Screen Sharing Image Update via Flexible Sub-tile Encoding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screen sharing systems face inefficiencies in transmitting image updates due to bandwidth constraints and high computational complexity when only partial changes occur in an image, as they typically require transmitting and processing entire image rectangles rather than focused changes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing the image into an array of contiguous sub-tiles, determining changed sub-tiles, and forming flexible tiles that can include multiple sub-tiles for efficient encoding and transmission, allowing for real-time updates by adapting the tile configuration based on the arrangement and distribution of changed sub-tiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data representing the whole changed image is transmitted, then the image can be fully updated at the second terminal, but the bandwidth consumption and data transmission volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The image is divided into multiple tiles, and only the changed tiles are identified and transmitted. This segmentation allows the system to send only the necessary portions of the image rather than the entire image data, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining update completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the changed portions (delta tiles) from the complete image and transmits only those extracted changes to the second terminal. This extraction process eliminates unnecessary data transmission while ensuring that all actual changes are captured and transmitted.
2Ease of manufacture
If fixed-size tiles are used for encoding image changes, then the encoding process is simplified, but the encoding efficiency and compression ratio decrease when changes are scattered across multiple tiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic tile configuration where the tile size and boundaries are not fixed but adapt based on the distribution and concentration of changed pixels. When changes are concentrated, larger tiles are used; when scattered, smaller tiles are used. This dynamic adjustment optimizes encoding efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the tile parameters (size, boundaries) based on the characteristics of the changed regions. By adjusting tile parameters dynamically according to the change distribution, the system achieves better compression ratios without requiring overly complex fixed-structure encoding schemes.
3Measurement precision
If the image is divided into many small sub-tiles, then the precision of change detection increases, but the computational complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into sub-tiles for precise change detection, but the patent manages computational complexity by using hierarchical processing and by consolidating adjacent changed sub-tiles into larger tiles for transmission. This segmentation approach maintains precision while reducing the overall processing burden through smart aggregation.
4Productivity
If variable-configurable tiles are used to group changed sub-tiles, then the compression efficiency and bandwidth utilization improve, but the encoding and decoding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Adjacent changed sub-tiles are merged into larger variable-configurable tiles. This merging reduces the total number of tiles that need to be encoded and transmitted, improving compression efficiency and bandwidth utilization. The merging process is designed to be computationally efficient by combining only adjacent changed regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable tile configuration system serves multiple functions: it adapts to different change patterns, optimizes compression ratios, and maintains compatibility with standard decoding processes. This multi-functionality justifies the increased encoding complexity by delivering benefits across multiple performance dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments process updates of an image transmitted between a first terminal and second terminal for screen sharing, wherein updates to the image at the first terminal are also displayed at the second terminal. The image is divided into an array of contiguous sub-tiles, each sub-tile comprising more than one picture element of the image. When a plurality of sub-tiles of the image have changed at the first terminal, at least one of said changed sub-tiles and at least one contiguous sub-tile are selected to form a tile. The tile is encoded for transmission to the second terminal, and includes sub-tile data identifying which sub-tiles are included in the tile to enable updating the image at the second terminal in accordance with the changes to said changed sub-tiles. The configuration of the tile is flexible such that the number of contiguous sub-tiles encoded in the tile can be varied.