Abstract: In a video encoder a prediction signal at a bit resolution of P is subtracted from an input signal received at a bit resolution of P+?, where P is typically 8 bits, and P+?, 10 bits. A transform is then performed on the result, the output of which transform being at a bit resolution of at least P+?. The transformed signal is quantised, and the quantised signal used to form the prediction signal. The quantised signal is then coded for downstream delivery. At a decoder, the process is inverted, preserving the extra ? bits input to the encoder.

Abstract: In a video encoder a prediction signal at a bit resolution of P is subtracted from an input signal received at a bit resolution of P+?, where P is typically 8 bits, and P+?, 10 bits. A transform is then performed on the result, the output of which transform being at a bit resolution of at least P+?. The transformed signal is quantized, and the quantized signal used to form the prediction signal. The quantized signal is then coded for downstream delivery. At a decoder, the process is inverted, preserving the extra ? bits input to the encoder.

Abstract: An apparatus to evaluate an illuminated panel comprises a camera to acquire a real-time digital color image of the illuminated panel and a stored digital color image of a standard illuminated panel. A monitor is provided to alternately display the real-time image and the stored image to detect any differences in the illuminated panel.

Abstract: A method and system for the insertion of local signals, including digital media advertisements, into statistically multiplexed streams is presented. The rate control and timing information is computed and is used to specify the insertion time and rate parameters for digital advertisements. In one embodiment, a maximum bit rate over the advertisement duration is specified. The maximum bit rate may be constant or may vary in time, such that high bit rate portions of the advertisement are supported. High bit rate portions of the advertisements in different program streams may be staggered, such that the total bandwidth required does not exceed a maximum, but allowing for high bit rate portions of advertisements. Custom bit rate profiles for advertisements may also be defined, with the profiles being defined at a high granularity or a low granularity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel imaging system for obtaining full stereoscopic spherical images of the visual environment surrounding a viewer, 360 degree both horizontally and vertically. Displaying the images obtained by the present system, by means suitable for stereoscopic displaying, gives the viewers the ability to look everywhere around them, as well as up and down, while having stereoscopic depth perception of the images displayed images. The system according to the present invention comprises an array of cameras, wherein the lenses of said cameras are situated on a curved surface, pointing out from common centers of said curved surface. The captured images of said system are arranged and processed to create sets of stereoscopic image pairs, wherein one image of each pair is designated for the observer right eye and the second image to his left eye, thus creating a three dimensional perception.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus to accept line-scan data sets at a camera rate from a line-scan camera and resample the line-scan data sets to produce resampled line image data sets at a desired sampling distance. Each line-scan data set is of an object imaged for a fixed exposure time and moving at a relative speed in relation to the line-scan camera. The method includes accepting the line-scan data sets at the camera rate from the line-scan camera, accepting a measure of the relative speed between the line-scan camera and the object being imaged by the line-scan camera, and resampling the line-scan data sets to produce resampled line image data sets at the desired sampling distance. The resampling is a function of the camera rate, the measure of relative speed and the desired sampling distance. The resampling adjusts for the variations in relative speed to produce faithfully exposed data.

Abstract: A video decoder, a video reproduction apparatus and a method for decoding and displaying an encoded video data are provided. The video reproduction device is capable of decoding the encoded video data and generating reference pictures and non-reference pictures in accordance with a decode order, and displaying the reference pictures and the non-reference pictures in accordance with a display order. The non-reference pictures are not referred to by any other pictures when the video data is encoded.

Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for motion estimation and bandwidth reduction in a memory. The device includes a memory for storing a plurality of frame data, a controller connected to the memory, a first motion estimation processor for performing a coarse-tuning operation and a second motion estimation processor for performing a fine-tuning operation. Similarity between a reference frame and a current frame is calculated based on the averages of every two adjacent pixels in the reference macroblocks and current macroblocks. The amount of calculations for determining motion estimation is greatly reduced, and bandwidth in utilizing the memory is accordingly reduced as motion estimation is advantageously achieved.

Abstract: A method for removing MPEG-2 chroma upconversion artifacts in a video stream includes detecting a presence of artifacts in an incorrectly upsampled MPEG-2 video stream and removing the presence of artifacts resulting in an artifact free video stream.

Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that can advantageously be used in a video encoder to improve picture quality, to improve the speed of encoding, and the like. One embodiment of the invention advantageously computes activity measures using an efficient L1-norm, which can advantageously be relatively quickly computed by selected microprocessors. Another embodiment of the invention advantageously allocates bits to macroblocks of a picture based at least in part on the motion activities of the macroblocks.

Abstract: A method of encoding a video signal representing a sequence of pictures, the method comprising comparing a first picture with a second picture, calculating a measure of the similarity between the first and the second pictures, comparing the measure of similarity with a predetermined criterion of similarity and, when the measure of similarity does not meet the predetermined criterion of similarity, outputting an indicator indicating that a non-temporally predictive error concealment method should be used by a subsequent decoder and, when the measure of similarity meets the predetermined criterion of similarity, outputting an indicator indicating that a temporally predictive error concealment method should be used by a subsequent decoder.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus has a single coaxial cable installed between a scope A and a processor unit B. Waveform superimposing circuits superimpose a video signal on power transmitted through the coaxial cable and sequentially superimpose scope-side reference pulses and processor-side reference pulses alternately on horizontal scanning blanking periods in one field of the video signal. At the same time, the scope A and processor unit B generate reference signals and various timing signals synchronized with the reference pulses of the counterpart and perform video processing based on them. This enables accurate sampling even when scopes with different pixel counts are used. Also, a scope information signal and electronic shutter control signal may be superimposed on a predetermined blanking period in the video signal.

Abstract: In the case of a method for transformation encoding of moving-image sequences, motion vectors are estimated block-by-block, with which said motion vectors a motion compensation is carried out. The prediction error is transformation-encoded. According to the invention, the block size of the transformation encoding is coupled to the block size used in each case for the motion compensation. This measure makes it possible to enhance the efficiency of the encoding of the prediction error in hybrid encoding procedures that use various block sizes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a launch monitor system that measures flight characteristics of an object moving in a predetermined field-of-view. The system includes a support structure, a lighting unit, a camera unit disposed on the support structure, and a calibration assembly. The calibration assembly includes a calibration fixture and at least one telescoping member. A first end of the telescoping member is coupled to the support structure and a second end is contactable with or coupled to the fixture. In an extended position of the telescoping member, the calibration fixture is in the field-of-view of the camera unit. In a retracted position, the calibration fixture out of the field-of-view. The calibration fixture further includes contrasting markings. In another embodiment, the system includes a frame and the launch monitor is pivotally suspended from the frame so that it self-levels. The present invention further includes a method of calibrating a launch monitor having a calibration fixture.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a data encoder generating a base layer bitstream encoded at a base bit-rate, and a plurality of enhancement layer bitstreams encoded at different enhancement layer bit-rates, and a bitstream selection module selecting one of the enhancement layer bitstreams every video frame based on available channel bandwidth. A method includes transmitting a first enhancement layer bitstream encoded at a first bit-rate, detecting a transition in network bandwidth through a switching bit-rate, and transmitting a second enhancement layer bitstream encoded at a second bit-rate based on the transition in network bandwidth.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for compressing a group of basic media data units, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving the group of basic media data units; (b) for each basic media data unit of the group performing the steps of: (b1) partially decoding the basic media data unit; (b2) determining whether to reduce the size of the basic media data unit of the received block in view of a predefined relationship between a predefined compression ratio (PCRA) and a residual ratio (RR); (b3) reducing the size of the basic media data unit, in view of the determination, such that an optimal reduction to quality degradation of the basic media data block is achieved; and (b4) partially encoding the basic media data unit.

Abstract: A noise filter for a video processing system includes a block selector, a cost calculator, a cost table, a cost comparator, and a coefficient filter. The block selector is coupled to receive data from the quantization unit and selects blocks for additional filtering. The selected blocks are provided to the cost calculator determines a cost for each of the coefficients in the block using the cost table and the costs are summed. The cost comparator compares the total to a threshold, and filters the coefficients using the coefficient filter if the total is greater a preset threshold. The noise filter to the VLC unit then outputs the filter data.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a decoded video signal and syntax elements in response to an encoded bitstream. The second circuit may be configured to generate one or more overlay images in response to the syntax elements. The overlay images generally comprise graphical symbols representing the syntax elements of the encoded bitstream.

Abstract: A data storage unit of an image compression device for compressing motion picture frame is provided. The data storage unit comprises: a previous frame field having a plurality of slices; a decoded frame field having a plurality of slices; and a current frame field having a plurality of slices, wherein the previous frame field stores a previously decoded image and the decoded frame field stores a currently decoded image, wherein the number of slices of the previous frame field is greater than the number of slices of the decoded frame field and the current frame field.

Abstract: Transcoding as from MPEG-2 SDTV to MPEG-4 CIF reuses motion vectors and downsamples in the frequency (DCT) domain with differing treatments of frame-DCT and field-DCT blocks, and alternatively uses de-interlacing IDCT with respect to the row dimension plus deferred column downsampling for reference frame blocks.