Abstract: A content distribution mechanism that relies on cooperative desktop PCs to distribute content is disclosed. The mechanism distributes content in a robust manner by allowing at least one intermediate network node (i.e., between a source and client) to generate and send packets that contain a linear combination of the portions of content available at the node. Such linear combinations may be created by the source and client using at least a portion of the original content file in either encoded or unencoded form. After the client has received enough linearly independent combinations of packets, the original content may be reconstructed.

Abstract: In a code processing device, a rank assignment unit assigns ranks to sets of partial codes of original codes respectively, wherein, when the sets have different quality levels, a high rank is assigned to a set of partial codes having a low quality level, and when the sets have a same quality level and different resolution levels, a high rank is assigned to a set of partial codes having a low resolution level. A partial code selecting unit selecting sets of partial codes that have a quality specified by a specified quality value and are included in output codes, in order of the assigned ranks. A code forming unit forms the output codes in which the sets of selected partial codes are included.

Abstract: A system and method that provides an efficient scheme to code images and video by exploiting spatial correlations within an image by employing hybrid directional prediction and lifting wavelet techniques.

Abstract: This is an image processing device for predicting the lower-order bits of target pixel data, based on one or more pieces of pixel data constituting image data. The image processing device comprises a lower-order bit calculation unit for calculating the lower-order bits of the target pixel data, based on one or more pieces of pixel data constituting image data and specifying the data as corrected lower-order bits and a lower-order bit superimposition unit for superimposing the corrected lower-order bits calculated by the lower-order bit calculation unit on higher-order bits of the target pixel data.

Abstract: A system for decoding a video bitstream and a method for replacing image data in a motion prediction cache are described. For each of the cache lines, a tag distance between pixels stored in the cache line and uncached pixels that are to be stored in the cache is calculated. The calculated tag distance is used to determine whether the pixels are outside a local image area defined about the uncached pixels. Pixels determined to be outside the local image area are replaced with the uncached pixels. The motion prediction cache can be organized as sets of cache lines and the method can be performed for each of the cache lines in one of the sets. The definition of the sets can be changed in response to cache performance. Similarly, the local image area can be redefined in response to cache performance.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a moving picture decoding apparatus for decoding a coded moving picture signal including a plurality of reference frames having a PTS information indicative of a reproduction time and a frame number information, and a plurality of subordinate frames having a frame number information, comprising: a decoding unit configured to decode the coded moving picture signal and generate a moving picture signal; and a reproduction time calculating unit configured to calculate a reproduction time of the subordinate frame based on a frame number information of a frame to be decoded, and a PTS information of the latest reference frame.

Abstract: A storage device stores rows of bits including a D0 bit, an X0 bit, an X1 bit, a Y0 bit, a Y1 bit and a spatially predicted coded block pattern having an A0 bit, an A1 bit, an A2 bit, and an A3 bit. A first circuit is connected to the storage device for setting the A0 bit. A second circuit is connected to the storage device for setting the A2 bit and operates in parallel to the first circuit. In a second clock cycle, the bits in the storage device are shifted and the first circuit and the second circuit are reused to calculate the A1 bit and the A2 bit in parallel. Alternatively, a third circuit and a fourth circuit can be connected to the storage device to calculate the A1 bit and the A2 bit in parallel during the first clock cycle.

Abstract: A method for coding a motion vector using a 2-dimensional minimum bitrate predicting technique is disclosed. A mode information (MODE) commonly adopted to the factors ‘X’ and ‘Y’ are transmitted to thereby reduce its transmission burden by using the two-dimensional minimum bitrate predicting technique, so that a coding efficiency of a motion vector can be improved. In addition, the two-dimensional MVD information coding method is proposed for the low transfer rate mobile image which is very small and has very small motion, so that even if a distribution characteristic of the MVD information is changed according to the minimum bitrate prediction, a coding efficiency of a major motion vector can be improved.

Abstract: A method for detecting errors in an image signal. The image signal is produced by dividing an image into image blocks, and coding is performed in which at least predictive coding is performed on an image block to produce inter-coded image information for the image block. The inter-coded image information comprises at least one prediction error block containing prediction error information. A decoding is performed to recover prediction error information contained in the at least one prediction error information contained in the at least one prediction error block. A prediction error block check is performed in which prediction error information contained in the at least one prediction error block is examined to detect errors in the inter-coded image information for the image block.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes a CCD imager. When a motion image recording mode is selected, the depression of a shutter button creates a plurality of screens of image signals based on camera signals outputted from the CCD imager. A system controller calculates an optimal compression ratio for compressing the image signal to a target size and sets optimal compression ratio to an image compression circuit. The image compression circuit compresses a current image signal obtained following a preceding image signal with this optimal compression ratio. Such compression process creates a plurality of screens of a compressed image signals, whereby a write control circuit records the plurality of screens of the compressed image signals to a memory card.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording moving picture data encoded using a prediction encoding system, in which the playback control information is recorded along with moving picture data encoded using the MPEG system. The playback control information includes the information specifying a program decoding starting picture and a display starting picture and the information specifying the program decoding terminating picture and a display terminating picture. During reproduction, the playback control information is first read out and moving picture data are decoded based on this information. This enables seamless reproduction from a pre-skipping picture to a post-skipping picture.

Abstract: After completion of a prediction process for a single line in an image of size S, the DC components and AC components, held in a lower stage part of a predicted luminance value storage are copied into a line part. This copying is done to use the DC components and AC components that have been copied into line part as reference values for the prediction process of the target macro blocks of the next single line. Performing the prediction process while repeating such copying eliminates the need to secure the area for storing of the DC components and AC components of the entire image size in predicted luminance value storage for the prediction process.

Abstract: A plurality of picture frames is arranged as one group according to correlation between picture frames in a picture sequence. Then, a coding mode corresponding to each of the picture frames of the group is determined. Subsequently, preceding is performed according to the coding mode. Then, the coding of a picture is performed by controlling a coding parameter according to a result of the preceding and to the coding mode.

Abstract: A video scramble apparatus has a scrambler for scrambling an input video signal, and a video encoder for performing interframe predictive coding of the video signal after scrambling, and the scrambler selects a frame, which is not used as a reference frame for interframe prediction in the video encoder, from the input video signal, and scrambles the frame by pixel replacing in units of slices within a predetermined vertical range or pixel replacing in units of n consecutive macroblocks within a predetermined horizontal range.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for realizing high speed and high efficiency in compression of image data having periodicity. The present invention includes the following: an image input unit to input image signal; a first predictive converter which converts relation between the pixel value of a target pixel in the image signal inputted through the image input part and that of another pixel into a first prediction value; a first encoder which generates intermediate data by encoding the first prediction value output from the first predictive converter; a second predictive converter which converts relation between a target symbol among symbols making up the intermediate data generated by the first encoder and another symbol into a second prediction value; and a second encoder which generates an encoded signal by encoding the second prediction value output from the second predictive converter.

Abstract: A video scramble apparatus has a scrambler for scrambling an input video signal, and a video encoder for performing interframe predictive coding of the video signal after scrambling, and the scrambler selects a frame, which is not used as a reference frame for interframe prediction in the video encoder, from the input video signal, and scrambles the frame by pixel replacing in units of slices within a predetermined vertical range or pixel replacing in units of n consecutive macroblocks within a predetermined horizontal range.

Abstract: In a moving picture data structure having a structure comprising I pictures (intraframe coded image) and P pictures (interframe forward predictive coded image), a P′ picture of a forward predictive coded image of a picture immediately preceding an I picture and the I picture is placed following the I picture. If an error occurs during the I picture transmission, the P′ picture can be used to recover from the error.

Abstract: A video scramble apparatus has a scrambler for scrambling an input video signal, and a video encoder for performing interframe predictive coding of the video signal after scrambling, and the scrambler selects a frame, which is not used as a reference frame for interframe prediction in the video encoder, from the input video signal, and scrambles the frame by pixel replacing in units of slices within a predetermined vertical range or pixel replacing in units of n consecutive macroblocks within a predetermined horizontal range.

Abstract: A method for compressing a set of images that includes the steps of grouping the images into at least two clusters based on color content similarity, identifying at least one representative image in each of the clusters, all other images within each of the clusters being identified as non-representative images, independently coding the representative image(s) from each of the clusters, e.g., using a lossy (e.g., JPEG) or lossless coding algorithm; and, predictively coding each of the non-representative images from each of the clusters using the representative image(s) from that cluster as a reference image(s).

Abstract: The color of a pixel is represented in a pixel storage word, wherein color coordinate data and intensity data are coded separately in two fields of the pixel storage word, the color field and the intensity field. This permits a range of colors to be represented in a relatively small number of bits. In one embodiment of the invention, each of the three color coordinates of an input color is coded separately. The coded color components are concatenated and placed in a coded color field of the pixel storage word. In another embodiment of the invention, the color coordinate data is encoded as a color index, a binary value which maps to color coordinate data according to a predefined color table. Intensity data is also encoded with a binary value. The coded intensity can represent the intensity directly, or can be an index to intensity data stored in a predetermined intensity table.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for reducing the video decoder processing requirements are presented herein. During a rewind operation, a reference picture for a group of pictures is decoded and stored into a reference frame buffer. By storing a reference picture for the group, the reference picture need not be decoded to display each picture in the group during the rewind operation.

Abstract: An improved loss recovery method for coding streaming media classifies each data unit in the media stream as an independent data unit (I unit), a remotely predicted unit (R unit) or a predicted data unit (P unit). Each of these units is organized into independent segments having an I unit, multiple P units and R units interspersed among the P units. The beginning of each segment is the start of a random access point, while each R unit provides a loss recovery point that can be placed independently of the I unit. This approach separates the random access point from the loss recovery points provided by the R units, and makes the stream more impervious to data losses without substantially impacting coding efficiency. The most important data units are transmitted with the most reliability to ensure that the majority of the data received by the client is usable. The I units are the least sensitive to transmission losses because they are coded using only their own data.

Abstract: In order to produce a decoded image substantially identical to an original image by processing a small amount of data, utilizing a thinning circuit (subsampler) a level of compression data obtained by extracting 9 pixels of an original image by 1 pixel is limited by a level limiting circuit by extracting 2 bits thereof from an MSB. In a local decoder, the original image is predicted based on correction data to output a predicted values thereof. Then, in an error calculator, a prediction error of the predicted values with respect to the original image is calculated. The compression data is corrected by a correcting circuit in such a manner that this prediction error becomes small.

Abstract: Audio signals are converted from analog into digital using the well-known sigma-delta modulation techniques. The digital signal then consists of a sequence of 1-bit samples at a frequency of e.g. 2822400 Hz (=64*44100 Hz). Lossless coding techniques are used to reduce the required storage- or transmission-capacity for these 1-bit oversampled audio signals. The performance (compression ratio) of the lossless coder for 1-bit oversampled audio signals is improved by sometimes overruling the probability signal for the lossless coder.

Abstract: A block including a subject pixel is formed from an original image. A first class information generation circuit calculates similarity between a decimated block that is obtained by decimating pixels constituting the block and a reduced block obtained by reducing the block (self-similarity of an image). On the other hand, a second class information generation circuit detects a pattern of pixel values of pixels that are arranged in a direction with highest self-similarity in the reduced block (or the decimated block). A final class determination circuit determines a class of the block including the subject pixel based on outputs of both of the first class information generation circuit and the second class information generation circuit. A process corresponding to the thus-determined class is executed.