X-ray Image Compression via Index Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital X-ray imaging systems face long image transfer times over communication channels due to the large digital representation required for maintaining sufficient gray levels, leading to a need for reducing transfer time without compromising image quality.
Innovation Solution
The system employs an analog-to-digital converter to convert analog pixel values into digital pixel values, and an index value source generates a digital index value with a smaller bit-width using a comparator and lookup table, allowing for reduced data transfer while maintaining image quality through a quadratic mapping that balances quantum noise and quantization noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full-resolution digital pixel values are transmitted over the communication channel, then image quality with sufficient gray levels is maintained, but image transfer time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital pixel value transmission into two parts: a compressed index value (fewer bits) and a lookup table (stored in memory). The index value is transmitted over the communication channel, while the full resolution reconstruction is performed locally using the stored lookup table. This segmentation allows efficient transmission while maintaining full image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary lookup table that maps compressed index values to full-resolution pixel values. The lookup table acts as a mediator between the compressed transmitted data and the full-resolution image reconstruction, enabling lossless recovery of the original image quality without transmitting all the original data.
2Loss of time
If digital pixel values are compressed to reduce transfer size, then image transfer time is reduced, but image quality and gray level precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a compressed copy (index value) of the original digital pixel value for transmission, while the full-resolution reconstruction is achieved through a lookup table that contains the mapping relationship. This copying approach allows efficient transmission of compressed data while enabling perfect reconstruction of the original quality at the receiving end.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from full-resolution digital values to compressed index values for transmission. The lookup table stores the parameter mapping that allows conversion from the compressed representation back to the full-resolution representation, thus maintaining image quality while reducing transmission data size.
3Productivity
If compression is applied to reduce data size, then communication bandwidth utilization is improved, but device complexity increases due to lookup tables and index mapping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-computing and storing the lookup table in memory before transmission occurs. The compression mapping from pixel values to index values is established in advance, and the reverse mapping is pre-stored in the lookup table. This preliminary preparation simplifies the real-time transmission process while maintaining full reconstruction capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system includes an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog pixel value into a first digital pixel value. The imaging system also includes an index value source configured to receive the first digital pixel value from the analog-to-digital converter and to generate a digital index value based on a comparison of the first digital pixel value to a digital reference value. In addition, the imaging system includes a transmitter in communication with the index value source and configured to transmit the digital index value. Further, the imaging system includes an image processing component configured to receive the digital index value and to generate a second digital pixel value based at least in part on the received digital index value and a lookup table of the image processing component.