Patents Assigned to Ecole de Technologie Superieure
-
Method and apparatus for signal encoding producing encoded signals of high fidelity at minimal sizes
Patent number: 9338450Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining encoding parameters of an encoder or a transcoder which yield an encoded signal of optimal measurable properties are disclosed. For a video signal, the encoding parameters may include quantization granularity, a measure of display resolution, and a frame rate. The measurable properties of an encoded signal may include a fidelity index, a relative size, and a relative flow rate. Reference data records quantifying properties of sample signals encoded according to experimental sets of encoding parameters are used to define parameters of conjectured analytical functions characterizing the encoding or transcoding functions. The analytical functions are then used to generate granular tables of estimated measures of encoded-signal properties. A fast search mechanism relies on the granular tables, together with sorted arrangements of the granular tables, to determine, in real-time, preferred encoding parameters for multimedia data streams received at an encoder or a transcoder.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Didier Joset, Stéphane Coulombe, Maged E. Beshai -
Patent number: 9247264Abstract: A method and system for parallel encoding of frames in a video are described, exploiting parallel processing at both frame and slice levels. One or more slices are processed in a preceding frame by one or more cores in a multi-core processor, and a slice is processed in a succeeding frame provided at least one of said one or more cores in the multi-core processor is available for processing; and the processing of a slice from said one or more slices at same physical location in the preceding input frame has been completed, the processing of frames and slices in the preceding and succeeding frames being performed at least partially in parallel. A significant speedup in comparison to the sequential encoding approach is achieved while maintaining high visual quality for the output video. A corresponding system for parallel encoding of a video is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2011Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Jean-Francois Franche, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 9100656Abstract: An improved MPEG-4 to H.264 transcoding algorithm is provided, exploiting residual, coding mode and motion vector information from the MPEG-4 stream. The use of the relative sum of absolute residuals (RSAR) to classify macroblocks (MB) leads to small sets of coding modes (CM) to test, and significantly reduces the computational complexity. In addition, RSAR is used to conditionally refine motion vectors (MV); only those MVs most likely to lead to quality improvements are refined. The average RSAR statistics are obtained from the transcoding of the previous Inter frame to provide adaptive thresholds for coding mode selection as well as conditional MV refinement. A corresponding video transcoder system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2012Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Isabelle Metoevi, Stephane Coulombe
-
Publication number: 20150139302Abstract: Methods of optimal encoding of signals to be compatible with characteristics of target receivers while meeting constraints pertinent to sizes of encoded signals or capacities of paths communicating signals to the target receivers are disclosed. The methods are based on analytical modeling of the encoding process guided by experimental data relating measured performance indicators of encoded signals of diverse classifications to respective encoding parameters. A computationally-efficient technique is devised to determine optimal encoding parameters based on pre-processed data derived from the analytical models. The methods may be implemented at an encoder of original signals or a transcoder of pre-encoded signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: May 21, 2015Applicant: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Didier JOSET, Stéphane COULOMBE, Maged E. BESHAI
-
Patent number: 8958659Abstract: An image registration method is disclosed for processing a distorted image into a registered image that is aligned with reference to an original image. Distortions from the original image may include scaling, rotation, and noise. The method is based on correlating Radon transforms of both images to determine the rotation angle, and the scaling factor is determined by dividing averages of the overall luminance of each image on the assumption that any added noise will cancel. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is used to estimate global spatial shifts. In one embodiment, the distorted image is first scaled to the size of the original image before being rotated. In another embodiment, the original image is first scaled to the size of the distorted image before rotating the distorted image, and finally scaling it to match the original image. A corresponding system for image registration is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Guangyi Chen, Stéphane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8942512Abstract: An image registration method is disclosed for processing a distorted image into a registered image that is aligned with reference to an original image. Distortions from the original image may include scaling, rotation, and noise. The method is based on correlating Radon transforms of both images to determine the rotation angle, and the scaling factor is determined by dividing averages of the overall luminance of each image on the assumption that any added noise will cancel. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is used to estimate global spatial shifts. In one embodiment, the distorted image is first scaled to the size of the original image before being rotated. In another embodiment, the original image is first scaled to the size of the distorted image before rotating the distorted image, and finally scaling it to match the original image. A corresponding system for image registration is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Guangyi Chen, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8894693Abstract: An orthopaedic fixation component attachable to a femur, said femur defining a femur shaft, a femur head and a femur neck extending therebetween, said femur further defining a greater trochanter limiting laterally said femur neck, said orthopaedic fixation component comprising: a shaft section fixation portion and an end section fixation portion extending substantially longitudinally therefrom, said shaft section and end section fixation portions being respectively securable to said femur shaft and said greater trochanter; said end section fixation portion including a pair of end arms, said end arms being configured, sized and positioned to delimit a trochanter receiving recess for substantially fittingly receiving a prominent portion of said greater trochanter.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2008Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignees: Valorisation Recherche HSCM, Limited Partnership, Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Yvan Petit, Georges Yves Laflamme, Yan Bourgeois
-
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNAL ENCODING PRODUCING ENCODED SIGNALS OF HIGH FIDELITY AT MINIMAL SIZES
Publication number: 20140270718Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining encoding parameters of an encoder or a transcoder which yield an encoded signal of optimal measurable properties are disclosed. For a video signal, the encoding parameters may include quantization granularity, a measure of display resolution, and a frame rate. The measurable properties of an encoded signal may include a fidelity index, a relative size, and a relative flow rate. Reference data records quantifying properties of sample signals encoded according to experimental sets of encoding parameters are used to define parameters of conjectured analytical functions characterizing the encoding or transcoding functions. The analytical functions are then used to generate granular tables of estimated measures of encoded-signal properties. A fast search mechanism relies on the granular tables, together with sorted arrangements of the granular tables, to determine, in real-time, preferred encoding parameters for multimedia data streams received at an encoder or a transcoder.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Didier JOSET, Stéphane COULOMBE, Maged E. BESHAI -
Publication number: 20140269907Abstract: Methods of optimal encoding of signals to be compatible with characteristics of target receivers while meeting constraints pertinent to sizes of encoded signals or capacities of paths communicating signals to the target receivers are disclosed. The methods are based on analytical modeling of the encoding process guided by experimental data relating measured performance indicators of encoded signals of diverse classifications to respective encoding parameters. A computationally-efficient technique is devised to determine optimal encoding parameters based on pre-processed data derived from the analytical models. The methods may be implemented at an encoder of original signals or a transcoder of pre-encoded signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEUREInventors: Didier JOSET, Stéphane COULOMBE, Maged E. BESHAI
-
Patent number: 8831101Abstract: Method and system for determination of a metric measuring a difference between two image blocks used in motion compensated video coding of scenes are described. Only selected pixels in a block in the scene are processed for enhancing the speed of the metric computation.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2008Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventor: Steven Pigeon
-
Patent number: 8755438Abstract: Method and system for transcoding a sequence of input images into a sequence of output images that can effectively handle one or more transcoding uses cases are presented. The embodiments of the invention exploit the incoming metadata retrieved from the decoding process to adapt the video content and to achieve a significant speed-up in comparison to the traditional cascaded approach while maintaining high quality for output images.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Hicham Layachi, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8660339Abstract: Method and system for low complexity transcoding of images with near optimal quality for display on a terminal are presented. Generating effective transcoding parameters prior to transcoding and retrieving the transcoding parameters based on the features of the input image and the characteristics of the terminal, an output image quality close to that produced by optimal quality transcoding is achieved. The processing time is much smaller in comparison to that required for optimal quality transcoding.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2012Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Stéphane Coulombe, Steven Pigeon
-
Patent number: 8660364Abstract: Method and system for determining a measure of quality for images by using multi-level decomposition are presented. Multi-level decomposition of images is performed in the wavelet domain producing subbands at each level of decomposition. Aggregation of subbands is performed across multiple levels to produce an accurate measure of image quality. By aggregating only selected subbands the computational complexity of the method is greatly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2013Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Soroosh Rezazadeh, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8660329Abstract: Method for reconstruction of a three-dimensional model of a body structure of a subject, said structure comprising a plurality of objects, wherein a database (21) of the structure is provided, the database comprising means to estimate, from a parameter of any object of the structure, another parameter for an object of the structure, a preliminary solution for a first object (L1) is modified to be brought in concordance with subject-specific data (23a, 23b), a reconstruction of the second object (T12) is obtained based on the modified first object and on the database of structure (21).Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2007Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignees: Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Metiers (ENSAM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Wafa Skalli, Ludovic Humbert, David Mitton, Jean Dubousset, Jacques De Guise, Benoit Godbout, Stefan Parent
-
Publication number: 20140016875Abstract: Several quality-aware transcoding systems and methods are described, in which the impact of both quality factor (QF) and scaling parameter choices on the quality of transcoded images are considered in combination. A basic transcoding system is enhanced by the addition of a quality prediction look-up table, and a method of generating such a table is also shown.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: Ecole De Technologie SuperieureInventors: Stéphane Coulombe, Steven Pigeon, Jean-François Franche
-
Patent number: 8559739Abstract: A method for quality-aware transcoding of an input image into an output image for display on a terminal having device file size and image size constraints are disclosed. The method extracts features of the input image including dimensions and file size of the input image, predicts a file size of the output image taking into account constraints of the terminal and extracted features, including selecting a set of feasible transcoding parameters so that a corresponding predicted file size of the output image meets the device file size constraint of the terminal, determines quality metric values of the output image, characterizing a measure of distortion of the input image introduced by the transcoding, corresponding to the feasible transcoding parameters in the set of feasible transcoding parameters, and selects those transcoding parameters from the set of feasible transcoding parameters, which yield the highest quality metric value. A corresponding system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2012Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Stéphane Coulombe, Steven Pigeon, Jean-François Franche
-
Patent number: 8532396Abstract: Method and system for low complexity assessment of quality of an image are presented. By performing multiresolution decomposition of images using, for example, a discrete wavelet transform, and determining a metric based on a structural similarity index or a structural similarity map, a structural similarity score, characterizing similarity between images with a high degree of accuracy, is produced. The processing time is much smaller in comparison to that required by other methods producing image quality metrics of comparable accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2012Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Soroosh Rezazadeh, Stéphane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8515181Abstract: Method and system for determining a measure of quality for images are presented. Multi-level decomposition of images in the wavelet domain using a variable number of levels of decomposition and aggregation of selected subbands is performed to obtain an accurate measure of quality. The processing time is reduced in comparison to that required by other methods for generating measures of quality.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Soroosh Rezazadeh, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8515182Abstract: Method and system for determining a measure of quality for images by using multi-level decomposition are presented. Multi-level decomposition of images is performed in the wavelet domain producing subbands at each level of decomposition. Aggregation of subbands is performed across multiple levels to produce an accurate measure of image quality. By aggregating only selected subbands the computational complexity of the method is greatly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Soroosh Rezazadeh, Stephane Coulombe
-
Patent number: 8494056Abstract: A method and system for an efficient transcoding of a sequence of input images in a first format to a sequence of output images in a second format are described. The method utilizes the encoding block mode, the motion vectors and the residual information extracted during the decoding of the input image that are effectively reused to select an optimal transcoding block mode and to perform selective refinement of motion vectors. A corresponding system for video transcoding is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2009Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Ecole de Technologie SuperieureInventors: Isabelle Metoevi, Stéphane Coulombe