Abstract: A method and system thereof for processing image data. Uncompressed image data comprising a plurality of pixels representing an image to be rendered are received. The pixels are grouped into blocks such that the pixels in a block have substantially the same color values. The image data including the blocks of pixels are compressed and the compressed data are used as the basis for generating a rendered image. The maximum number of pixels per block is dependent on the resolution at which the image may be rendered; at higher resolutions, more pixels are included in a block than at lower resolutions. However, the maximum physical dimensions of rendered blocks in the rendered image are not changed as a function of resolution; the maximum block size in an image rendered at one resolution is the same as that at another resolution.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques which adjust the sampling scheme associated with an image sensor in order to provide high quality renditions, e.g., printed or displayed outputs. The sampling scheme can be varied on a frame by frame basis (or less frequently) to output more samples from the image sensor for regions which are predicted to contain more perceptually significant information and to output fewer samples for regions which are predicted to be less perceptually significant. Various parameters can be used as proxies for perceptual significance. For example, in images which contain people, faces can be characterized as more perceptually significant and regions which are predicted to contain faces can be sampled more densely than regions which are not predicted to contain faces. Alternatively, the spatial frequency content of data captured by an image sensor can be measured to identify regions of higher and lower spatial frequency content.

Abstract: A digital video camera system may utilize a concurrent dual video and still image pipeline that simultaneously acquires, processes, transmits and/or stores digital video and high resolution digital still image photographs. The concurrent dual pipeline may include a video pipeline optimized for digital video and a still image pipeline optimized for high resolution digital still images. As a result, high resolution still image photographs may be acquired during video recording without any interference with the video recording or any impact on the quality of the video or the still image photographs.

Abstract: A method for providing a visual indication of a content of a video that reflects a likely intent of a user that acquired the video. The present method enables repurposing of a video into a variety of output forms that are adapted to the likely intent of the user and enables more efficient browsing of a stored video.

Abstract: A method for video indexing using high quality audio clips enables a user to acquire high quality audio clips during an audio/video sequence recording so that the user can selectively view the audio/video sequence using the high quality audio clips as video indices. Using the high quality audio clips as video indices enables the user to easily index the audio/video sequence using the most memorable pieces of music. In addition, the most memorable pieces of music contained in the high quality audio clips can be enjoyed (viewed and listened) in high quality audio, for example, with stereo sound, high dynamic range, noise suppression, or without psycho-acoustic compression.

Abstract: A method for generating a panoramic image that enables a user to obtain panoramic photographs with a digital camera without the aid of a computer system or specialized lenses. A digital camera according to the present techniques captures a series of image frames as a user pans the digital camera through a panoramic image scene and combines the captured image frames while the image frames are being captured.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus used, for example, in conjunction with a computer or similar device, provides for multi-resolution rendering of image data, where the image data includes background image data, vector data and text data, so as to accommodate memory capacities of rendering devices. The computer may send image data in a multi-resolution format from the computer to one of several rendering devices. The multi-resolution format may be achieved by frequency domain coding or generation of image swaths, or a combination thereof. The image data may first be sent in a low resolution format, and a rendering device determines, based on its memory, whether the corresponding image or text should be rendered. Next, vector data and/or text data may be supplied to the rendering device. Then, higher resolution data may be sent after the text/vector date so as to maximize memory usage of the rendering device.

Abstract: A digital video camera system may utilize a concurrent dual video and still image pipeline that simultaneously acquires, processes, transmits and/or stores digital video and high resolution digital still image photographs. The concurrent dual pipeline may include a video pipeline optimized for digital video and a still image pipeline optimized for high resolution digital still images. As a result, high resolution still image photographs may be acquired during video recording without any interference with the video recording or any impact on the quality of the video or the still image photographs.

Abstract: Using a joint video and still image pipeline technology, a network may be deployed through the Internet so that a user may acquire a remote high resolution photograph using a low resolution video streamed from a remote camera as a view-finder. The remote camera may enable the user to exercise control from a remote device through the network or other communication channels. A network server may store the video and the high resolution photograph, and either sends the video and the high resolution photograph to the user upon payment or posts the video and the high resolution photograph on a web page.

Abstract: Systems and methods of authoring a multimedia file are described. In one method of authoring a multimedia file, a collection of media objects, including a reference media object of indexed temporally-ordered data structures, is accessed. The reference media object is rendered. While the reference media object is being rendered, a media object in the collection is linked to the reference media object with a rendering time synchronized to the rendering of the reference media object. In another multimedia file authoring method, a collection of inter-linked media objects is accessed. Media objects are sequentially rendered in accordance with a sequence of media object links selected by a user while media objects are being rendered. The sequence of selected media object links and synchronization data are stored to enable reproduction of media object rendering experienced by the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods of presenting media objects are described. In one aspect, a group of media objects is selected from the collection based upon media object relevance to one or more data structures of a selected media file of indexed, temporally-ordered data structures. One or more of the selected media file and the media objects of the selected group are transmitted to a client for contemporaneous presentation at a selected summarization level. In another aspect, media objects in the collection are grouped into multiple clusters based upon one or more media object relevance criteria. The media object clusters are arranged into a hierarchy of two or more levels. A selected cluster is transmitted to a client for contemporaneous presentation at a selected summarization level.

Abstract: Image capture systems and methods are described. In one aspect, an image capture system includes an image sensor, an image frame generator, and an image region selector. The image sensor is operable to generate raw image data from a viewed scene. The image frame generator is operable to generate image frames from the raw image data. The image region selector is operable to cause a user-selected portion of an image frame to be captured as a still image in response to user input.

Abstract: Using a joint video and still image pipeline technology, a network may be deployed through the Internet so that a user may acquire high resolution photographs using a handheld device and a remote camera. The remote device may also include an identification tag embedded with the user's personal information, so that the remote camera may identify the user in the photographs by reading the identification tag. The remote camera may optionally annotate the photographs, which may be sent to the user through the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods of presenting media objects are described. In one aspect, a group of media objects is selected from the collection based upon media object relevance to one or more data structures of a selected media file of indexed, temporally-ordered data structures. The selected media file and the media objects of the selected group are presented contemporaneously. In another aspect, media objects in the collection are grouped into multiple clusters based upon one or more media object relevance criteria. The media object clusters are arranged into a hierarchy of two or more levels. A selected media object cluster is presented contemporaneously. Systems for implementing these media object presentation methods also are described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of indexing image data comprising the steps of acquiring image data representing a series of images, acquiring manually provided user cues for designating ones of the images, and indexing the image data in association with the manually provided user cues. The invention also relates to an apparatus for indexing image data comprising an image acquisition system operative for acquiring image data, a system operative for acquiring manually provided user cues, and an indexing device operative for indexing the acquired image data in association with the acquired manually provided user cues.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a database of video files utilizes user-initiated activities to automatically index video segments of the video files and to automatically extract keyframes for selected video segments. The user-initiated activities include viewing and printing activities. In addition, the system and method allows a user to program a sequence of video segments to be played without having to create a video file containing the video segments.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for processing images using histograms. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, first image data is received for a first image. A first histogram of the first image is generated using the first image data. At least one peak from the first histogram is selectively removed to generate a modified first histogram. The first image is processed using the modified first histogram.

Abstract: Systems and methods of managing media objects are described. In one aspect, a collection of media objects is accessed, including at least one media file of indexed, temporally-ordered data structures. Links are generated between media objects and respective data structures of the media file, each link being browsable from a given data structure to a linked media object and from the linked media object to the given data structure. The browsable links are stored in one or more media object linkage data structures.

Abstract: A system and method for indexing multimedia files utilizes audio characteristics of predefined audio content contained in selected multimedia segments of the multimedia files to distinguish the selected multimedia segments. In the exemplary embodiment, the predefined audio content is speech contained in video segments of video files. Furthermore, the audio characteristics are speaker characteristics. The speech-containing video segments are detected by analyzing the audio contents of the video files. The audio contents of the speech-containing video segments are then characterized to distinguish the video segments according to speakers. The indexing of speech-containing video segments based on speakers allows users to selectively access video segments that contain speech from a particular speaker without having to manually search all the speech-containing video segments.

Abstract: A digital video camera system may utilize a joint video and still image pipeline that simultaneously acquires, processes, transmits and/or stores digital video and high resolution digital still image photographs. The joint pipeline may include a video pipeline optimized for digital video frames and a high resolution still image pipeline optimized for high resolution digital still images. The digital video camera system may also concurrently acquire and process video frames and high resolution still image in burst mode using delayed encoding technology.