Still-Image Reference Encoding for Lower-Storage Video Capture

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing resolution and quality of digital images and videos captured by mobile devices lead to larger file sizes, straining device memory and performance, and necessitate additional storage solutions, which can compromise user experience and introduce security and connectivity issues.

Innovation Solution

Utilize a still image as a reference frame for inter-prediction encoding of video frames, eliminating the need for separate intra-coded frames, thereby reducing storage requirements and improving memory efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the resolution and quality of digital images and videos are increased, then the clarity and detail are improved, but the file sizes increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage and video qualityVSAvoidfile size
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the still image and video encoding processes by using the still image as a reference frame for video encoding. This combines the high-quality still image data with the video sequence, allowing the video to be encoded relative to the still image rather than independently, thereby reducing the total data required while maintaining high quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the encoding parameters by switching from traditional independent video encoding to inter-prediction encoding that references the still image. This parameter change allows the system to exploit the high spatial frequency information in the still image to reduce the video encoding requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the resolution and quality of captured media are increased, then the clarity and detail are improved, but the storage space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapture qualityVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the storage requirements by using the still image as a reference for video encoding. Instead of storing complete independent video data, the system stores the still image and the differential video data relative to that image, reducing the total storage volume while maintaining high capture quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The encoding parameter change allows the system to represent video frames as predictions based on the still image reference. This parameter transformation reduces the amount of data needed for storage while preserving the high quality information from both the still image and video capture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If high-resolution images and videos are stored, then the quality is maintained, but device performance and processing speed are impacted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedia qualityVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the processing operations by performing video encoding relative to the still image reference. This combined approach reduces the total data volume that needs to be processed, thereby improving processing speed while maintaining high media quality through the reference-based encoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The parameter change in using inter-prediction encoding reduces the computational complexity by leveraging the pre-computed still image data. This allows faster processing speeds as the system only needs to encode the differences from the reference rather than performing complete independent encoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Manufacturing precision

If high-resolution media are captured, then the detail and clarity are improved, but the number of files that can be stored is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapture resolutionVSAvoidnumber of files
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the storage efficiency by using the still image as a reference frame. This allows multiple video frames to be stored more efficiently by referencing the common still image data, thereby increasing the number of files that can be stored in the available memory while maintaining high capture resolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250373815A1Methods and systems for enhanced image and video capture and compression
Publication Date: 2025.12.04 ADEIA GUIDES INC
  • US20250373815A1 patent drawing
  • US20250373815A1 patent drawing
  • US20250373815A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods are described for encoding still images and videos, particularly through the use of inter-prediction techniques that leverage still images as reference frames for video encoding. Image data is receiving, the image data comprising a first video having a capture duration, and a first still image captured during the capture duration. The first still image is image encoded for storage. The first video is video encoded for storage, via inter-prediction using a reference frame as a surrogate intra-coded (I) frame, the reference frame comprising the first still image.