Image encryption through dynamic compression code words

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972741-B2
Application number	US-202016945543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for secure processing of image data are described. Image data included in image files may be encrypted and compressed in a single step using dynamically identified compression/encryption information such as code word tables.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying, by at least one of an optical scanning device, a control server, an image processing server, or a computing device configured to transmit or receive image data, a detail type for an image file, wherein the detail type comprises at least one of an image property or a compression detail;
obtaining, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, a count of records corresponding to the detail type;
determining, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, that the count of records exceeds a threshold;
receiving or retrieving, by the at east one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, a set of raw image files corresponding to the detail type;
identifying, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server the image processing server, or the computing device, current compression and encryption information corresponding to the detail type;
generating, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, updated compression and encryption information based at least in part on the current compression and encryption information;
compressing, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server the image processing server, or the computing device, the image file based on the current compression information so as to generate a first compressed image file;
compressing, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, the image file based on the updated compression information so as to generate a second compressed image file;
comparing, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, compression details of the first compressed image file and the second compressed image file; and
in response to determining that the second compressed image file has a processing metric exceeding that of the first compressed image file, replacing, by the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing server, or the computing device, the current compression and encryption information with the updated compression and encryption information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the processing metric comprises at least one of: an average file size of image files, a difference in a quantity of memory used to store the image files, an entropy difference for the image files, or a difference in an amount of time to store the image files on the memory.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the replacing comprises transmitting the updated compression and encryption information to one or more devices that receive or process the set of raw image files.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the replacing comprises storing the updated compression and encryption information in a data encoding store or a location referenced by a record in the encoding data store associated with the set of raw image files.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the updated compression and encryption information is associated with an activation date.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the activation date is identified based on at east in part on an activation configuration value identifying a quantity of time needed to disseminate a new compression and encryption table.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the updated compression and encryption information is used for compressing and encrypting image files as of the activation date.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the image property comprises at least one of: a format of the image file, a source of the image file, a type of the image file, an image file name, an image color mode, a metadata of the image file, a device used to capture the image file, a time the image file was captured, a date the image file was captured, or a location where the image file was captured.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein each of the current compression and encryption information and the updated compression and encryption information comprises a variable length code table.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the image file comprises an image of a distribution item, and wherein the method further comprises identifying, using an object recognition device, a type for the image file, wherein the type comprises at least one of a parcel, a mail piece, a flat, a pre-printed envelope, or a pre-sorted item, and wherein different variable length code tables are used for compressing and encrypting different identified types.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the updated compression and encryption information comprises different sequences of pixel data including different code words with respect to the current compression and encryption information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the updated compression and encryption information is independent of the current compression and encryption information.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the updated compression and encryption information comprises a new variable length code table.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the count of records comprises records within a threshold of a detail value, and wherein the threshold of the detailed value comprises a file size within a predetermined percentage of a specific file size, the predetermined percentage being less than 100%.

15. An image processing system comprising:
a computer-readable memory storing executable instructions; and
at least one of an optical scanning device, a control server, an image processing server, or a computing device configured to transmit or receive image data in communication with the computer-readable memory and configured to execute the executable instructions to at least:
identify a detail type for an image file, wherein the detail type comprises at least one of an image property or a compression detail;
obtain a count of records corresponding to the detail type;
determine that the count of records exceeds a threshold;
receive or retrieve a set of raw image files corresponding to the detail type;
identify current compression and encryption information corresponding to the detail type;
generate updated compression and encryption information based at least in part on the current compression and encryption information;
compress the image file based on the current compression information so as to generate a first compressed image file;
compress the image file based on the updated compression information so as to generate a second compressed image file;
compare compression details of the first compressed image file and the second compressed image file; and
in response to determining that the second compressed image file has a processing metric exceeding that of the first compressed image file, replace the current compression and encryption information with the updated compression and encryption information.

16. The image processing system of claim 15 , wherein the the at least one of the optical scanning device, the control server, the image processing serv

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Simpson Ryan J

Classifications

• G06F21/6209 Primary

  to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself · CPC title

• G06V30/413

  Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables · CPC title

• H04N19/182 Primary

  the unit being a pixel · CPC title

• H04N19/172

  the region being a picture, frame or field · CPC title

• G06K9/00456

  Physics · mapped topic