Image Data Encoding with Collective Escape Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies face challenges in achieving optimal compression rates and memory efficiency for image data in printer apparatuses, particularly with methods like LZ77 and LZW coding, which incur high computational costs or result in larger encoded data sizes due to header additions and limited maximum matching lengths.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that includes a search unit for matching data strings, an intermediate code generating unit for outputting string lengths and positions, a count unit for successive escape data, and an encoding unit that collectively encodes escape data with a count value, reducing the number of headers and improving compression efficiency by adding one header to multiple escape data strings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If LZSS coding is used to achieve high compression rate, then compression efficiency is improved, but computational cost increases due to repeated detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores the positions of all escape data in the input data before encoding. This preliminary identification of escape data positions allows the encoding process to skip repeated detection operations, thereby reducing computational cost while maintaining high compression rates through efficient Run-Length Encoding of consecutive escape data sequences.
2Device complexity
If a header is added to each escape data in LZ77 coding, then data structure is simplified, but code length increases reducing compression efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple consecutive escape data into a single encoded unit using Run-Length Encoding. Instead of adding headers to each individual escape data, it adds one header to represent a sequence of escape data, thereby reducing the total number of headers and improving compression efficiency while maintaining clear data structure through the count value.
3Speed
If maximum matching length is limited in compression coding, then decoding speed is improved, but compression rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separately handles escape data (data that cannot be matched) from the compression process. By identifying and marking escape data positions in advance, the system can quickly decode matched portions using standard LZ77 methods while efficiently handling escape data through Run-Length Encoding, thereby improving overall decoding speed without significantly compromising compression rate.
4Reliability
If image data is stored without compression, then data integrity is maintained, but memory capacity requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies lossless compression by changing the representation parameters of image data through LZ77 encoding combined with Run-Length Encoding for escape data. This transformation reduces the quantity of data stored in memory while maintaining complete data integrity, as the compression is reversible and no information is lost in the encoding process.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes: an intermediate code generating unit that, when a data string that matches an input data string of image data is found from data string of the image data input in the past, outputs a length and a position of the found data string and, when a data string that matches with the input data string is not found, outputs the input data string as escape data; and an encoding unit that performs encoding with the length of the found data string, the position of the found data string, and the escape data. When a plurality of the escape data are successively output from the intermediate code generating unit, the encoding unit encodes the plurality of escape data collectively by adding, to the plurality of the escape data, information representing a count value obtained by counting a number of the plurality of the escape data.