Abstract: A method of using an audiovisual system including the steps of providing usage preferences descriptions, providing a plurality of usage history descriptions, and providing a user identification description. The usage preferences descriptions include at least two of a browsing preferences description, a filtering preferences description, a search preferences description, and a device preferences description. Each usage history description includes at least one of a browsing history description, a filtering history description, a search history description, and a device usage history description. The user identification description identifies a corresponding set of at least one of the usage preference descriptions and at least one of the usage history descriptions.

Abstract: A method of using a system with at least one of audio, image, and a video comprises a plurality of frames comprising the steps of providing a usage preferences description where the usage preference description includes at least one of a browsing preferences description, a filtering preferences description, a search preferences description, and a device preferences description. The browsing preferences description relates to a user's viewing preferences.

Abstract: A method of using a system with at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames comprising the steps of providing a usage preferences description where the usage preferences description includes at least one of a browsing preferences description, a filtering preferences description, a search preferences description, and a device preferences description.

Abstract: A system for providing a data broadcast service for digital television receivers. The system includes a data authoring system for creating a program description, a data service encoder for combining the description with other information and encoding it, and a multiplexer for using the encoded data service information into a transport data stream. A receiver at the client end receives the transport data stream and extracts the data and the audiovisual program and builds a summary for the viewer.

Abstract: A method for expediting a search of a digital image database comprises, for each digital image, constructing a set of at least two abstracted images varying in level of detail and searching the abstracted images. Selected ones of the abstracted images are down-loaded to a user thereby reducing download time through a finite bandwidth communicative medium relative to the time needed to download complete digital images.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Abstract: An automatic segmentation system distinguishes foreground and background objects by first encoding and decoding a first image at a first time reference. Macroblocks are extracted from a second image at a second time reference. The macroblocks are mapped to pixel arrays in the decoded first image. Frame residuals are derived that represent the difference between the macroblocks and the corresponding pixel arrays in the previously decoded image. A global vector representing camera motion between the first and second images is applied to the macroblocks in the second image. The global vectors map the macroblocks to a second pixel array in the first decoded image. Global residuals between the macroblocks and the second mapped image arrays in the first image are derived. When the global residuals are compared with the frame residuals to determine which macroblocks are classified as background and foreground. The macroblocks classified as foreground are then blended into a mosaic.

Abstract: An automatic segmentation system distinguishes foreground and background objects by first encoding and decoding a first image at a first time reference. Macroblocks are extracted from a second image at a second time reference. The macroblocks are mapped to pixel arrays in the decoded first image. Frame residuals are derived that represent the difference between the macroblocks and the corresponding pixel arrays in the previously decoded image. A global vector representing camera motion between the first and second images is applied to the macroblocks in the second image. The global vectors map the macroblocks to a second pixel array in the first decoded image. Global residuals between the macroblocks and the second mapped image arrays in the first image are derived. When the global residuals are compared with the frame residuals to determine which macroblocks are classified as background and foreground. The macroblocks classified as foreground are then blended into a mosaic.

Abstract: A system constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images where each of the low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes. The system receives the plurality of low resolution images where the plurality of color planes of each of the low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner. Motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of the low resolution images is determined. The high resolution image is constructed, having a resolution greater than the low resolution images, based upon the non-coincident color planes of the low resolution images, together with the motion data.

Abstract: A system for including metadata with a JPEG2000 file.

Abstract: A method for expediting a search of a digital image database comprises, for each digital image, constructing a set of at least two abstracted images varying in level of detail and searching the abstracted images. Selected ones of the abstracted images are downloaded to a user thereby reducing download time through a finite bandwidth communicative medium relative to the time needed to download complete digital images.

Abstract: A method for expediting a search of a digital image database comprises, for each digital image, constructing a set of at least two abstracted images varying in level of detail and searching the abstracted images. Selected ones of the abstracted images are down-loaded to a user thereby reducing download time through a finite bandwidth communicative medium relative to the time needed to download complete digital images.

Abstract: A high-resolution image is derived from multiple low resolution images each having an array of low-resolution pixels. Motion vectors are derived at each of the unknown high-resolution grid points for each of the multiple low-resolution images. One motion vector is generated at each one of the high-resolution grid locations for each one of the multiple images. The motion vectors at the high-resolution grid points associate high-resolution grid points, whose values are unknown, with inter-pixel positions on the associated low-resolution images. Low-resolution pixels are identified that have the closest distance to each inter-pixel position. One or several of the identified low-resolution pixels having the shortest distance are used to determine the pixel value at each one of the high-resolution grid points. Pixel intensity values are then mapped into the high-resolution grid points according to the selected low-resolution pixels.

Abstract: A sprite-based coding system includes an encoder and decoder where sprite-building is automatic and segmentation of the sprite object is automatic and integrated into the sprite building as well as the coding process. The sprite object is distinguished from the rest of the video objects on basis of its motion. The sprite object moves according to the dominant component of the scene motion, which is usually due to camera motion or zoom. Hence, the sprite-based coding system utilizes dominant motion, to distinguish background images from foreground images. The sprite-based coding system is easily integrated into a video object-based coding framework such as MPEG-4, where shape and texture of individual video objects are coded separately.

Abstract: An automatic segmentation system distinguishes foreground and background objects by first encoding and decoding a first image at a first time reference. Macroblocks are extracted from a second image at a second time reference. The macroblocks are mapped to pixel arrays in the decoded first image. Frame residuals are derived that represent the difference between the macroblocks and the corresponding pixel arrays in the previously decoded image. A global vector representing camera motion between the first and second images is applied to the macroblocks in the second image. The global vectors map the macroblocks to a second pixel array in the first decoded image. Global residuals between the macroblocks and the second mapped image arrays in the first image are derived. When the global residuals are compared with the frame residuals to determine which macroblocks are classified as background and foreground. The macroblocks classified as foreground are then blended into a mosaic.