[Data][LLM] Support OpenAI's nested image_url schema in PrepareImageStage

python/ray/llm/_internal/batch/stages/prepare_image_stage.py

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Prepare Image Stage"""
+
 import asyncio
 import base64
 import importlib
@@ -311,13 +312,17 @@ def __init__(self, data_column: str, expected_input_keys: List[str]):
         self.image_processor = ImageProcessor()
 
     def extract_image_info(self, messages: List[Dict]) -> List[_ImageType]:
-        """Extract vision information such as image and video from chat messages.
+        """Extract image information from chat messages.
 
         Args:
             messages: List of chat messages.
 
         Returns:
             List of _ImageType.
+
+        Note:
+            The optional 'detail' parameter from the OpenAI schema is not
+            passed forward to downstream templates.
         """
 
         image_info: List[_ImageType] = []
@@ -336,7 +341,20 @@ def extract_image_info(self, messages: List[Dict]) -> List[_ImageType]:
             for content_item in content:
                 if content_item["type"] not in ("image", "image_url"):
                     continue
-                image = content_item[content_item["type"]]
+
+                image_data = content_item[content_item["type"]]
+
+                if content_item["type"] == "image_url" and isinstance(image_data, dict):
+                    # OpenAI nested format: {"image_url": {"url": "..."}}
+                    image = image_data.get("url")
+                    if not isinstance(image, str) or not image:
+                        raise ValueError(
+                            "image_url must be an object with a non-empty 'url' string"
+                        )
+                else:
+                    # Simple format: {"image": "..."} or {"image_url": "..."}
+                    image = image_data
+
                 if not isinstance(image, str) and not isinstance(
                     image, self.Image.Image
                 ):

python/ray/llm/tests/batch/cpu/stages/test_prepare_image_stage.py

@@ -250,6 +250,24 @@ async def test_prepare_image_udf_invalid_image_type(mock_image_processor):
             ["https://example.com/image.jpg"],
             "image_url_format_no_system_prompt",
         ),
+        # Test OpenAI nested format without system prompt
+        # https://github.com/openai/openai-openapi/blob/manual_spec/openapi.yaml#L1937-L1940
+        (
+            [
+                {
+                    "role": "user",
+                    "content": [
+                        {
+                            "type": "image_url",
+                            "image_url": {"url": "https://example.com/image.jpg"},
+                        },
+                        {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this image"},
+                    ],
+                }
+            ],
+            ["https://example.com/image.jpg"],
+            "openai_image_url_format_no_system_prompt",
+        ),
     ],
     ids=lambda x: x if isinstance(x, str) else None,
 )
@@ -262,5 +280,37 @@ def test_extract_image_info(messages, expected_images, test_description):
     assert image_info == expected_images
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "image_url_value,test_description",
+    [
+        ({}, "missing_url"),
+        ({"url": 12345}, "non_string_url"),
+        ({"url": ""}, "empty_string_url"),
+    ],
+    ids=lambda x: x if isinstance(x, str) else None,
+)
+def test_extract_image_info_invalid_nested_image_url(image_url_value, test_description):
+    """Test that invalid nested image_url objects raise ValueError with proper message."""
+    udf = PrepareImageUDF(data_column="__data", expected_input_keys=["messages"])
+
+    messages = [
+        {
+            "role": "user",
+            "content": [
+                {
+                    "type": "image_url",
+                    "image_url": image_url_value,
+                },
+                {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this image"},
+            ],
+        }
+    ]
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        ValueError, match="image_url must be an object with a non-empty 'url' string"
+    ):
+        udf.extract_image_info(messages)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     sys.exit(pytest.main(["-v", __file__]))