Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of ports, and a processor coupled to the ports and configured to receive a plurality of video frames from any of the ports, wherein the video frames comprise an object and a background, and wherein the video frames comprise a plurality of color pixels for the object and the background, receive a plurality of depth frames from any of the ports, wherein the depth frames comprise the object and the background, and wherein the depth frames comprise an indication of an object depth relative to a background depth, and encode the video frames using the indication of the object depth relative to the background depth.

Abstract: A network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of search responses from a plurality of media content service providers associated with a search request triggered by the search request, and rank the search responses based on maximizing an end user's quality of experience (QoE). Included is a network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of media content from a plurality of media content service providers, store the plurality of media content for a plurality of end users, receive a media content search request from a user terminal, rank the media content based upon maximizing the user terminal's QoE. Also included is a method comprising requesting media content from a plurality of media content service providers on behalf of a user terminal, receiving data associated with the media content from the plurality of media content service providers and aggregating the media content data.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for selective data redundancy elimination. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a transmission point, an incoming data packet containing content, wherein the content comprises a content type, eliminating, with the transmission point, redundant data elements from the data packet when the content type matches a selective data redundancy elimination type, and bypassing, with the transmission point, selective data redundancy elimination when the content type matches a bypass-elimination type.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a decorrelator, a compressive sampler coupled to the decorrelator, and an encoder coupled to the compressive sampler, wherein the compressive sampler is configured to receive sparse data and compress the sparse data using compressive sampling. Also included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising decorrelating sparse data or data including sparse data, compressing the sparse data using compressive sampling, and encoding the data. Also included is a method comprising receiving a data stream comprising a sparse data portion, compressing the sparse data portion using compressive sampling, and compressing the remaining data portion without using compressive sampling.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of authenticating images includes electronically receiving an anchor image and a query image, performing a feature point extraction of an anchor image, and performing a feature point extraction of a query image. The method also includes clustering feature points of the anchor image and feature points of the query image, where clustering includes determining matching feature points, determining outlier feature points, and excluding outlier feature points. Whether the anchor image is similar to the query image is determined based on a distance between the feature points of the anchor image and the feature points of the query image. If the anchor image is similar to the query image, possible tampered areas of the query image based on the outlier feature points are identified.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a multimedia queue management solution that maintaining graceful Quality of Experience (QoE) degradation are provided. The method selects a frame from all weighted queues based on a gradient function indicating a network performance rate change and a distortion rate caused by the frame and its related frames in the queue, and dropping the selected frame and all its related frames, and continues to drop similarly chosen frame until a network performance rate change caused by the dropping frame and its related frames meets a predetermined performance metric. A frame gradient is a distortion rate divided by a network performance rate change caused by the frame and its related frames, and a distortion rate is based on a sum of each individual frame distortion rate when the frame and its related frames are replaced by some other frames derived from remaining frames based on a replacement method.

Abstract: A system and method for region-of-interest-based bit-allocation scheme for video coding is provided. A method for encoding an image sequence of inter-frames and intra-frames includes grouping the inter-frames and the intra-frames in at least one group of pictures (GOP), and performing a frame-level bit-allocation to inter-frames and the intra-frames in the GOP. For each frame of the inter-frames and the intra-frames in the GOP, the method also includes partitioning the frame into a plurality of macroblocks, identifying macroblocks in the plurality of macroblocks as having regions of interest (ROI), and performing a macroblock level bit-allocation for the frame based on macroblocks identified as having ROI. The method further includes encoding the image sequence based on the bit-allocations, thereby producing an encoded image sequence, and outputting the encoded image sequence.

Abstract: A system and method for retargeting video sequences are provided. A method for retargeting a video includes a plurality of frames includes determining saliency information for the plurality of frames, determining a cost metric for the video, and retargeting the video based on the cost metric to produce a retargeted video. The cost metric considers loss due to cropping, scaling, temporal factors, and spatial factors. The retargeting makes use of a crop window for each frame in the plurality of frames.

Abstract: An embodiment of a system and method that uses inline measurements to probe available bandwidth for a transmission control protocol, and adaptively sets a slow-start threshold according to the available bandwidth. The method includes initializing a congestion window “cwnd,” sending cwnd packets, estimating an available bandwidth for the cwnd packets. The congestion window cwnd is set to a higher number, and the higher number of further packets is sent if the available bandwidth is greater than a first threshold level. The available bandwidth is re-estimated for the higher number of the further packets, and a soft start threshold “ssthresh” is set to the re-estimated available bandwidth. A statistical measure is calculated for the re-estimated available bandwidth, and the congestion window cwnd is set equal to ssthresh if a ratio of the statistical measure to the re-estimated available bandwidth is less than a second threshold level.

Abstract: A method for delivering packets in a wireless communications system includes determining a cause of loss for a previously transmitted packet based on a packet acknowledgement corresponding to the previously transmitted packet, the packet acknowledgement including at least one of a wireless loss indicator and a congestion warning indicator for the wireless communications system. The method also includes adjusting a transmission parameter in a packet transmission protocol according to the cause of loss, and retransmitting the previously transmitted packet.

Abstract: The media player employs an operating system that supports a virtual machine into which auto-run playback programs may be loaded and run. The auto run playback program is stored on the media containing the program content, such as on an optical disc medium. When the medium is inserted in the player, the auto run playback program automatically launches and is thereafter used to access playback the media content. Support for legacy media is provided to allow the player to playback compact discs and DVD discs that were manufactured without the auto run playback program.

Abstract: An image processing method can be performed on a video image that includes an initial frame and a plurality of subsequent frames. An object is located within the initial frame of the video image and a histogram related to the object is generated. A foreground map that includes the object is also generated. For each subsequent frame, a mean shift iteration is performed to adjust the location of the object within the current frame. The histogram related to the object and the foreground map can then be updated.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of processing an electronic image having caption text includes receiving the electronic source image, detecting the caption text in the electronic source image, reformatting the electronic source image, reformatting the caption text, and overlaying the reformatted caption text on the reformatted electronic image to form a resultant image.

Abstract: A system and method for quality of experience estimation are provided. A method for communications device operations includes selecting a portion of a media content stream, processing the portion to produce a processed portion, generating a signature from the processed portion, transmitting the signature, and transmitting the media content stream.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for inserting secondary content into a media stream includes dividing the media stream having a plurality of frames into a plurality of shots at a processor. The method further includes grouping consecutive shots from the plurality of shots into a plurality of scenes. A first list of insertion points is generated for introducing the secondary content. The insertion points of the first list are boundaries between consecutive scenes in the plurality of scenes. An average insertion point saliency of the media stream is generated at the insertion points in the first list. A second list of insertion points is then generated. The insertion points in the second list are arranged to maximize a function of the average insertion point saliency and a distance between each insertion point in the second list with other insertion points in the second list.

Abstract: The media player employs an operating system that supports a virtual machine into which auto-run playback programs may be loaded and run. The auto run playback program is stored on the media containing the program content, such as on an optical disc medium. When the medium is inserted in the player, the auto run playback program automatically launches and is thereafter used to access playback the media content. Support for legacy media is provided to allow the player to playback compact discs and DVD discs that were manufactured without the auto run playback program.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing a media includes receiving a first media stream of the media and displaying the first media stream in a first window of a media player. The first media stream includes navigable parts configured to be selected for higher resolution streaming. A request to stream a selected navigable part of the first media stream is sent. A second media stream with the selected navigable part is received and displayed. The resolution of the selected navigable part in the second media stream is higher than the resolution of the selected navigable part in the first media stream.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for streaming a media includes a server side receiver for receiving a request to stream a media from a media player. The apparatus further includes a content generator, a server side transmitter, and a media stream generator. The content generator is configured to generate content information providing a plurality of presentation options to consume the media. The server side transmitter is configured to send the content information. The server side receiver is further configured to receive a selected presentation option from amongst the plurality of presentation options. The media stream generator is configured to generate a media stream comprising the media based on the selected presentation option.

Abstract: An embodiment of an apparatus to authenticate a sequence of video frames includes a process to choose intra-frames of the sequence and sample DC components thereof to produce a set of test fingerprints. To reduce a dimensionality of the test fingerprints, the DC components of the chosen intra-frames are multiplied by a projection matrix formed of eigenvectors associated with the larger eigenvalues of a covariance matrix for a library of frames. The projected test fingerprints are compared against a reference set of fingerprints for authentication. Time-stamp spacings of the chosen intra-frames are determined, and these spacings are employed to select candidate frames for authentication in the reference set of fingerprints.

Abstract: An embodiment of a system and method that inserts a virtual image into a sequence of video frames. The method includes capturing geometric characteristics of the sequence of video frames, employing the captured geometric characteristics to define an area of the video frames for insertion of a virtual image, registering a video camera to the captured geometric characteristics, identifying features in the sequence of video frames to identify the defined area of video frames for insertion of the virtual image, and inserting the virtual image in the defined area. Vanishing points are estimated to determine the geometric characteristics, and the virtual image is blended with the area of video frames prior to inserting the virtual image in the defined area.