Importance

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Abstract

A method for facilitating transmission of video data over a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises the following exemplary steps. First, all the distinct colors in a region are identified. Second, the n most frequently occurring distinct colors are selected, where n is an integer parameter which is less than or equal to sixteen (16). Then, the next 16-n distinct colors are selected from the remaining distinct colors. These next 16-n distinct colors are colors that differ the most from the n selected distinct colors. The sixteen (16) selected distinct colors collectively represent a color map for the region. For each pixel within the region, one of the sixteen (16) selected distinct colors is assigned to that pixel, i.e., each pixel is represented by a 4-bit color. The assignment is based on which one of the sixteen (16) selected distinct colors is closest to the original color of the pixel. Once all the pixels in the region have been assigned their respective distinct colors, the region is now represented by a 4-bit bitmap. The color map and the 4-bit bitmap can then be compressed by a PNG compression algorithm for transmission to the intended destination(s).

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First Claim