Segmentation and background suppression in JPEG-compressed images using encoding cost data

摘要

An enhancement to the standard JPEG image data compression technique includes a step of recording the length of each string of bits corresponding to each block of pixels in the original image at the time of compression. The list of lengths of each string of bits in the compressed image data is retained as an "encoding cost map" or ECM. The ECM, which is considerably smaller than the compressed image data, can be transmitted or retained in memory separate from the compressed image data along with some other accompanying information and is used as a "key" for editing or segmentation of the compressed image data. The ECM, in combination with a map of DC components of the compressed image, can also be used for substituting background portions of the image with blocks of pure white data, in order to compress certain types of images even further. <IMAGE>