Image processing method, encoding device, decoding device, and image processing apparatus

An encoding device, comprising:

• a frame separation section configured to separate an image taken at a predetermined frame rate into a first frame and at least one second frame other than the first frame at intervals of 1/n, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2;
• a first frequency division section configured to divide each of the first frame and the at least one second frame into a low-frequency component and a high frequency component;
• a difference generation section configured to generate difference data in low-frequency component between the at least one second frame and the first frame;
• a compression and encoding section configured to compress and encode the difference data and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame;
• a first signal processing section configured to perform signal processing designated by a user on the first frame;
• and
• a transmission section configured to transmit the difference data and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame both being compressed and encoded, and the first frame being subjected to the signal processing.

A system comprising:

• an encoding device comprising:
• a frame separation section configured to separate an image taken at a predetermined frame rate into a first frame and at least one second frame other than the first frame at intervals of 1/n, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2;
• a first frequency division section configured to divide each of the first frame and the at least one second frame into a low-frequency component and a high frequency component;
• a difference generation section configured to generate difference data in low-frequency component between the at least one second frame and the first frame;
• a compression and encoding section configured to compress and encode the difference data and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame;
• a first signal processing section configured to perform signal processing designated by a user on the first frame;
• and
• a transmission section configured to transmit the difference data and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame both being compressed and encoded, and the first frame being subjected to the signal processings;
• and
• a decoding device comprising:
• a separation section configured to separate information transmitted by the encoding device into compression codes of the difference data, compression codes of the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame, and the first frame being subjected to the signal processing;
• an expansion section configured to expand the compression codes of the difference data and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame;
• a low-frequency component decompression section configured to decompress, using the difference data and the low-frequency component in the first frame being subjected to the signal processing, the low-frequency component in the at least one second frame being subjected to the signal processing;
• and
• a frame decompression section configured to decompress, by an inverse operation of a frequency division, the at least one second frame being subjected to the signal processing, using the decompressed low-frequency component in the at least one second frame and the high-frequency component in the at least one second frame.

An image processing method, comprising:

• in an image processing apparatus comprising one or more processors:
• separating an image taken at a predetermined frame rate into a first frame and a second frame other than the first frame at intervals of 1/n, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2;
• performing signal processing designated by a user on the first frame;
• performing the signal processing on a pixel in the second frame, the pixel detected to have a difference of a threshold value or above based on a pixel-to-pixel comparison between the second frame and the first frame before the signal processing;
• and
• decompressing the second frame being subjected to the signal processing by providing a pixel, not detected to have the difference of the threshold value or above, with a value of a pixel at the same position in the first frame being subjected to the signal processing.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a frame separation section configured to separate an image taken at a predetermined frame rate into a first frame and a second frame other than the first frame at intervals of 1/n, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2;
• a first signal processing section configured to perform signal processing designated by a user on the first frame;
• a comparison section configured to make a pixel-to-pixel comparison between the second frame and the first frame before the signal processing;
• a second signal processing section configured to perform the signal processing on a pixel in the second frame, the pixel detected to have a difference of a threshold value or above;
• a copy processing section configured to provide a pixel not detected to have the difference of a threshold value or above, with a value of a pixel at the same position in the first frame being subjected to the signal processing;
• and
• a combining section configured to combine an output from the second signal processing section and an output from the copy processing section to decompress the at least one second frame being subjected to the signal processing.