Image processing system, method of operating image processing system, host apparatus, program, and method of making program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9406104-B2
Application number	US-201113885104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2011
Priority date	Dec 16, 2010
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An image processing system includes an image coding device serving as a host device that outputs image data, and an image decoding device serving as a client device and including a display part that displays an image based on image data transmitted from the image coding device. The image coding device includes an image quality controller that controls the image quality of an image displayed on the display part in accordance with an operation status A of the image processing system. When the operation status is a status under which a delay of displaying an image which is caused by transmission of image data from the image coding device to the image decoding device is allowed, the image quality controller increases the image quality of an image displayed on the display part.

First claim

We claim:

1. An image processing system comprising:
a host device that outputs image data; and
a client device including a display that displays an image based on said image data transmitted from said host device, wherein
said host device includes circuitry configured to:
control an image quality of an image displayed on said display in accordance with an operation status of said image processing system; and
in a case that said operation status is a status under which a delay of displaying an image which is caused by transmission of image data from said host device to said client device is allowed, increase an image quality of an image displayed on said display, the delay of displaying the image being a delay of a time at which a first frame of the image data is displayed on the display, wherein

said operation status under which said delay of displaying an image is allowed includes a status in which a scene is displayed on said display, said scene being an object to be viewed and listened to,
said host device includes a memory that stores a program for playing said scene,
in a source code of the program for playing said scene, a name of said scene is written as a comment,
said circuitry performs a preprocess prior to compiling that converts the comment concerning the name of said scene into a source code of an image quality set command for increasing said image quality, and
said circuitry sets said image quality in response to the image quality set command that is issued as a result of execution of said program that includes an object code generated from said source code.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein
said circuitry is further configured to:
set an image quality level of an image displayed on said display in accordance with said operation status, and output image quality information concerning the image quality level that has been set;
set a coding condition that is used in coding, based on said image quality information; and
perform a coding process on said image data based on said coding condition, and

in said operation status under which said delay of displaying an image is allowed, said circuitry outputs the image quality information for increasing said image quality level.

3. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said circuitry is further configured to:
identify a unit coding area based on the image quality information and output said unit coding area as said coding condition, said unit coding area being a region within one frame of image data and indicating a range of management of the amount of generated codes generated by coding; and
determine a target amount of codes per one macro block based on said coding condition and control a quantization parameter, said macro block being obtained as a result of dividing one frame into a plurality of regions; and
perform a quantization process by using a quantization step that is determined in accordance with said quantization parameter, and generating coded image data.

4. The image processing system according to claim 3 , wherein
said circuitry is further configured to determine the target amount of codes per one macro block included in said unit coding area such that the amount of generated codes for said unit coding area falls within a total target amount of codes for said unit coding area.

5. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said client device includes second circuitry configured to perform a decoding process on image data transmitted from said host device, and
said image processing system separately and sequentially performs, on a unit coding area basis, said coding process, a transmission process of transmitting image data from said host device to said client device, and said decoding process.

6. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said operation status under which said delay of displaying an image is allowed includes a status in which application software of a specific genre that requires a thinking time of a user who is visually checking said display is in execution.

7. The image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein
said host device includes a memory that stores a function for issuing an image quality set command in accordance with a genre of application software,
said function is used in the application software of said specific genre,
in the application software of said specific genre, said specific genre is set as a parameter of said function, and
in a case that the image quality set command for increasing said image quality level is issued as a result of execution of the application software of said specific genre, said circuitry sets said image quality level in response to said image quality set command.

8. The image processing system according to claim 7 , wherein
an API of the function for issuing the image quality set command in accordance with a genre of application software is released to a programmer.

9. The image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein
said host device includes a memory that stores a first function and a second function, said first function being executed in an initialization process of application software, said second function being for issuing an image quality set command in accordance with a genre of application software that is set in a parameter of said first function,
said first function is used in the application software of said specific genre,
in the application software of said specific genre, said specific genre is set as the parameter of said first function,
said second function is executed as a result of execution of said first function, and
in a case that an image quality set command for increasing said image quality level is issued as a result of execution of the application software of said specific genre, said circuitry sets said image quality level in response to said image quality set command.

10. The image processing system according to claim 9 , wherein
an API of said first function is released to a programmer.

11. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said operation status under which said delay of displaying an image is allowed includes a status in which said host device is reading data.

12. The image processing system according to claim 11 , wherein
said host device includes a memory that stores a program for executing read-out of data,
an image quality set command for increasing said image quality level is incorporated in said program, and
in a case that the image quality set command is issued as a result of execution of said program, said circuitry sets said image quality level in response to said image quality set command.

13. The image processing system according to claim 12 , wherein
the program for executing read-out of data is configured as a function, and
an API of said function is released to a programmer.

14. The image processing system according to claim 11 , wherein
the status in which said host device is reading data includes a status in which said host device is reading data from an external storage medium that is attached to said host device.

15. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said client device includes second circuitry configured to detect a user's operation on said client device, and
said operation status under which said delay of displaying an image is allowed includes a status in which an amount of user's operation detected by said second circuitry is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

16. The image processing system a

Assignees

• Nara Yusuke
• Sawada Takashi
• Ukai Yukihiro
• Tanaka Motoyasu
• Kawai Eizi
• Mae Kenichi
• Megachips Corp
• Nontendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nara Yusuke
• Sawada Takashi
• Ukai Yukihiro
• Tanaka Motoyasu
• Kawai Eizi
• Mae Kenichi

Classifications

• H04N19/115

  Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding · CPC title

• A63F2300/552

  for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device · CPC title

• A63F2300/534

  for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction · CPC title

• H04N19/17

  the unit being an image region, e.g. an object · CPC title

• H04N21/6379

  directed to encoder {, e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate} · CPC title