Appartuses, Systems and Methods for Compressing Image Data that is Representative of a Series of Digital Images

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for automatically compressing digital image data. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for automatically compressing digital image data that is representative of a series of digital images.

1 . A vehicle in-cabin imaging device for manipulating image data associated with an interior of a vehicle, the vehicle in-cabin imaging device comprising:
 a processor and a memory, wherein image data is stored on the memory, wherein the image data is representative of a series of time-stamped digital images, wherein the image data is representative of a first image within the series of time-stamped digital images when a change between the first image and a next image within the series of time-stamped digital images is below a threshold change, and wherein the image data is representative of the next image when a change between the first image and the next image is above a threshold change;   a vehicle interior device data module stored on the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive at least one of: location data or orientation data from at least one vehicle in-cabin imaging device sensor, the location data being indicative of a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of timestamped digital images, and the orientation data being indicative of an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of time-stamped digital images,   wherein the processor determines at least one of: a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the location data, or an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the orientation data.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device of  claim 1 , the vehicle in-cabin imaging device further comprising:
 an image comparison module stored on the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to compare at least two sequential images of the series of time-stamped digital images to determine if a threshold change has occurred from a first image to a next image.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device of  claim 2 , the vehicle in-cabin imaging device further comprising:
 an image data compression module stored on the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to compress the image data, when the processor determines that the threshold change has not occurred from the first image to the next image, by deleting either first image data associated with the first image, or next image data associated with the next image, from the image data.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 3 , wherein, when the processor determines that the threshold change has not occurred from the first image to the next image, a time range is associated with first image data or the next image data that is not deleted. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 4 , wherein the time range is based upon a first image time stamp. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 4 , wherein the time range is based upon a next image time stamp. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 1 , wherein the image data is representative of a three-dimensional location of at least a portion of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior and an orientation of the portion of the at least one vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 1 , wherein the image data is representative of at least one of a vehicle occupant head location/orientation, a vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a vehicle occupant arm location/orientation, a vehicle occupant elbow location/orientation, a vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a seat belt location, a cellular telephone location, a vehicle occupant eye location/orientation, or a vehicle seat location/orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle in-cabin imaging device as in  claim 1 , wherein the image data is representative of an image feature associated with at least one of: a vehicle occupant head location/orientation, a vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a vehicle occupant arm location/orientation, a vehicle occupant elbow location/orientation, a vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a seat belt location, a cellular telephone location, a vehicle occupant eye location/orientation, or a vehicle seat location/orientation. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method for manipulating image data associated with an interior of a vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a processor and in response to the processor executing a vehicle interior device data module, at least one of: location data or orientation data from at least one vehicle in-cabin imaging device sensor, the location data being indicative of a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of time-stamped digital images and the orientation data being indicative of an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of time-stamped digital images, wherein the image data is representative of a first image within the series of time-stamped digital images when a change between the first image and a next image within the series of time-stamped digital images is below a threshold change, wherein the image data is representative of the next image when a change between the first image and the next image is above a threshold change, and wherein the processor determines at least one of: a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the location data, or an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the orientation data.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , the method further comprising:
 receiving, at the processor and in response to the processor executing an image data receiving module, image data, wherein the image data is representative of a series of time-stamped digital images; and   comparing, at the processor and in response to the processor executing an image comparison module, at least two sequential images, of the series of time-stamped digital images, to determine if a threshold change has occurred from a first image to a next image.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 compressing, at the processor and in response to the processor executing an image data compression module, the image data, when the processor determines that the threshold change has not occurred from the first image to the next image, by deleting either first image data associated with the first image, or next image data associated with the next image, from the image data.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the image data is representative of an image feature that is associated with at least one of: a vehicle occupant head location/orientation, a vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a vehicle occupant arm location/orientation, a vehicle occupant elbow location/orientation, a vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a seat belt location, a cellular telephone location, a vehicle occupant eye location/orientation, or a vehicle seat location/orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the image data is representative of at least one of: a vehicle occupant head location/orientation, a vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a vehicle occupant arm location/orientation, a vehicle occupant elbow location/orientation, a vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a seat belt location, a cellular telephone location, a vehicle occupant eye location/orientation, or a vehicle seat location/orientation. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the image data is representative of a three-dimensional location of at least one vehicle occupant within the vehicle interior. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the image data is representative of an orientation of at least a portion of at least one vehicle occupant within the vehicle interior. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the image data is representative of a three-dimensional location of at least a portion of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior and an orientation of the portion of the at least one vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manipulate image data associated with an interior of a vehicle, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 a vehicle interior device data module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive at least one of: location data or orientation data from at least one vehicle in-cabin imaging device sensor, the location data being indicative of a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of time-stamped digital images, and the orientation data being indicative of an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device relative to the vehicle occupant within the series of time-stamped digital images, wherein the image data is representative of a first image within the series of time-stamped digital images when a change between the first image and a next image within the series of time-stamped digital images is below a threshold change, and wherein the image data is representative of the next image when a change between the first image and the next image is above a threshold change,   wherein the processor determines at least one of: a location of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the location data, or an orientation of the vehicle in-cabin imaging device based upon the orientation data.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises:
 an image data receiving module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive image data, wherein the image data is representative of a series of timestamped digital images.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises:
 an image comparison module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to compare at least two sequential images, of the series of time-stamped digital images, to determine if a threshold change has occurred from a first image to a next image; and   an image data compression module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to compress the image data, when the processor determines that the threshold change has not occurred from the first image to the next image, by deleting either first image data associated with the first image, or next image data associated with the next image, from the image data.