Image Encoding Apparatus Using Time Stretch Units for High-Resolution Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-resolution digital image data, such as 4K or 8K, poses challenges for digital image processing apparatuses due to its large size and high dot clock frequency, leading to difficulties in encoding and decoding with high image quality when divided into multiple channels.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an image encoding apparatus and method that divides each line of 4K or 8K image data into multiple channels, using time stretch units to rearrange pixels within a longer period, and encoders to encode each pixel based on the difference with adjacent pixels, generating encoded data with a smaller bit size. This approach allows for high-quality encoding and decoding of multiple channels with reduced memory and transmission requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If image data is divided into multiple channels for processing, then the processing frequency requirement is reduced, but the correlation between coding target pixel and temporally adjacent pixel is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image data processing into N channels (N≥2), where each channel processes a subset of pixels. This segmentation allows each processing unit to operate at a lower frequency (1/N of the original), reducing the processing frequency requirement while maintaining overall system capability through parallel processing of all channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a buffer memory as an intermediary component that stores the divided channel data and enables proper temporal correlation during encoding. The buffer memory acts as a mediator that allows the encoder to access temporally adjacent pixels across different channels, restoring the correlation relationship that would otherwise be lost due to channel division.
2Reliability
If high-resolution image data is processed directly, then image quality is maintained, but large memory capacity and transmission path capacity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments high-resolution image data into N channels, allowing each channel to be processed independently with reduced memory requirements. By dividing the total pixel data into smaller channels, the memory capacity needed for each processing unit is reduced while the overall system maintains the ability to reconstruct high-quality image data through proper correlation of all channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing parameters by operating on divided channels at lower frequencies rather than processing the complete high-resolution data stream at full frequency. This parameter change reduces the instantaneous memory and transmission path capacity requirements while maintaining the ability to produce high-quality output through the encoding process.
3Speed
If image data is divided into multiple channels, then processing frequency is reduced, but data size is not reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides image data into N channels for parallel processing, reducing the processing frequency requirement for each channel. While the total data size remains comparable to the original, the segmentation enables efficient processing by distributing the data across multiple lower-frequency processing paths, achieving the dual benefit of reduced processing frequency and maintained data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple divided channels back together through the encoding process, where the encoder processes pixels from all N channels in proper temporal sequence. This merging operation restores the complete image data with reduced size through encoding compression, while having processed the data through multiple lower-frequency channels, thus achieving both frequency reduction and data size reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
N (N≥2) time stretch units receive N channels of second image data which are obtained by dividing each line of first image data by N and are composed of a first number of bits. Each N time stretch unit arranges pixels of the N channels in the order of the pixels of the corresponding line of the first image data within a period which is obtained by stretching a one-line period of the second image data. The N time stretch units generate third image data including N lines of the first image data. N encoders encode each coding target pixel of the third image data outputted from the N time stretch units using a difference between the target pixel and a peripheral pixel to generate encoded data composed of a second number of bits which is smaller than the first number of bits.