# US 2021/0176484 A1 · Image processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0176484 A1 - Document ID: US20210176484A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/769,798 - Filed: 2018-12-06 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-06 - Assignees: V-Nova International Limited - Applicants: V-Nova International Limited - Inventors: Ivan MAKEEV; Balázs KESZTHELYI; Stergios POULARAKIS; Michele Sanna; Robert ETTINGER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210176484A1 ## CPC - H04N 19/33: in the spatial domain - H04N 19/154: Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion (use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147) - H04N 19/167: Position within a video image, e.g. region of interest [ROI] - H04N 19/17: the unit being an image region, e.g. an object - H04N 19/187: the unit being a scalable video layer - H04N 19/46: Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process (H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract First compressed data is decoded to obtain a representation of an image at a first level of quality which is output for display. In response to a predetermined trigger event, second compressed data is decoded to obtain reconstruction data, and the reconstruction data is used to reconstruct a representation of part of the image at a second, higher level of quality using the representation at the first level of quality. The representation of part of the image is output for display at the second level of quality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of processing image data, the method comprising: receiving first compressed data which, when decoded, is useable to obtain a representation of an image at a first level of quality; decoding the first compressed data to obtain the representation at the first level of quality; outputting for display the representation at the first level of quality; and in response to a predetermined trigger event: decoding second compressed data to obtain reconstruction data, the reconstruction data being useable to reconstruct a representation of part of the image at a second, higher level of quality using the representation at the first level of quality; reconstructing the representation at the second level of quality using the representation at the first level of quality and the reconstruction data; and outputting for display the representation at the second level of quality. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the image is a still image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the representation at the first level of quality comprises a thumbnail image. ### Claim 4 A method according to any of the above claims, wherein the first level of quality comprises a first image resolution and the second level of quality comprises a second, higher image resolution. ### Claim 5 A method of processing image data, the method comprising: decoding, at a device, first compressed data to obtain a first representation of an image at a first level of quality; determining whether the first level of quality has a predetermined relationship with one or more threshold levels of quality, the one or more threshold levels of quality being based on a display characteristic associated with the device; in response to determining that the first level of quality has the predetermined relationship with the one or more threshold levels of quality: decoding second compressed data to obtain reconstruction data useable to reconstruct a second representation of the image at a second, higher level of quality using the first representation; reconstructing the second representation using the first representation and the obtained reconstruction data; and outputting the second representation for display at the second level of quality; and in response to determining that the first level of quality does not have the predetermined relationship with the one or more threshold levels of quality, outputting the first representation for display at the first level of quality. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method according to claim 5, the method comprising: determining whether the second level of quality has a further predetermined relationship with the one or more threshold levels of quality; and in response to determining that the second level of quality has the further predetermined relationship with the one or more threshold levels of quality: decoding third compressed data to obtain further reconstruction data useable to reconstruct a third representation of the image at a third, even higher level of quality using the second representation; reconstructing the third representation using the second representation and the further reconstruction data; and outputting the third representation for display at the third level of quality. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5, 6) A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the image is a still image. ### Claim 8 A method of processing image data, the method comprising: receiving first compressed data which, when decoded, is useable to obtain a representation of an image at a first level of quality; decoding the first compressed data to obtain the representation at the first level of quality; causing the representation at the first level of quality to be displayed at the first level of quality; decoding second compressed data to obtain reconstruction data useable to enhance at least part of the displayed representation at the first level of quality to a second, higher level of quality; and using the reconstruction data to enhance said at least part of the displayed representation at the first level of quality to the second level of quality. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the first level of quality comprises a first image resolution and the second level of quality comprises a second, higher image resolution. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8, 9) A method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the second compressed data is decoded after the representation at the first level of quality is displayed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8, 9, 10) A method according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the second compressed data is received from a server system in response to a request sent to the server system. ### Claim 12 A method of processing image data, the method comprising: receiving first compressed data which, when decoded, is useable to obtain a representation of an image at a first level of quality; decoding the first compressed data to obtain the representation at the first level of quality; displaying the representation at the first level of quality; decoding second compressed data to obtain, for a selected target region of the image, reconstruction data useable to reconstruct a representation of the target region of the image at a second, higher level of quality using the representation at the first level of quality; reconstructing the representation of the target region of the image at the second level of quality using the received reconstruction data; and displaying the representation of the target region of the image at the second level of quality. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method according to claim 12, wherein the method is performed by a browser engine, and wherein the representation of the target region is displayed on a webpage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12, 13) A method according to claim 12 or claim 13, the method comprising selecting the target region of the image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12, 13, 14) A method according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the image is a still image. ### Claim 16 A method of processing image data, the method comprising: obtaining a set of reconstruction data elements useable to reconstruct a representation of an image at a first level of quality using a representation of the image at a second, lower level of quality, each reconstruction data element in the set of reconstruction data elements corresponding to an image element in the representation at the first level of quality; receiving an indication of a desired output size of encoded data; deriving, based at least on the received indication, a data rate target for encoding each of the set of reconstruction data elements; encoding each of the set of reconstruction data elements in accordance with the respective derived data rate target to obtain the encoded data; and outputting the encoded data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method according to claim 16, wherein the image is a still image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 17.