Compression method selection for digital images

1. A computer implemented method of compressing an image using one of a plurality of compression methods, said method comprising the steps of:

analysing a first portion of the image to determine a compressibility score for the whole of the image;

comparing the compressibility score for the whole image to a plurality of thresholds, each of the plurality of thresholds being for a candidate compression method from the plurality of compression methods, wherein at least one of the plurality of thresholds is dependent upon an amount of a portion of the image which has been analysed;

if the compressibility score for the whole image satisfies a first threshold of the plurality of thresholds, selecting the candidate compression method to compress the whole of the image;

if the compressibility score for the whole image satisfies a second threshold of the plurality of thresholds, rejecting the candidate compression method; and

if the compressibility score for the whole image satisfies none of the plurality of thresholds, analysing a second portion of the image to update the compressibility score for the whole image to thereby determine if one of the plurality of thresholds is satisfied.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein if the compressibility score satisfies none of the plurality of thresholds, said method further comprising the steps of:

adjusting at least one of the plurality of thresholds based on an amount of the first and second analysed portions of the image; and

comparing a subsequent compressibility score to the plurality of adjusted thresholds to select a compression method.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said method is repeated until one of the following criteria is satisfied:

the candidate compression method is selected either (i) based on the first threshold value or (ii) because the candidate compression method is the only compression method that has not been eliminated; or

the entire image has been analysed, in which event the method comprises one of the following steps:

compressing the image using a compression method selected from the plurality of compression methods; or

outputting the image without compression.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the compressibility score is a number of colour changes across a scan line in the first portion of the image that is being processed to determine the compressibility score.

5. A computer implemented method of compressing an image, said method comprising the steps of:

analysing a first portion of the image to determine a compressibility score for the whole of the image;

determining an acceptance threshold and a rejection threshold according to an amount of the first portion of the image which has been analysed;

comparing said compressibility score for the whole image with said acceptance threshold and with said rejection threshold;

if said compressibility score for the whole image satisfies said acceptance threshold, selecting a first compression method for compressing the whole of the image;

if said compressibility score for the whole image satisfies said rejection threshold, selecting a second compression method for compressing the whole of the image; and

if the compressibility score for the whole image satisfies neither said acceptance threshold nor said rejection threshold, analysing a second portion of the image to update the compressibility score for the whole image, and updating said acceptance threshold and said rejection threshold based on the amount of the first and second portions of the image, to thereby determine if one of the plurality of thresholds is satisfied.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein if said value satisfies neither the acceptance threshold nor the rejection threshold, said method comprising the further steps of:

comparing the updated compressibility score to the updated acceptance threshold and the updated rejection threshold to select a compression method.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein said method is repeated until at least one of the following criterion is satisfied:

(A) a compression method is selected; and

(B) the whole image has been analysed;

wherein upon the whole image being analysed, performing at least one of the following steps:

(B)(i) compressing the image using a compression method; and

(B)(ii) outputting the image without compression.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the acceptance threshold decreases with an amount of an analysed portion of the image and the rejection threshold increases with an amount of an analysed portion of the image that has been processed.

9. An apparatus for compressing an image, said apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device storing a program for directing the processor to execute a method for compressing said image, the program comprising:

code for a plurality of candidate compression modules

code for processing a portion of the image to determine, for at least some of the candidate compression methods, associated compressibility scores for the whole image, corresponding acceptance thresholds and corresponding rejection thresholds, wherein the compressibility scores, and at least one of the acceptance thresholds and the corresponding rejection thresholds are dependent upon the proportion of the image that has been processed;

code for comparing the compressibility scores for the whole image to the acceptance thresholds and the rejection thresholds;

code for selecting, if a compressibility score for the whole image satisfies the corresponding acceptance threshold, the associated candidate compression method for compressing the whole image; and

code for compressing the whole image using the selected candidate compression method.

10. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program for directing a processor to execute a method for compressing an image, the program comprising:

code for a plurality of candidate compression modules;

code for processing a portion of the image to determine, for at least some of the candidate compression methods, associated compressibility scores for the whole image, corresponding acceptance thresholds and corresponding rejection thresholds, wherein the compressibility scores, and at least one of the acceptance thresholds and the rejection thresholds are dependent upon the proportion of the image that has been processed;

code for comparing the compressibility scores for the whole image to the acceptance thresholds and the rejection thresholds;

code for selecting, if a compressibility score for the whole image satisfies the corresponding acceptance threshold, the associated candidate compression method for the whole image; and

code for compressing the whole image using the selected candidate compression method.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold decreases with an amount of an analysed portion of the image and the rejection threshold increases with an amount of an analysed portion of the image.

12. A computer implemented method of compressing an image using one of a plurality of compression methods, said method comprising the steps of:

analysing a portion of the image to determine a compressibility score for the whole image;

comparing the compressibility score for the whole image to a threshold for a candidate compression method from the plurality of compression methods, the threshold decreasing with an amount of the analysed portion of the image;

if the compressibility score for the whole image satisfies a first threshold of the plurality of thresholds, selecting the candidate compression method to compress the whole of the image; and

if the compressibility score for the whole image does not satisfy the threshold, increasing the amount of the analysed portion of image.