Abstract: A multi-scanner scans a signal according to several different patterns. A scanning pattern selector determines which scanning pattern produced the most efficient coding result, for example, for runlength coding, and outputs a coded signal, coded most efficiently, and a selection signal which identifies the scanning pattern found to be most efficient.

Abstract: A device detects the location of patterned objects in an environment by receiving an optical image and converting the optical image of the lost object into a color digital image. The device employs software to perform an analysis of the color digital image to detect the location of the one or more patterned objects in the environment by using color characteristics of light reflected from a pattern on the one or more patterned objects. The software uses a range of the visible portion of the color space uniquely identified for the light reflected from the pattern on the object and identifies those pixels in the digital image that may be possible targets.

Abstract: A video decoder is connected with a block distortion detector for specifying the boundary of blocks where block boundary occurs, using decoded image data and information of motion vectors, which are supplied from the video decoder; and a block distortion remover for subjecting pixels in the vicinity of the block boundary of the decoded image to filtering on the basis of the result of detection from the block distortion detector, thereby removing the block distortion. Therefore, block distortion is accurately detected when a compressed and coded image is decoded, and the detected block distortion is removed while minimizing the blurriness of the image.

Abstract: First pictures as reference for inter-picture prediction of an incoming moving-picture and second pictures are coded. The first pictures are coded by intra-picture or unidirectional inter-picture predictive coding. The second pictures are coded by bidirectional inter-picture predictive coding by referring the first or their locally-decoded pictures to obtain a moving-picture bitstream. The bitstream is multiplexed with obtained motion activity information. Incoming first bitstreams are multiplexed into a bitstream at a rate lower than a total bit rate of the incoming first bitstreams. Each bitstream has first bitstreams of the first and second pictures. A code amount of the multiplexed bitstream is obtained for each reproduction period as virtual buffer occupancy, according to which a decimation rate is set on the second pictures.

Abstract: A monitor camera is provided with a control device which carries out a predetermined process in response to an input of a trigger signal. The control device has an arrangement in that continuous images are successively inputted from a camera unit thereto and in that a detection of a moving object is carried out by detecting a change in images in a moving-object detector. When no change in images is detected by the moving-object detector within a predetermined time after the input of a trigger signal from a detection sensor to a trigger signal input unit, the control device determines the trigger signal inputted to the trigger signal input unit as valid. Then, only when the valid trigger signal has been detected, an abnormality process is carried out. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the abnormality process from being performed upon erroneous detection of a normal state as an abnormal state.

Abstract: In a high-efficiency encoder which performs motion-compensation prediction, an intra-field is set every n fields. The presence of a scene change is detected. When a scene change occurs, a reference picture of motion-compensation prediction is switched, or the field immediately after the scene change is set as an intra-field.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus, comprising a media drive unit for recording image data, which is given digital processing, in a recording medium, judges a recordable amount of images by the detection of a free space of the above-mentioned recording medium, and displays a message, prompting the replacement of the recording medium in a monitor when this recordable amount becomes zero. Then, when the recording medium is replaced during the examination of the same patient, the electronic endoscope apparatus automatically creates a folder for a patient in this recording medium, and records remaining image data in this folder for a patient. In addition, also when the recordable amount becomes zero after the examination end switch was pushed, the electronic endoscope apparatus automatically creates a folder for the patient in a replaced recording medium, and records remaining image data in this folder.

Abstract: A transcoder for executing a re-coding process on an encoded stream generated based on an MPEG standard to generate a re-coded stream having a different GOP (Group of Pictures) structure or bit rate. A decoding device of a transcoder decodes a source encoded stream to generate decoded video data and extracts past coding parameters superposed in the encoded stream as history_stream( ). An encoding device receives the decoded video data and the past coding parameters and uses the past coding parameters to carry out an encoding process in a manner such that this process will not degrade image quality, thereby generating a re-coded stream. The encoding device superposes, as re_coding_stream—info( ), information indicating the selected past coding parameters.

Abstract: A video encoding system and method utilizes a three-dimensional (3-D) wavelet transform and entropy coding that utilize motion information in a way to reduce the sensitivity to motion. In one implementation, the coding process initially estimates motion trajectories of pixels in a video object from frame to frame in a video sequence to account for motion of the video object throughout the frames. After motion estimation, a wavelet transform is applied to produce coefficients within different sub-bands. The wavelet coefficients are coded independently for each sub-band to permit easy separation at a decoder, making resolution scalability and temporal scalability natural and easy. In particular, the coefficients are assigned various contexts based on the significance of neighboring samples in previous, current, and next frame, thereby taking advantage of any motion information between frames.

Abstract: A video encoding system and method utilizes a three-dimensional (3-D) wavelet transform and entropy coding that utilize motion information in a way to reduce the sensitivity to motion. In one implementation, the coding process initially estimates motion trajectories of pixels in a video object from frame to frame in a video sequence to account for motion of the video object throughout the frames. After motion estimation, a 3-D wavelet transform is applied in two parts. First, a temporal 1-D wavelet transform is applied to the corresponding pixels along the motion trajectories in a time direction. The temporal wavelet transform produces decomposed frames of temporal wavelet transforms, where the spatial correlation within each frame is well preserved. Second, a spatial 2-D wavelet transform is applied to all frames containing the temporal wavelet coefficients. The wavelet transforms produce coefficients within different sub-bands. The process then codes wavelet coefficients.

Abstract: A system and a method for transcoding multiple media channels is disclosed herein. The system includes a first processor to parse a media data stream having one or more media data channels and a vector processor to decompress, scale, and then compress the parsed media channel. A parsed media data channel, in one embodiment, is accessed using a bit manipulator and packetized into decoder instruction packets and transmitted to the vector processor using a sequencer. The vector processor decompresses the decoder instruction packets, scales a macroblock generated from the packets, and then compresses the scaled macroblock. As a result, the scaled and compressed output has less data associated with the media channel, allowing for faster and/or more efficient storage or transmission. A reduced sized scale buffer is associated with another disclosed embodiment.

Abstract: A system and method for adaptively controlling the encoded data rate in a data compression system. The system and method sets up alternative encoded bit streams for each segment of data and selects the alternative that would produce the bit rate closest to a predetermined target bit rate for transmission. Each segment of video input is quantized based on a set quantization settings to produce a plurality of quantized segments. Each quantized segment is then variable rate encoded to produce an alternative encoded bit stream. The data rate that would be required to transmit each alternative encoded bit stream is determined and compared with a predetermined target bit rate, which is set according to the transmission rate buffer status. The selected encoded bit stream is provided to the transmission rate buffer in preparation for transmission. Having processed one segment of data, the system and method then updates its parameters for processing the next segment of data.

Abstract: A video encoding system and method utilizes a three-dimensional (3-D) wavelet transform and entropy coding that utilize motion information in a way to reduce the sensitivity to motion. In one implementation, the coding process initially estimates motion trajectories of pixels in a video object from frame to frame in a video sequence to account for motion of the video object throughout the frames. After motion estimation, a 3-D wavelet transform is applied in two parts. First, a temporal 1-D wavelet transform is applied to the corresponding pixels along the motion trajectories in a time direction. The temporal wavelet transform produces decomposed frames of temporal wavelet transforms, where the spatial correlation within each frame is well preserved. Second, a spatial 2-D wavelet transform is applied to all frames containing the temporal wavelet coefficients. The wavelet transforms produce coefficients within different sub-bands. The process then codes wavelet coefficients.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for acquisition, compression, and characterization of spatiotemporal signals. In one aspect, the invention assesses self-similarity over the entire length of a spatiotemporal signal, as well as on a moving attention window, to provide cost effective measurement and quantification of dynamic processes. The invention also provides methods and apparatus for measuring self-similarity in spatiotemporal signals to characterize, adaptively control acquisition and/or storage, and assign meta-data for further detail processing. In some embodiments, the invention provides for an apparatus adapted for the characterization of biological units, and methods by which attributes of the biological units can be monitored in response to the addition or removal of manipulations, e.g., treatments.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system including a stereoscopic endoscope having left and right image pickup units for picking up parallactic images of an object through objective lenses laterally arranged at a distance from each other and CCDs laterally arranged at a distance from each other. In the stereoscopic endoscope, the focal distance is variable by moving focusing lenses. A display control unit is constructed so as to mask image pickup areas in left and right images display in left and right display elements on the basis of information regarding the distance to an object, the image pickup areas being picked up-only by one of the left and right image pickup units. Thus, images corresponding to an area that is picked up in common by both the left and right image pickup units are displayed.

Abstract: A device, system and method may enable the obtaining of in vivo images from within body lumens or cavities, such as images the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where the data such as image data is typically transmitted or otherwise sent to a receiving system in compressed or diluted form. The image may be reconstructed and for example displayed to a user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to process erroneous bi-directionally predicted multimedia data is described. The method includes determining temporal prediction data for the erroneous multimedia data, and estimating the erroneous multimedia data based on the determined temporal prediction data. The temporal prediction data includes data that was used to predict a forward reference section and/or a backward reference section. In some aspects, the temporal prediction data comprises motion vector data of the reference frames which is scaled to correspond to a frame containing the erroneous data.

Abstract: A digital video processing method and an apparatus thereof are provided. The method for processing digital images received in the form of compressed video streams comprising the step of determining a region intensity histogram (RIH) based on information on motion compensation of inter frames. The RIH information is obtained based on the motion compensation values of inter frames, and the RIH information is a good indicator of motion information of a video scene. Also, since the RIH information is quite a good indicator of intensity of the video scene, video streams having similar intensities can be effectively searched by searching for similar video scenes based on the RIH information obtained by the digital video processing method.

Abstract: A video encoding system and method utilizes a three-dimensional (3-D) wavelet transform and entropy coding that utilize motion information in a way to reduce the sensitivity to motion. In one implementation, the coding process initially estimates motion trajectories of pixels in a video object from frame to frame in a video sequence to account for motion of the video object throughout the frames. After motion estimation, a 3-D wavelet transform is applied in two parts. First, a temporal 1-D wavelet transform is applied to the corresponding pixels along the motion trajectories in a time direction. The temporal wavelet transform produces decomposed frames of temporal wavelet transforms, where the spatial correlation within each frame is well preserved. Second, a spatial 2-D wavelet transform is applied to all frames containing the temporal wavelet coefficients. The wavelet transforms produce coefficients within different sub-bands. The process then codes wavelet coefficients.

Abstract: Identification of segments based upon scoreboards and logos.