Image data compression or expansion method and apparatus, and image transmission system and monitoring system using the method and device

Abstract

An image data compression apparatus, including: compression processing unit for conducting compression-processing on input image data and outputting compressed image data; image change detection unit for detecting a change in an image of the input image data; frame rate control unit for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that the frame rate of a scene, in which the change in the image is small, comes to be lower than that of a scene, in which the change in the image is large, depending upon condition of changes in the image, detected by said image change detection unit, wherein said frame rate control unit is constructed with exchange units for controlling whether the input image data should be encoded by a predetermined unit, exchangeably.

1 . (canceled)  
   
   
       2 . An image data compression apparatus, for compressing input image data to be outputted as compressed image data, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on the image data inputted;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data, upon basis of the image on the image data inputted;    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that, if a change in the image input is smaller than a predetermined value, as detected by said image change detection means, the image inputted is skipped without compressing and coding by means of said frame rate control means; and    recording means for recording the input image data at a predetermined time interval, wherein the compression-processing is conducted upon the image, which is recorded in said recording means.    
   
   
       3 . An image data compression apparatus, for compressing input image data to be outputted as compressed image data, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on the image data inputted;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data, upon basis of the image on the image data inputted;    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that, if a change in the image input is smaller than a predetermined value, as detected by said image change detection means, the image inputted is skipped without compressing and coding by means of said frame rate control means; and    recording means for recording the input image data, if the change in the image, as detected by said image change detection means, is larger a predetermined reference value, wherein said frame rate control means conducts the compression-processing upon the image, which is recorded in said recording means.    
   
   
       4 . An image transmission apparatus, comprising: 
 an image data compression apparatus;    camera means for picking up an image to be inputted into said image data compression apparatus; and    transmission means for transmitting compressed image data, outputted by said image data compression means, through a channel, wherein said image data compression apparatus is as defined in the  claim 2 .    
   
   
       5 . An image transmission apparatus, comprising: 
 an image data compression apparatus;    camera means for picking up an image to be inputted into said image data compression apparatus; and    transmission means for transmitting compressed image data outputted by said image data compression means, through a channel, wherein said image data compression apparatus is as defined in the  claim 3 .    
   
   
       6 . An image transmission apparatus, comprising: 
 an image data compression apparatus, for compressing input image data to be outputted as compressed image data, having: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on the image data inputted;  
 image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data, upon basis of the image on the image data inputted; and  
 frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that, if a change in the image input is smaller than a predetermined value, as detected by said image change detection means, the image inputted is skipped without compressing and coding by means of said frame rate control means;  
 camera means for picking up an image to be inputted into said image data compression apparatus;  
 recording means for recording the input image therein, which is picked up by said camera means;  
 transmission means for transmitting compressed image data outputted by said compression apparatus, through a channel; and  
 sensor means for detecting a change in a condition of said apparatus itself, wherein  
 an image picked up by said camera means is memorized into said recording means when said sensor means detects the change in the condition within a periphery of said apparatus itself, so that the compression-processing of said image data is conducted upon the image, which is recorded in said recording means.  
   
   
   
       7 . An image data compression apparatus, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on input image data and outputting compressed image data;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data; and    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that, if a change in the image of input image data is smaller than a predetermined value, as detected by said image change detection means, the image inputted is skipped without compressing and encoding by means of said frame rate control means;    wherein said image change detection means includes change amount detection means for detection of a change amount between images of the input image data; and    wherein said change amount detection means includes reference image memory means for memorizing predetermined image data as a reference image; and subtraction processing means for conducting subtraction on the input image data and the image data memorized in said reference image memory means, and further said subtraction means includes calculation means for obtaining an average value over an entire of one (1) image frame after the subtraction thereof.    
   
   
       8 . An image data compression apparatus, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on input image data and outputting compressed image data;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data;    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that the frame rate of a scene, in which the change in the image is small, comes to be lower than that of a scene, in which the change in the image is large, depending upon condition of changes in the image, as detected by said image change detection means,    wherein said frame rate control means is constructed with exchange means for controlling whether the input image data should be compressed and encoded by a predetermined unit, exchangeably; and    wherein said change amount detection means includes reference image memory means for memorizing predetermined image data as a reference image; and    subtraction processing means for conducting subtraction on the input image data and the image data memorized in said reference image memory means, and further said subtraction means includes calculation means for obtaining a squared average value over an entire of one (1) image frame after the subtraction thereof.    
   
   
       9 . An image data compression apparatus, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on input image data and outputting compressed image data;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data; and    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that, if a change in the image of input image data is smaller than a predetermined value, as detected by said image change detection means, the image inputted is skipped without compressing and encoding by means of said frame rate control means;    wherein said image change detection means comprises change amount detection means for detection of a change amount between images of the input image data; and    wherein said change amount detection means includes reference image memory means for memorizing predetermined image data as a reference image; and    subtraction processing means for conducting subtraction on the input image data and the image data memorized in said reference image memory means, and further said subtraction means includes calculation means for obtaining an average value over an entire one (1) image frame after the subtraction thereof.    
   
   
       10 . An image data compression apparatus, comprising: 
 compression processing means for conducting compression-processing on input image data and outputting compressed image data;    image change detection means for detecting a change in an image of the input image data;    frame rate control means for controlling a frame rate of the compressed image data such that the frame rate of a scene, in which the change in the image is small, comes to be lower than that of a scene, in which the change in the image is large, depending upon condition of changes in the image, as detected by said image change detection means,    wherein said frame rate control means is constructed with exchange means for controlling whether the input image data should be compressed and encoded by a predetermined unit, exchangeably; and    wherein said change amount detection means comprises reference image memory means for memorizing predetermined image data as a reference image; and subtraction processing means for conducting subtraction on the input image data and the image data memorized in said reference image memory means, and further said subtraction means includes calculation means for obtaining a squared average value over an entire one (1) image frame after the subtraction thereof.