Temporal Context Encoding for Multi-Scale Feature Map Compression

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to effectively encode and decode neural networks-based multi-scale feature maps due to their high-dimensional nature, leading to inefficient processing and transmission of data associated with the spatial redundancy of natural images, and thus, may require new encoding and decoding techniques.

Innovation Solution

An encoding method that includes generating a reduced feature map by dimension reduction, channel-wise scaling, extracting prior information, and estimating a probability distribution based on temporal context, and a decoding method that involves receiving an input stream, acquiring decoded prior information, and reconstructing the feature map by reconstructing the context.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multilayer feature maps are used for machine vision and image processing, then accuracy and performance in tasks such as object recognition, tracking, and segmentation are improved, but the high-dimensional nature of the data makes efficient processing and transmission challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccuracyVSAvoiddata dimensionality
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the high-dimensional multilayer feature map into multiple reduced feature maps with lower dimensions. Each reduced feature map retains essential feature information while having reduced spatial or channel dimensions, making the data more manageable for processing and transmission while preserving the accuracy needed for machine vision tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the high-dimensional feature map by reducing its dimensions through pooling operations. This dimensionality reduction converts the complex high-dimensional data structure into a more compact form that is easier to process and transmit, while the temporal context extraction preserves the essential information needed for maintaining accuracy in object recognition and other vision tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If image compression techniques are applied to multilayer feature maps, then data transmission efficiency may be improved, but the techniques are ineffective because multilayer feature maps have different characteristics and structures from general images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidtechnique applicability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters and structure of the feature maps by applying pooling operations to generate reduced feature maps with different dimensional characteristics. This transformation adapts the data structure to be more suitable for compression techniques, bridging the gap between the unique characteristics of multilayer feature maps and the requirements of efficient data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces reduced feature maps as an intermediary representation between the original multilayer feature maps and the compression process. These reduced feature maps serve as a bridge that preserves essential information while having a structure more amenable to efficient encoding and transmission, thus enabling effective compression techniques to be applied.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If high-dimensional multilayer feature maps are processed directly, then complete feature information is preserved, but processing and transmission become inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeature information completenessVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the high-dimensional feature map into multiple reduced feature maps through pooling operations. This segmentation reduces the computational burden of processing while distributing the feature information across multiple lower-dimensional representations, thereby maintaining feature completeness without requiring direct processing of the entire high-dimensional structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary dimensionality reduction by generating reduced feature maps before further processing or transmission. This preliminary action of creating compact representations upfront reduces the time required for subsequent processing operations while preserving the essential feature information needed for accurate machine vision tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4676048A1Encoding and decoding method using temporal context of neural network-based multi-scale feature maps
Publication Date: 2026.01.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4676048A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4676048A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4676048A1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

An encoding method includes generating a current reduced feature map by reducing a dimension of a current multilayer feature map, generating a scaled current reduced feature map by performing channel-wise scaling on the current reduced feature map, extracting prior information based on the scaled current reduced feature map, acquiring a scaled previous reduced feature map, extracting a temporal context based on the prior information and the scaled previous reduced feature map, estimating a probability distribution of the current reduced feature map based on the temporal context, and encoding the current reduced feature map based on the probability distribution.