management server and a method for controlling the ESL management server are disclosed. An ESL management server for compressing an image to be displayed on an external display device of the ESL system comprises a communication unit obtaining an image including product information; and a processor applying a first pre-processing process to the image, chain coding the image to which the first pre-processing process has been applied, encoding a chain code and a chain code table obtained as a result of the chain coding into a bitstream, generating a compressed image file using the bitstream, and transmitting the compressed image file to an external display device through the communication unit, where the first pre-processing process converts data with a high local correlation within the image into a small integer but converts data with a small local correlation within the image into a large integer.