Abstract: An apparatus for regulating temperature is presented. The apparatus comprises: a shell comprising a first cavity and a second cavity; and an inner valve body and an outer valve body disposed in the shell between the first cavity and the second cavity, wherein the inner valve body is movable relative to the outer valve body, and the outer valve body is movable within the shell. Depending on the temperature inside the shell, the inner valve body and the outer valve body can substantially seal the first cavity from the second cavity. The inner valve body and the outer valve body can also provide, respectively, a first flow path and a second flow path between the cavities, depending on the temperature.

Abstract: A mobile device comprising a processor configured to merge a plurality of images each having a distinct focus position in a scene to generate a focus-stacked image that encompasses all focus positions of the plurality of images. Also, an apparatus comprising a camera configured to capture a plurality of color images for one scene each with a distinct focus distance and a processor configured to register the plurality of color images to generate a plurality of registered color images, generate a plurality of luminance (Y) channels from the plurality of registered color images, and stack the plurality of Y channels to generate a focus-stacked Y channel.

Abstract: An embodiment Media-Aware File System (MAFS) includes a network node having a processor executing programming stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium of the network node. The programming includes instructions to: receive a first media stream made up of a plurality of primary frames; receive a primary namespace for the first media stream; determine a first file name for the first media stream and a second file name for a second media stream in accordance with the primary namespace; and determine a partition index for partitioning the first media stream into a plurality of groups of primary frames, including a first group having a first length in frames and a second group having a different length. The programming also includes instructions to determine the second media stream that includes a derived group of frames, including at least one frame that is derived in accordance with the first group.

Abstract: A mobile device comprising a processor configured to merge a plurality of images each having a distinct focus position in a scene to generate a focus-stacked image that encompasses all focus positions of the plurality of images. Also, an apparatus comprising a camera configured to capture a plurality of color images for one scene each with a distinct focus distance and a processor configured to register the plurality of color images to generate a plurality of registered color images, generate a plurality of luminance (Y) channels from the plurality of registered color images, and stack the plurality of Y channels to generate a focus-stacked Y channel.

Abstract: An apparatus for regulating temperature is presented. The apparatus comprises: a shell comprising a first cavity and a second cavity; and an inner valve body and an outer valve body disposed in the shell between the first cavity and the second cavity, wherein the inner valve body is movable relative to the outer valve body, and the outer valve body is movable within the shell. Depending on the temperature inside the shell, the inner valve body and the outer valve body can substantially seal the first cavity from the second cavity. The inner valve body and the outer valve body can also provide, respectively, a first flow path and a second flow path between the cavities, depending on the temperature.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a network bandwidth; detect a sequence of frames; determine a motion based on the sequence of frames; set a target bit rate for the sequence of frames based on the network bandwidth; and set a frame rate for the sequence of frames based on the motion of the sequence of frames, wherein the target bit rate and the frame rate are utilized to process the sequence of frames.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a current macroblock and an adjacent macroblock within the scene; detect a mode of the adjacent macroblock; and select a skip mode as a mode for the current macroblock based on the mode of the adjacent macroblock.

Abstract: The methods and apparatuses for processing audio streams for use with multiple devices detect a sound level corresponding with each of a plurality of devices; select a selected group of devices from the plurality of devices based on the sound level corresponding with each of the plurality of devices; mix a plurality of audio streams associated with the selected group of devices and forming a mixed plurality of audio streams; and transmit the mixed plurality of audio streams to an unselected device.

Abstract: The methods and apparatuses for detecting audio streams for use with multiple devices detect a sound level corresponding with each of a plurality of devices; select a selected group of devices from the plurality of devices based on the sound level corresponding with each of the plurality of devices; mix a plurality of audio streams associated with the selected group of devices and forming a mixed plurality of audio streams; and transmit the mixed plurality of audio streams to an unselected device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a network bandwidth; detect a sequence of frames; determine a motion based on the sequence of frames; set a target bit rate for the sequence of frames based on the network bandwidth; and set a frame rate for the sequence of frames based on the motion of the sequence of frames, wherein the target bit rate and the frame rate are utilized to process the sequence of frames.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a current macroblock and an adjacent macroblock within the scene; detect a mode of the adjacent macroblock; and select a skip mode as a mode for the current macroblock based on the mode of the adjacent macroblock.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for using M-ary pyramid decomposition in combination with N-scale tiling to reduce the computational complexity in determining motion vectors for block-based motion estimation is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding, illustratively, a video information stream to produce an encoded information stream according to a group of frames (GOF) information structure where the GOF structure and, optionally, a bit budget are modified in response to, respectively, information discontinuities and the presence of redundant information in the video information stream (due to, e.g., 3:2 pull-down processing).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding, illustratively, a video information stream to produce an encoded information stream according to a group of frames (GOF) information structure where the GOF structure and, optionally, a bit budget are modified in response to, respectively, information discontinuities and the presence of redundant information in the video information stream (due to, e.g., 3:2 pull-down processing).

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for performing hierarchial block-based motion estimation with a high degree of scalability is disclosed. The present invention decomposes each of the image frames within an image sequence into an M-ary pyramid. Different dynamic ranges for representing the pixel values are used for different levels of the M-ary pyramid, thereby generating a plurality of different “P-bit” levels, i.e., a plurality of different M-ary pyramid architectures. The present scalable hierarchical motion estimation provides the flexibility of switching from one M-ary pyramid architecture to another M-ary pyramid architecture according to the available platform resources and/or user's choice.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for encoding image sequences and, more particularly, to a method for reducing the computational complexity in determining motion vectors for block-based motion estimation and for enhancing the accuracy of motion estimates through the use of non-linear pyramids.