Abstract: A video communication system adapted to interface with video cameras for receiving respective video signals therefrom.

Abstract: A remote support communication system comprises a user terminal unit and an operator terminal unit. Said user terminal unit comprises a camera module configured to shoot video images of an object in order to acquire an ordered sequence of video frames forming a corresponding first video and a video transmission module configured to transmit the video frames to the operator terminal unit. Said operator terminal unit comprises a display and drawing module configured to display the video frames and allow an operator to generate digital graphic components to be superimposed on respective video frames; a graphic transmitter module configured to transmit said graphic components to the user terminal unit.

Abstract: A monitoring system assesses the position of at least one target within an area. The monitoring system comprises a processing unit adapted to receive, from a camera, at least a frame depicting a scene of the area. The frames generated by the camera have a first resolution. The processing unit comprises: a database module storing, for each at least one target, a corresponding reference image, each reference image having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; a segmentation module configured to segment a received frame into frame segments, each frame segment having a resolution corresponding to the second resolution; a search module configured to implement a visual search procedure between each frame segment and a reference image comprising a depiction of the at least one target; and a position and translation module for calculating the position of the at least one target within the received frame.

Abstract: A remote support communication system comprises a user terminal unit and an operator terminal unit. Said user terminal unit comprises a camera module configured to shoot video images of an object in order to acquire an ordered sequence of video frames forming a corresponding first video and a video transmission module configured to transmit the video frames to the operator terminal unit. Said operator terminal unit comprises a display and drawing module configured to display the video frames and allow an operator to generate digital graphic components to be superimposed on respective video frames; a graphic transmitter module configured to transmit said graphic components to the user terminal unit.

Abstract: A monitoring system assesses the position of at least one target within an area. The monitoring system comprises a processing unit adapted to receive from a camera, at least a frame depicting a scene of the area. The frames generated by the camera have a first resolution. The processing unit comprises: a database module storing, for each at least one target, a corresponding reference image, each reference image having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; a segmentation module configured to segment a received frame into frame segments, each frame segment having a resolution corresponding to the second resolution; a search module configured to implement a visual search procedure between each frame segment and a reference image comprising a depiction of the at least one target; and a position and translation module for calculating the position of the at least one target within the received frame.

Abstract: Method for determining the bounding box of a computerized graphic shape comprising one or more primitives described in vectorial mode, wherein the bounding box is calculated by applying analytical mathematical formulas to the vectorial description of the primitives constituting the shape without preliminarily performing a phase of drawing and displaying of the shape through resolution of the vectorial primitives that compose it.

Abstract: A method of image processing, includes: receiving at least one video frame of a video sequence, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background; and processing the at least one video frame so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing includes: obtaining a reference image including the background; comparing the at least one video frame to the reference image; and generating a pixel mask as a result of the comparison, the pixel mask indicating whether a pixel of the at least one video frame belongs to the foreground subject or to the background. The method further comprises at least partially determining edges of the at least one foreground subject in the at least one video frame, and modifying the pixel mask based on the determined foreground subject edges.

Abstract: For establishing a multimedia session with a remote user's terminal, a terminal starts a signaling intended to establish the multimedia session addressed to the remote user's terminal. Predetermined acknowledgement messages indicate to the terminal and to the remote terminal that the multimedia session is established. The terminal and/or the remote terminal run at least a module of a multimedia application before reception of the predetermined acknowledgement messages.

Abstract: Method for determining the bounding box of a computerized graphic shape comprising one or more primitives described in vectorial mode, wherein the bounding box is calculated by applying analytical mathematical formulas to the vectorial description of the primitives constituting the shape without preliminarily performing a phase of drawing and displaying of the shape through resolution of the vectorial primitives that compose it.

Abstract: A method of coding a digital image includes subdividing the image into image blocks formed by a plurality of pixels, and processing each image block of the image, by determining a skip-mode prediction block in respect of the current image block being processed, calculating a difference between the image block being processed and the skip-mode prediction block, and comparing the calculated difference to a predetermined threshold. The calculation of the difference between the current image block being processed and the skip-mode prediction block includes: calculating a plurality of pixel-by-pixel differences between a pixel of the current image block and a corresponding pixel of the skip-mode prediction image block; associating a respective quantized value with each pixel-by-pixel difference; and cumulating the quantized values.

Abstract: A method of image processing, includes receiving at least one video frame of a video sequence, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background, and processing the at least one video frame so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing includes: generating a pixel mask indicating whether a pixel of the at least one video frame belongs to the foreground subject or to the background, applying morphological closing to the pixel mask, wherein the applying morphological closing includes, for each pixel of the pixel mask, conditioning a pixel value in the mask to values of neighboring pixels. The conditioning includes: determining at least edges of the at least one foreground subject in the at least one video frame; and, for the generic pixel under processing, determining the neighboring pixels based on the determined edges.

Abstract: A method of image processing includes: receiving at least one video frame of a video sequence, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background; and processing the at least one video frame so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing includes: generating a pixel mask containing information indicating, for each pixel of the at least one video frame, whether the pixel belongs to the foreground subject or to the background, and determining contours of the at least one foreground subject on the pixel mask. The determining of the contours includes for each pixel in the at least one video frame; based on the information included in the pixel mask, determining whether at least one pixel border belongs to a contour of the at least one foreground subject, the at least one pixel border separating the pixel from a respective at least one adjacent pixel.

Abstract: A telecommunications terminal hosts a conference mixer adapted to enable an at least audio conference between a first conference peer and at least two further conference peers. The conference mixer includes for each of the at least two further conference peers, a respective first data buffer configured to buffer portions of at least an audio data stream received from the respective conference peer; a first audio data stream portions mixer fed by the first data buffers and configured to: a) get audio data stream portions buffered in the first data buffers; b) mix the audio data stream portions from the first data buffers to produce a first mixed audio data portion; and c) feed the first mixed audio data portion to a rendering device of the telecommunications terminal, wherein the first audio data stream portions mixer is configured to perform operations a), b) and c) upon receipt of a notification from the rendering device indicating that the rendering device is ready to render a new mixed audio data portion.

Abstract: A telecommunications terminal hosts a conference mixer adapted to enable an at least audio conference between a first conference peer and at least two further conference peers. The conference mixer includes for each of the at least two further conference peers, a respective first data buffer configured to buffer portions of at least an audio data stream received from the respective conference peer; a first audio data stream portions mixer fed by the first data buffers and configured to: a) get audio data stream portions buffered in the first data buffers; b) mix the audio data stream portions from the first data buffers to produce a first mixed audio data portion; and c) feed the first mixed audio data portion to a rendering device of the telecommunications terminal, wherein the first audio data stream portions mixer is configured to perform operations a), b) and c) upon receipt of a notification from the rendering device indicating that the rendering device is ready to render a new mixed audio data portion.

Abstract: For establishing a multimedia session with a remote user's terminal, a terminal starts a signaling intended to establish the multimedia session addressed to the remote user's terminal. Predetermined acknowledgement messages indicate to the terminal and to the remote terminal that the multimedia session is established. The terminal and/or the remote terminal run at least a module of a multimedia application before reception of the predetermined acknowledgement messages.

Abstract: A method of image processing includes: providing a plurality of image frames and processing at least one image frame. A description of a plurality of pixels of the plurality of image frames is provided in a color space, including at least an angular coordinate. A method is disclosed for reliably calculating the average of the angular coordinate.

Abstract: A method of coding a digital image includes subdividing the image into image blocks formed by a plurality of pixels, and processing each image block of the image, by determining a skip-mode prediction block in respect of the current image block being processed, calculating a difference between the image block being processed and the skip-mode prediction block, and comparing the calculated difference to a predetermined threshold. The calculation of the difference between the current image block being processed and the skip-mode prediction block includes: calculating a plurality of pixel-by-pixel differences between a pixel of the current image block and a corresponding pixel of the skip-mode prediction image block; associating a respective quantized value with each pixel-by-pixel difference; and cumulating the quantized values.

Abstract: A method of image processing, includes: receiving at least one video frame of a video sequence, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background; and processing the at least one video frame so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing includes: obtaining a reference image including the background; comparing the at least one video frame to the reference image; and generating a pixel mask as a result of the comparison, the pixel mask indicating whether a pixel of the at least one video frame belongs to the foreground subject or to the background. The method further comprises at least partially determining edges of the at least one foreground subject in the at least one video frame, and modifying the pixel mask based on the determined foreground subject edges.

Abstract: A method of image processing, includes: providing a data processing apparatus, including a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit; feeding at least one video frame of a video sequence to the data processing apparatus, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background; and processing the at least one video frame in the data processing apparatus so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing is at least partially performed by the processors of the graphics processing unit.

Abstract: A method of image processing includes: receiving at least one video frame of a video sequence, the at least one video frame including at least one foreground subject and a background; and processing the at least one video frame so as to separate the at least one foreground subject from the background. The processing includes: generating a pixel mask containing information indicating, for each pixel of the at least one video frame, whether the pixel belongs to the foreground subject or to the background, and determining contours of the at least one foreground subject on the pixel mask. The determining of the contours includes for each pixel in the at least one video frame; based on the information included in the pixel mask, determining whether at least one pixel border belongs to a contour of the at least one foreground subject, the at least one pixel border separating the pixel from a respective at least one adjacent pixel.