Estimating compressed storage size of digital data

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing digital data. An approximate storage size is predicted for an output representation that uses variable length encoding. The approximate storage size can be used to determine one or more compression parameters to satisfy a global constraint, such as a maximum storage size for a compressed representation of the digital data. In a user interface, storage sizes can be graphically represented for multiple images. In the graphical representation, the storage size is represented for each image by a corresponding graphics object that includes a visual representation of the image and has a linear size that is proportional to the storage size of that image.

1 . A computer-implemented method for processing digital data, the method comprising:
 presenting, on a display device, a user interface that includes a graphical representation of a respective storage size for each of a plurality of digital images, the graphical representation including a respective graphics object for each digital image, the respective graphics object including a visual representation of the digital image and having a linear size that is proportional to the storage size of the digital image in an initial representation;   receiving, through the user interface, user input specifying a value for each of one or more target parameters, of a plurality of target parameters, for an output representation of the plurality of digital images;   generating, by data processing apparatus, an estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images in the output representation based on the received one or more target parameter values; and   setting the linear size of each respective graphics object in the user interface to be proportional to the estimated storage size of the corresponding digital image in the output representation and presenting a graphical representation of a total estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images relative to the respective graphics objects.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 for each digital image, the corresponding graphics object encloses the visual representation of the image.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each digital image is distorted in proportion to the storage size of the image.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving user input specifying values for one or more target parameters includes:
 presenting a respective slider for each target parameter in the user interface, wherein at least one of the sliders is a user adjustable slider; and   specifying the value of each target parameter according to a current position of the respective user adjustable slider.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a first target parameter has a first allowable range, and wherein:
 presenting a slider for the first target parameter includes presenting a representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving user input modifying the first allowable range; and   adjusting the representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a total number of bits representing the at least one image in the output representation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a transmission time for transmitting the at least one image in the output representation over a link.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting a reference storage size in the user interface.   
     
     
         13 . A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, for processing digital data, the computer product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 presenting a user interface that includes a graphical representation of a respective storage size for each of a plurality of digital images, the graphical representation including a respective graphics object for each digital image, the respective graphics object including a visual representation of the digital image and having a linear size that is proportional to the storage size of the digital image in an initial representation;   receiving, through the user interface, user input specifying a value for each of one or more target parameters, of a plurality of target parameters, for an output representation of the plurality of digital images;   generating an estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images in the output representation based on the received one or more target parameter values; and   setting the linear size of each respective graphics object in the user interface to be proportional to the estimated storage size of the corresponding digital image in the output representation and presenting a graphical representation of a total estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images relative to the respective graphics objects.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein:
 for each digital image, the corresponding graphics object encloses the visual representation of the image.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein:
 each digital image is distorted in proportion to the storage size of the image.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein receiving user input specifying one or more values for target parameters includes:
 presenting a respective slider for each target parameter in the user interface, wherein at least one of the sliders is a user adjustable slider; and   specifying the value for each target parameter according to a current position of the respective user adjustable slider.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein a first target parameter has a first allowable range, and wherein:
 presenting a slider for the first target parameter includes presenting a representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 19 , further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 receiving user input modifying the first allowable range; and   adjusting the representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a total number of bits representing the at least one image in the output representation.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a transmission time for transmitting the at least one image in the output representation over a link.   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 presenting a reference storage size in the user interface.   
     
     
         25 . A system for processing digital data, comprising:
 a user interface; and   one or more computers operable to interact with the user interface and to perform operations including:
 presenting a user interface that includes a graphical representation of a respective storage size for each of a plurality of digital images, the graphical representation including a respective graphics object for each digital image, the respective graphics object including a visual representation of the digital image and having a linear size that is proportional to the storage size of the digital image in an initial representation; 
 receiving, through the user interface, user input specifying a value for each of one or more target parameters, of a plurality of target parameters, for an output representation of the plurality of digital images; 
 generating an estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images in the output representation based on the received one or more target parameter values; and 
 setting the linear size of each respective graphics object in the user interface to be proportional to the estimated storage size of the corresponding digital image in the output representation and presenting a graphical representation of a total estimated storage size for the plurality of digital images relative to the respective graphics objects. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 for each digital image, the corresponding graphics object encloses the visual representation of the image.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 each digital image is distorted in proportion to the storage size of the image.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein receiving user input specifying values for one or more target parameters includes:
 presenting a respective slider for each target parameter in the user interface, wherein at least one of the sliders is a user adjustable slider; and   specifying the value of each target parameter according to a current position of the respective user adjustable slider.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein a first target parameter has a first allowable range, and wherein:
 presenting a slider for the first target parameter includes presenting a representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , the one or more computers further operable to perform operations comprising:
 receiving user input modifying the first allowable range; and   adjusting the representation of the first allowable range in the user interface.   
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a total number of bits representing the at least one image in the output representation.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the storage size of at least one digital image specifies a transmission time for transmitting the at least one image in the output representation over a link.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 25 , the one or more computers further operable to perform operations comprising:
 presenting a reference storage size in the user interface.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein all of the graphics objects have equal heights, and each of the graphics objects has a width that is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each graphics object has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension is equal for all of the graphics objects, and the second dimension for each graphics object is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphics objects are presented as a histogram. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein all of the graphics objects have equal heights, and each of the graphics objects has a width that is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein each graphics object has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension is equal for all of the graphics objects, and the second dimension for each graphics object is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the graphics objects are presented as a histogram. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein all of the graphics objects have equal heights, and each of the graphics objects has a width that is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein each graphics object has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension is equal for all of the graphics objects, and the second dimension for each graphics object is proportional to a storage size of the respective digital image. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the graphics objects are presented as a histogram.