System and method for compressing and scaling images

A processor assembly for compressing digital images, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• an image compression server module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for receiving an input image having a dimension d and a target dimension constraint dt, the image compression server module comprising:
• a first module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for determining a number of resolution levels R for generating an image having corresponding dimension dr, wherein the difference between dr and dt is less than the difference between dr and the corresponding dimension of an image compressed at the next or the previous resolution level;
• a second module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for determining a scale factor S as a function of R and the dimension d of the input image;
• a third module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for scaling the input image in accordance with the scale factor S;
• and
• a fourth module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for compressing the scaled input image with the R resolution levels for producing a compressed image including a lowest resolution image, wherein the lowest resolution image has a corresponding dimension that is substantially the same as dt.

A system for compressing digital imaging comprising:

• a processor assembly for compressing digital images, comprising:
• a processor;
• and
• a transaction server module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for receiving from a client device a client request to compress an image;
• an image compression server module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for receiving from the transaction server module an input image having a dimension d and a target dimension constraint dt, the image compression server module comprising:
• a first module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for determining a number of resolution levels R for generating an image having corresponding dimension dr, wherein the difference between dr and dt is less than the difference between dr and the corresponding dimension of an image compressed at the next or the previous resolution level;
• a second module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for determining a scale factor S as a function of R and the dimension d of the input image;
• a third module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for scaling the input image in accordance with the scale factor S;
• and
• a fourth module having a series of programmable instructions executable by the processor for compressing the scaled input image with the R resolution levels for producing a compressed image including a lowest resolution image, wherein the lowest resolution image has a corresponding dimension that is substantially the same as dt, wherein the compressed scaled image is provided to the transaction server which provides the client device with access to the compressed image.