Abstract: Automatic tracking by a camera (16) of an object (12) such as on-air talent appearing in a television show commences by first determining whether the object lies within the camera field of view matches a reference object. If so, tracking of the object then occurs to maintain the object in fixed relationship to a pre-set location in the camera's field of view, provided the designated object has moved more than a threshold distance from the pre-set location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method to create and reproduce a panoramic sound image. Initially, there is a plurality of images associated with sound sequences, these images are for example taken using a camera, this camera having recorded the ambient sound at the time of taking the photograph. The ambient sound is then filtered to keep only the stationary component. Then, the images are concatenated to form a unique image called “panoramic”, each sound sequence being associated with a part of the panoramic image containing the image associated with this sequence. Finally, the commands are introduced to display the parts of the panoramic image. The command also enables to reproduce continually the stationary component of at least a sound content associated with at least a displayed part of the panoramic image. According to an improvement, the sound sequence is reproduced continually until the introduction of a new command.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for scanning data stored on a recording medium. The device comprises a reading head and further comprises: means to calculate an error rate of the data read by said reading head, said data being arranged as groups of data, means to align the reading head in respect with the next data to be read according to said error rate of the data read, the reading head reads at least twice some of said groups, changing position in respect with the group of data from one reading to the other, means to compare the calculated error rate corresponding to each position of the said reading head, means to align the reading head with the relative position in respect with the groups of data giving the lowest error rate in order to read the following groups of data, and the means to align the reading head adjust the frequency of the groups of data read at least twice.

Abstract: The method is characterized in that it implements the following steps: random drawing of p candidates from the set of key images, calculation of a cost C for each candidate, selection of the candidate minimizing the cost C, determination of a subset from among the set of key images such that the key images forming the said subset have a distance from the candidate less than a threshold T, determination of a seed from among the key images of the subset such that it minimizes the cost function C for this subset, deletion of the key images of the subset to form a new set of key images for at least one new random draw and determination of a new seed according to the previous 5 steps. The field is that of the selection of shots of interest in a video sequence.

Abstract: A video processing technique is performed on a video media service to identify video segments of interest. The video processing technique (200) is supplemented by a text extraction technique (245, 255, 270), as well. The resulting video segments of interest (289) can be stored as to produce a version of the media service which is shorter in time length than the original video media service.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for creation of a sound series of photographs. A sound series is produced by a camera and is audible to the user of the device. At various instants of the sound series, the user takes photographs to and the device records the instant when the photograph was taken. A table is created associating each photograph with the instant of the sequence when it was taken. The sound sequence terminates then ending the series of photograph takes. Then, the photographs are assembled to form a single panoramic image, a part of the panoramic image is then displayed by an animation. The panoramic image thus created, the sound sequence and the table are assembled to form a panoramic sound image. During the reproduction of the panoramic sound image, each photograph is displayed at the instant associated by the table. The invention also relates to a camera enabling creation of the panoramic sound image, and a device designed to reproduce the panoramic sound image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for creation of an animated series of photographs. A photograph acquisition device analyzes the images in order to detect an absence of movement. The detection of an absence of movement during a determined period triggers a photograph to be taken and the memorization of image data in the series of photographs. The user introduces a command to end the acquisition of the series of photographs. The data of different to photographs taken are assembled to form an animated series. During the reproduction, the series is reproduced by displaying successively each photograph, the time between each photograph reproduction can possibly be introduced by the user. The invention also relates to a photograph acquisition device designed acquire said animated series of photographs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for creating a new roundup of an audiovisual document previously recorded in a device. The document contains two parts, one being the roundup and the other composed of a plurality of reports. The roundup is itself divided into a plurality of parts. The device first searches for the associations between the roundup parts and the reports, and detects the reports that are not associated with roundup parts. Then, summaries are created for the reports not associated with the roundup, and incorporated into the initial roundup to create a new roundup. In this manner, the user can easily select any report from the roundup part associated with this report. The invention also relates to the receiver suitable for implementing the method.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and an automatic resetting method using electronic means intended for a geometric model of a scene over a picture of the scene including fixed references, the electronic means comparing the picture with model having been adjusted in perspective by homography for superimposition of the references. According to the invention, the electronic device calculates a fine homography function Hf for resetting into three phases: a first preliminary phase of determination of an average resetting homography consisting in determining an average homography function Hm applicable to the model with average adjustment over a sample of pictures of the scene taken previously, a second, rough resetting phase consisting after application of the average homography function Hm, to the model in determining a rough homography function Hg, and a third, fine resetting phase consisting after application of the rough homography function Hg to the model in determining the fine homography function Hf.

Abstract: The application concerns a method for transmitting video data in a data stream and associated metadata, said metadata representing associated video data structure. The method comprises the steps of—determining the structure of the video data, —splitting said structure into chunks in an incremental manner, —transmitting said chunks in the data stream at time intervals before the video data it is related to. The application concerns also a method for transmitting fingerprint information associated with video data into a video data stream. The method comprises the steps of: —determining fingerprint associated with at least one frame of said video data, —inserting at least a message into the video stream comprising said fingerprint information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying an audiovisual document. Initially, the user programs the recording in an audiovisual content device with the aim of recording a determined document. Once the recording has been performed, the device detects and displays identifiers associated with shots extracted from the recorded content, each associated shot having at least one determined characteristic. An indication of the probability associated with each shot so that said shot is indeed the shot identifying the start or the end of said document is also displayed. Then, the user introduces a selection command for a displayed identifier, the start or the end of said document being identified by the shot associated with the selected identifier. The invention also relates to a receiver featuring a user interface implementing the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for segmenting objects in an image. The method comprises steps for: the approximate definition of a contour external to the object to be segmented, said contour including a plurality of so-called control points, the determination of a vicinity of candidate points in the vicinity of each control point, the determination of an energy associated with each candidate point in the vicinity of each control point, the convergence of each of the control points (Vi) towards the candidate point, which minimizes said energy, so providing an estimated contour of the object to be segmented. According to the invention, the energy associated with each candidate point includes a colour discrimination term.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a process for detecting faces in a colour image. The process is such that it comprises the steps of: detection of the flesh coloured pixels in the image, segmentation of the image into regions of homogeneous colour, selection, among the regions of homogeneous colour, of the regions comprising a number of flesh coloured pixels greater than a first predetermined threshold, the regions selected being said to be flesh coloured regions. merging of the neighbouring flesh coloured regions until the merge cost attains a second predetermined threshold, the merge cost linearly weighting a merge cost relating to the shape of the regions and a merge cost relating to the colour of the regions, exclusion of false positives.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for creating summaries of multimedia documents, the device comprising a storage means and means enabling a user to view a multimedia document. According to the invention, the device comprises means of automatically weighting multimedia documents stored in the storage means according to the frequency with which the different stored documents are viewed by said user, means of creating a summary of the multimedia documents stored on the storage means according to the weighting assigned to each multimedia document.

Abstract: The invention describes a creation method of a summary of an audiovisual document respecting both the criteria defined by the user and criteria helping in the understanding of said summary. The document is first split into sequences, each sequence associated with attribute values and a dependence parameter. The user first selects the first sequences either manually, or according to attribute values. Then second sequences are added according to the value of the dependence parameters. These added sequences enable a better understanding of the summary thus created. According to an improvement, the user introduces a maximum duration for the summary, first and/or second sequences are withdrawn from the summary if the duration of the summary thus created exceeds the introduced duration. The invention also relates to an audiovisual device for the creation and viewing of the summary.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of selecting parts of an audiovisual document. First, the document is analyzed by at least two subdividing means in order to extract from it at least two groups of audiovisual sequences. Then, selection criteria associated with each of the two subdividing means are entered. Finally, a list of sequences responding to all the selection criteria entered previously is generated. According to a refinement, the sequences are concatenated in a chronological order in order to generate an audiovisual document representative of the audiovisual document. The invention also relates to a device for displaying the sequences selected according to the method.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for computing a fingerprint of a video sequence. The method comprises the steps of—Computation of a visual digest for each frame of the video, —Computation of the distance between the visual digest of each frame of the video in order to detect shots, —Detection, for each detected shot of the video, of a frame, called stable frame, having the smallest content variation of the shot, —Calculation of a local fingerprint for said stable frame.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for scanning data stored on a recording medium. The device comprises a reading head and further comprises: means to calculate an error rate of the data read by said reading head, said data being arranged as groups of data, means to align the reading head in respect with the next data to be read according to said error rate of the data read, the reading head reads at least twice some of said groups, changing position in respect with the group of data from one reading to the other, —means to compare the calculated error rate corresponding to each position of the said reading head, means to align the reading head with the relative position in respect with the groups of data giving the lowest error rate in order to read the following groups of data, and the means to align the reading head adjust the frequency of the groups of data read at least twice.

Abstract: A method for identifying of tokens in a video sequence is described. First, the video sequence is scanned for boundaries between consecutive parts of the sequence where the appearance of the tokens is expected. After that step, candidate regions are pre-selected and classified in parts of the video sequence adjacent to detected boundaries, and tokens are located in the candidate regions. Information carried on the tokens is located, interpreted, and merged into consistent sets of information after passing a confidence analysis. In parallel a change in the visual appearance of a token, signaling a special event, is detected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for recording multimedia data received in programme form. The device comprises temporary storage means designed to continuously record the multimedia data received in programme form and permanent storage means, comprising means of selectively transferring programmes from the temporary storage means to the permanent storage means. According to the invention, the device comprises: segmentation means for segmenting the received programmes into units, means of selectively transferring one or more units from the temporary storage means to the permanent storage means.