Automatic method of identifying image subregions for reuse during datastream transmission

A method for decoding a packaged image, comprising:

• determining whether a packaged image is present in a datastream;
• responsive to determining that a packaged image is present in a datastream, extracting the packaged image;
• separating the packaged image into an image data structure and a decoding table containing one or more references and one or more corresponding identifiers, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream;
• and
• modifying the image data structure to replace any identifiers present in the image data structure with corresponding references, wherein the references represent subregions of at least one image.

An apparatus for reducing datastream transmission bandwidth requirements, comprising:

• means for, in response to determining that an image data structure is present in a datastream, wherein the image data structure contains data of an image;
• means for extracting said image data structure from said datastream;
• means for dividing said image data structure into one or more subregions;
• means for associating a corresponding identifier with a first selected one of said one or more subregions;
• means, in response to determining that said first selected one of said one or more subregions is substantially identical to a second selected one of said one or more subregions,
• means for replacing second selected one of said one or more subregions with said corresponding identifier of said first selected one of said one or more subregions;
• means for reducing transmission bandwidth requirements by generating a packaged image, which includes a decoding table comprising said first selected one or more subregions and said corresponding identifier of said first selected one of said one or more subregions in place of said second selected one of said one or more subregions, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream;
• and
• inserting said packaged image into said data stream;
• and
• means for transmitting said modified data.

An apparatus for decoding a packaged image, comprising:

• means for determining whether a packaged image is present in a datastream;
• means for, responsive to determining that a packaged image is present in a datastream, extracting the packaged image;
• means for separating the packaged image into an image data structure and a decoding table containing one or more references and one or more corresponding identifiers, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream;
• and
• means for modifying the image data structure to replace any identifiers present in the image data structure with corresponding references, wherein the references represent subregions of at least one image.

A computer program product in a computer usable medium for reducing datastream transmission bandwidth requirements, comprising:

• a computer usable medium, wherein the medium is a computer hardware storage medium;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for,
• instructions on the computer usable medium for, in response to determining that an image data structure is present in a datastream, wherein the image data structure contains data of an image;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for extracting said image data structure from said datastream;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for dividing said image data structure into one or more subregions;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for associating a corresponding identifier with a first selected one of said one or more subregions;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for, in response to determining that said first selected one of said one or more subregions is substantially identical to a second selected one of said one or more subregions,
• instructions on the computer usable medium for replacing second selected one of said one or more subregions with said corresponding identifier of said first selected one of said one or more subregions;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for reducing transmission bandwidth requirements by generating a packaged image, which includes a decoding table comprising said first selected one or more subregions and said corresponding identifier of said first selected one of said one or more subregions in place of said second selected one of said one or more subregions, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream;
• and
• inserting said packaged image into said data stream.

A computer program product in a computer usable medium for decoding a packaged image, comprising:

• a computer usable medium, wherein the medium is a computer hardware storage medium;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for determining whether a packaged image is present in a datastream;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for, responsive to determining that a packaged image is present in a datastream, extracting the packaged image;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for separating the packaged image into an image data structure and a decoding table containing one or more references and one or more corresponding identifiers, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream;
• and
• instructions on the computer usable medium for modifying the image data structure to replace any identifiers present in the image data structure with corresponding references, wherein the references represent subregions of at least one image.

A computer program product in a computer usable medium for reducing datastream transmission bandwidth, comprising:

• a computer usable medium, wherein the medium is a computer hardware storage medium;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for examining a datastream for the presence of one or more image data items, wherein the one or more image data items contains data of an image;
• instructions on the computer usable medium for, responsive to the presence of one or more image data items, examining the one or more image data items for the presence of one or more repeated visual data elements;
• and
• instructions on the computer usable medium for responsive to the presence of one or more repeated visual data elements, recoding the datastream to include one or more replacement markers inserted to replace the one or more repeated visual data elements and a decoding table for translating the one or more replacement markers during decoding, wherein the decoding table contains all identifiers needed for decoding the data stream.