Zoomable Digital Images Using Nested Interior and Exterior Image Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital image viewing software often experiences a loss in image quality when zooming in on images, especially when the zoomed resolution is less than the display resolution, leading to suboptimal viewing experiences.
Innovation Solution
A system that stores and generates zoomable digital images by using an interior image and a set of exterior images associated with different zoom levels, allowing for seamless zooming without quality loss by determining the appropriate subset of exterior images based on the selected zoom level and calculating pixel colors based on overlapping source image pixels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If zooming in on a digital image using conventional software, then the user can view image details at higher magnification, but the image quality deteriorates when the zoomed resolution is less than the display resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital image into multiple representations at different resolutions and zoom levels. Each zoom level has its own optimized image data, allowing the system to provide high-quality views at any magnification without degrading image quality. The segmentation divides the image into interior image data and exterior image data, each processed and stored at appropriate resolutions for their specific zoom contexts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a zoom level dimension to the traditional two-dimensional image data. By organizing image data across multiple zoom levels (0 to maximum zoom level), the system transforms a single-resolution image into a multi-resolution pyramid structure, enabling quality preservation through dimensional expansion in the zoom level space.
2Manufacturing precision
If storing multiple resolutions of the same image, then image quality is maintained across zoom levels, but the storage space and data complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different resolution qualities for different regions and zoom levels. The interior image data is stored at high resolution for detailed viewing, while exterior image data is stored at progressively lower resolutions for broader contextual views. This localized quality optimization ensures high image quality where needed while reducing data volume in less critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where lower-resolution exterior images are embedded within progressively smaller high-resolution interior images. Each zoom level contains nested representations of the same image content at different scales, allowing the system to store multiple resolutions in a compact, hierarchical format that shares common data structures and reduces redundant storage.
3Manufacturing precision
If generating high-resolution target images from low-resolution source images during zooming, then image quality can be maintained, but the processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-processing and pre-storing image data at multiple zoom levels and resolutions before the actual zooming operation. The source image is processed in advance to create interior and exterior image data at various magnifications, so that when zooming occurs, the system can directly retrieve and display the pre-computed high-resolution data without performing real-time upscaling or interpolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating multiple copies of the image data at different resolutions and zoom levels. Instead of generating high-resolution images from low-resolution sources during zooming, the system maintains pre-generated copies at all required resolutions, allowing instantaneous retrieval and display of high-quality images at any zoom level without computational overhead during the zoom operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments provide a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a program. The program reads a file representing a source image. The file specifies an interior image and a set of successive exterior images that correspond to a set of successive zoom levels. The interior image includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel in the interior image has a particular size. Each exterior image in the set of successive exterior images includes a plurality of pixels configured to encompass the interior image. The plurality of pixels of each successive interior image have a successively larger size than the particular size. The program generates the source image based on the interior image and the set of successive exterior images. The program receives a selection of a zoom level in the set of successive zoom levels. The program generates a target image based on the selected zoom level and the source image.