Abstract: A method and system can automatically select the optimal size of a visual object that can be displayed on an display device. For example, the present invention can determine the best or optimum size to display a visual object received from a computer network to a computer screen such that image degradations due to compression or transmission defects are less noticeable or perceivable. Typically, the best or optimum size to display a visual object can comprise a size that is also the maximum in which the visual object can be displayed without any degradations or defects.

Abstract: The present invention provides video signal compression that efficiently groups pictures in a video stream into variably-sized groups of pictures (GOPs), thereby providing lower achievable output signal bit rates and higher output signal quality. The video signal compression maximizes the output signal quality by appropriately allocating bits among individual pictures and GOPs in the output signal. The video signal compression of the present invention also applies compression methods that reduce noise in the output signal, by utilizing a macroblock-based tunable conditional replenishment technique. The conditional replenishment technique exploits the similarities among images in the variably-sized GOPs to further minimize output bit rate and maximize the output signal quality. An analysis-by-synthesis method is also provided to select a best asynchronous sampling method among various generated candidate output streams.

Abstract: The present invention improves image quality by detecting and enhancing edges in an image. Images often include blurry or fuzzy edges that can obscure an image. An edge is a portion of an image separating two regions of substantially constant image intensity. An image can be examined on a pixel-by-pixel basis to find a candidate edge. When a candidate edge is found, a determination can made as to whether the candidate edge is a true edge. A true edge can be enhanced by amplifying the image intensity differences between pixels on the true edge and adjacent pixels not on the true edge. The present invention also provides a novel image processing filter for eliminating well-known noise from an image. The image processing filter can further improve edge enhancement by eliminating such noise prior to the edge detection and enhancement.