Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assisting in the detection of elements in an environment, comprising: the acquisition of a first wide-field image of an environment by a first sensor (14A) having a first field of view and a first resolution, the generation of a fused image from first narrow-field images of the environment acquired by a second sensor (14B) having a second field of view strictly less than the first field of view and a second resolution finer than the first resolution, In response to the detection of a difference relating to an element on a second wide-field image acquired by the first sensor (14A), compared to the first wide-field image, the acquisition of a second narrow-field image imaging the difference, and the update the fused image with the second narrow-field image.

Abstract: Quick-clamping spindle contains two pieces, firstly a spindle body supplied with a clamping member at one of the ends thereof and secondly a control rod for controlling the use/withdrawal of said clamping member, which rod is contained in said spindle body as well as a member for maneuvering and controlling the clamping member placed at the other of the ends of said spindle body, which simultaneous control member has a helical ramp provided in the wall of said spindle body engaging a transverse shaft borne by said control rod. The spindle further has a device for rotationally blocking the control rod in the spindle body. It is intended for use in the machining field.

Abstract: Quick-clamping spindle contains two pieces, firstly a spindle body supplied with a clamping member at one of the ends thereof and secondly a control rod for controlling the use/withdrawal of said clamping member, which rod is contained in said spindle body as well as a member for maneuvering and controlling the clamping member placed at the other of the ends of said spindle body, which simultaneous control member has a helical ramp provided in the wall of said spindle body engaging a transverse shaft borne by said control rod. The spindle further has a device for rotationally blocking the control rod in the spindle body. It is intended for use in the machining field.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for selecting a version of a document. The user inputs an identifier of a document at the level of his receiver connected to at least one communication network, and initiates a search request to receive versions of at least one part of this document. The receiver then receives a plurality of versions of the said document. Each version received is analysed by a plurality of evaluation modules so as to calculate an evaluation value for each version received according to a predetermined criterion. The receiver selects for each of the evaluation modules a version of the document having the best evaluation in respect of this criterion, and displays the identifiers of versions having the best evaluations according to each criterion. The user can then easily select the version for reproduction thereof which best meets a criterion. The invention also relates to a receiver implementing the said method.

Abstract: A method for assessing the quality of a distorted version of a frame sequence includes the steps of determining a last spatial distortion by comparing a block of a last frame (I6) of the sequence with a corresponding block of the distorted version of the last frame, determining, in a last-but-one frame, a best-matching block matching said block of the last frame best, determining a last-but-one spatial distortion by comparing the determined best-matching block of the last-but-one frame with a corresponding block of the distorted version of the last-but-one frame, determining a spatio-temporal perceptual distortion value associated with said block using said determined distortions and using the determined spatio-temporal perceptual distortion value for assessing the quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for processing pictures intended to insert an advertising clip at a point, called insertion, between two pictures of a sequence of video pictures, called video sequence, comprising the following steps: generating a salience map representing the salience of the video sequence preceding the insertion point, generating, for each advertising clip of a set of advertising clips, a salience map, determining, for each advertising clip of said set of advertising clips, a degree of similarity between the salience map of the video sequence and the salience map of said advertising clip, said degree of similarity being representative of the comparison between the location of the salience zones on both said maps, selecting, among said set of advertising clips, the advertising clip having the highest degree of similarity, and inserting the advertising clip selected into the video sequence at the insertion point.

Abstract: A method for coding a picture portion of a picure of a video sequence is disclosed, at least one picture of the video sequence being a key picture. The method comprises the following steps: a) calculate a saliency map of the key picture, b) estimate for the picture portion to be coded, at least one motion vector pointing towards a portion of the key picture, c) motion compensate at least one portion of the saliency map using an estimated motion vector to obtain, for said picture portion, at least one portion of the predicted saliency map, and d) code the picture portion according to the saliency level of the portion of the predicted saliency map. The invention also relates to a method for decoding a binary stream, a coder able to code pictures of a video sequence and a decoder of a binary stream.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reframing an image according to at least one predefined reframing method to obtain a reframed image for which the format ratio is equal to a target format ratio. The method comprises the following steps for: analyzing the image, selecting the predefined reframing method in a set of at least two reframing methods according to the result of the analysis step, and reframing said image using the selected reframing method. The invention also relates to a device for reframing an image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of processing an image of a video image sequence, wherein it comprises the following successive steps: a step for computing a complexity value representative of the complexity of said image; a first step of morphological processing applied on said image, said first step generating a first processed image; a second step for mixing said image and said first processed image depending on said complexity value, said second step generating a mixed image; a third step of morphological processing applied on said mixed image, said third step generating a second processed image; and a fourth step for mixing said mixed image and said second processed image depending on said complexity value.

Abstract: A method and device for analysing video images by obtaining high frequency components. The device includes means for obtaining high-frequency components of a video image and means for obtaining a high-frequency image on the basis of the high-frequency components. Means for calculating the variance for each pixel of the high-frequency image. Means for associating a coefficient with each pixel of the video image as a function of the variance. The coefficient is representative of the visual sensitivity of each pixel for the human eye. The invention relates to a method and a device for analysing video images.

Abstract: Detection of the salient points in an image enable the improvement of further steps such as coding or image indexing, watermarking, video quality estimation. The methods rely on the fact that a model is fully based on the human visual system (HVS) such as the computation of early visual features, and the methods compute a saliency map for video images taking into account motion and the velocity of the eye.

Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic detection method in a source image, of at least one area called a layout area comprising at least one layout, such as a logo and/or a score. According to the invention, the layout areas of a source image are detected using the salience of source image pixels. The detection is carried out in specific areas of the source image saliency map, usually in the areas corresponding to the corners of the image or to the bands in the upper part and lower part of the image. In these areas, two points are sought having maximum salience values and distant by at least p points from each other. These two points corresponding to the beginning and end of a layout area. The window bounding these two points then corresponds to a layout area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the salience map of an audio video document. The method comprises the steps for: calculating a salience map in relation to the video part of said document, determining at least one audio descriptor representing said document, weighting the video salience map as a function of the variation of said audio descriptor.

Abstract: A method of obtaining a saliency map from a plurality of saliency maps created from different visual quantities. Initially the saliency maps are normalized based on a theoretical maximum of each visual quantity. An intra-competition step selects the main saliency areas in each saliency map. An inter-competition step is then performed based on a sum of the intra-map competition with an inter-map redundancy term that is a function of the product of the intra-map competitions and of the probability of a site appearing on the saliency maps.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for image processing to generate, from a source image having a predefined width to height ratio, called initial ratio, and an information banner having predefined width to height ratio, called banner ratio, a final image having a width called final and a height called final and for which the width to height ratio, called final ratio, is different from the initial ratio, comprising the following steps: determine a ratio called useful according to the final ratio and the banner ratio, extract from the source image a part of the image having a width to height ratio equal to the useful ratio, and generate, from the part of the image extracted and the information banner, a final image comprising in juxtaposition an image representative of the extracted image part having a width to height ratio equal to the useful ratio and an image representative of the information banner having a width to height ratio equal to the banner ratio.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for selecting a version of a document. The user inputs an identifier of a document at the level of his receiver connected to at least one communication network, and initiates a search request to receive versions of at least one part of this document. The receiver then receives a plurality of versions of the said document. Each version received is analysed by a plurality of evaluation modules so as to calculate an evaluation value for each version received according to a predetermined criterion. The receiver selects for each of the evaluation modules a version of the document having the best evaluation in respect of this criterion, and displays the identifiers of versions having the best evaluations according to each criterion. The user can then easily select the version for reproduction thereof which best meets a criterion. The invention also relates to a receiver implementing the said method.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image processing method to generate, from a source image, an image of reduced size whose ratio between the width and the height is equal to a predetermined value, called reduced ratio. It comprises the following steps: selecting one rectangular image part in the source image, and extracting the rectangular image part to generate the reduced image. According to an essential characteristic of the method, if the ratio between the width and height of the rectangular image part, called first ratio, is not equal to the reduced ratio, the width or the height of the rectangular image part is modified before the extraction step according to values of perceptual interest associated with each pixel of the source image in such a manner that the ratio between the width and the height of the modified rectangular image part, called second ratio, is equal to the reduced ratio.

Abstract: A method for assessing image quality between a reference image and an impaired image is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of subband decomposition of the luminance component of the reference image into N subbands, called reference subbands and of the luminance component of the impaired image into N subbands, called impaired subbands; errors computation from the reference subbands and from the impaired subbands; and pooling the computed the errors. The subband decomposition is based on a wavelet transform adapted to decompose each of the luminance components into L levels of decomposition, with L a positive integer determined as a function of the image height and of the distance of visualization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of locally adjusting a quantization step for each region of an image with respect to a setpoint quantization step. The method comprises the steps of: assigning, to said region of interest, a first quantization step, lower than or equal to said setpoint quantization step; determining a second quantization step higher than or equal to said setpoint quantization step and lower than or equal to a third quantization step such that the number of bits required by the region of interest is lower than the number of bits saved on the potential masking region; and assigning, when such a second quantization step exists, said second quantization step to said potential masking region, otherwise assigning said third quantization step to said potential masking region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reframing an image according to at least one predefined reframing method to obtain a reframed image for which the format ratio is equal to a target format ratio. The method comprises the following steps for: analyzing the image, selecting the predefined reframing method in a set of at least two reframing methods according to the result of the analysis step, and reframing said image using the selected reframing method. The invention also relates to a device for reframing an image.