Abstract: An image signal indicative of the head pose of a person in a scene, as provided by a camera may be processed by estimating, as a function of the image signal received by the image sensor, the head pose of the person. A view frustum of the person may be generated from the estimated head pose. A visual frustum of attention or VFOA of the person may be generated from the view frustum. From the visual frustum, a predicted movement trajectory of the person or an estimated scene attention map as a function of the visual frustum of attention, preferably by identifying in the attention map at least one object to be controlled may be generated.

Abstract: A method of measuring illumination of an environment may include capturing (e.g. via an RGB-D camera arrangement) images of an illuminated environment. The method may further include extracting from the image captured light emittance values as well as albedo values of surface areas (“patches”) across the environment. The method also includes computing illumination values of surface areas across the environment as a function of the emittance values and the albedo values.

Abstract: A lighting system including a set of lighting devices for lighting an environment that may be controlled by a method. The method may include receiving, from one or more image sensors (e.g. a RGB-D camera—W), an image signal including a sequence of images of the environment under different conditions of illumination and light reflection. The method may further include processing the image signal to provide a light source identification signal representative of light sources affecting the environment, and controlling the lighting devices as a function of the light source identification signal, and, possibly, of human occupancy and activity.

Abstract: A lighting system including a set of lighting devices for lighting an environment that may be controlled by a method. The method may include receiving, from one or more image sensors (e.g. a RGB-D camera—W), an image signal including a sequence of images of the environment under different conditions of illumination and light reflection. The method may further include processing the image signal to provide a light source identification signal representative of light sources affecting the environment, and controlling the lighting devices as a function of the light source identification signal, and, possibly, of human occupancy and activity.

Abstract: An image signal indicative of the head pose of a person in a scene, as provided by a camera may be processed by estimating, as a function of the image signal received by the image sensor, the head pose of the person. A view frustum of the person may be generated from the estimated head pose. A visual frustum of attention or VFOA of the person may be generated from the view frustum. From the visual frustum, a predicted movement trajectory of the person or an estimated scene attention map as a function of the visual frustum of attention, preferably by identifying in the attention map at least one object to be controlled may be generated.

Abstract: A method for the self-calibration of the position of a set of sensors of acoustic signals includes a set of sources of acoustic events provided for generating acoustic waves; measuring times of flight of the acoustic events between each source of acoustic events and each microphone; and reconstructing the positions of the set of sensors and the positions of the sources of acoustic events through a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure executed on the basis of the measured times of flight. Times of emission of the acoustic events are acquired and times of flight are obtained. Distances are calculated between the sources and the sensors. A matrix of estimated positions of the sensor microphones and a matrix of estimated positions of the sources of events are calculated.

Abstract: A method for self-calibration of the position of a set of sensors of acoustic signals includes: providing a set of sources of acoustic events designed to generate acoustic waves; measuring times of flight of the acoustic events between each source of acoustic events and each microphone; and reconstructing the positions of the set of sensors and the positions of the sources of acoustic events through a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure executed on the basis of the measured times of flight. Times of emission of the acoustic events are acquired. Times of flight are obtained. Distances between the sources and the sensors are calculated. A matrix of estimated positions of the sensor microphones and a matrix of estimated positions of the sources of events are calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for video object generation and selective encoding is provided. The apparatus includes a detection module for detecting a first object in at least one image frame of a series of image frames; a tracking module for tracking the first object in successive image frames and segmenting the first object from a background, the background being a second object; and an encoder for encoding the first and second objects to be transmitted to a receiver, wherein the first object is compressed at a high compression rate and the second object is compressed at a low compression rate. The receiver merges the first and second object to form a composite image frame. The method provides for detecting, tracking and segmenting one or more objects, such as a face, from a background to be encoded at the same or different compression rates to conserve bandwidth.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for video object generation and selective encoding is provided. The apparatus includes a detection module for detecting a first object in at least one image frame of a series of image frames; a tracking module for tracking the first object in successive image frames and segmenting the first object from a background, the background being a second object; and an encoder for encoding the first and second objects to be transmitted to a receiver, wherein the first object is compressed at a high compression rate and the second object is compressed at a low compression rate. The receiver merges the first and second object to form a composite image frame. The method provides for detecting, tracking and segmenting one or more objects, such as a face, from a background to be encoded at the same or different compression rates to conserve bandwidth.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for video object generation and selective encoding is provided. The apparatus includes a detection module for detecting a first object in at least one image frame of a series of image frames; a tracking module for tracking the first object in successive image frames and segmenting the first object from a background, the background being a second object; and an encoder for encoding the first and second objects to be transmitted to a receiver, wherein the first object is compressed at a high compression rate and the second object is compressed at a low compression rate. The receiver merges the first and second object to form a composite image frame. The method provides for detecting, tracking and segmenting one or more objects, such as a face, from a background to be encoded at the same or different compression rates to conserve bandwidth.